Terron Armstead injury opens door for rookie to play way earlier than expected

The Miami Dolphins were dismantled by the Buffalo Bills in Week 2 and while most of the talk has centered around Tua Tagovailoa, they also lost Terron Armstead as well. Armsteadleft the game in the second half with a shoulder injury. He left the field and was taken to the locker room and did not return. The Dolphins handed Kendall Lamm the job, but if Armstead is going to miss any significant time, it might be better to play Patrick Paul.

Meeting with the press following the TNF loss, Mike McDaniel said the reason Paul was not put in the game was due to his inexperience, game situation, and the atmosphere. McDaniel felt that throwing Paul into his first action under those circumstances wasn't a good idea.

Paul was drafted in the second round of last Aprils' draft. He looked good throughout camp and played nearly every snap in all three preseason games. The work he got in during those games should have prepared him for the inevitable loss of Armstead.

Patrick Paul could take over at LT for the injured Terron Armstead

Armstead's injury is not a surprise; it was a matter of when and not if. The Dolphins' top left tackle is incredibly good when healthy, but it isn't often that he is close to 100 percent even when he is actually on the field.

The severity of the injury he sustained isn't yet known. It could keep him off the field for a week or a month. The Dolphins have Lamm, who is capable of playing left tackle and did so last year, but Paul might be the better option. The Dolphins may want to bring him along slowly, as they see him as the future replacement for Armstead, but not getting him reps now won't help his development.

McDaniel did say that the initial information provided doesn't appear to be something in the "season-ending realm" and that is good news for the time being. Miami's offensive line issues are noticeable. Against the Bills, the run-blocking was better than against the Jaguars. The Dolphins ran the ball well, but pass protection is still an issue, so are untimely penalties.

Paul may not be ready to take over full time, but the Dolphins need to find a way to get him on the field. If the plan is to start Lamm, that is fine; he can handle the job. But if the future is Paul, the Dolphins need to get him real-game experience, and nothing is like the present.