In 2024, the Miami Dolphins couldn't get anything going all season long. Now, they hope they are making the moves necessary to get them back to the playoffs.
To achieve that goal,, they need to keep Tua Tagovailoa from getting hurt. And to do that, they need to get better along the offensive line. Re-signing Liam Eichenberg didn't move that needle considering he was part of the needed overhaul.
Protecting Tua is a big task, and we can't blame the offensive line play for him being injured. Tua brings that on himself. So, how do you fix that? You hide your quarterback.
Jonah Savaiinaea is 340 pounds and stands 6'4". He can move around the line and sets himself well. He will form part of the wall the Dolphins should establish on the left side. Why? Because Savaiinaea is joining Patrick Paul on that line.
Paul is a wall of his own, standing 6'7". He comes in at 332 pounds. With them together on the left side, Mike McDaniel can shield his starting quarterback behind the two of them.
Will Tua Tagovailoa be able to see over his offensive line?
Tua isn't short, at least when compared to most men, but he isn't tall either. At 6'1" (and that is being generous), he may not be able to see over the two big guys who will be taking over this season. It's not a bad problem to have, but the goal, of course, is to give Tua more time and keep him upright.
It will be interesting to see if McDaniel utilizes Paul and Savaiinaea on the same side and runs behind them, where they can also hide their diminutive running backs.
Overall, the Dolphins' offensive line is already looking better than last season's unit, but that isn't saying much. General manager Chris Grier said in his end-of-season press conference the line needed to get fixed. With Paul taking over outside, James Daniels taking over inside, and now Jonah Savaiinaea aboard, he is definitely trying to make that happen.