Dolphins free agency glimpse: Offensive tackle

You could argue the Dolphins are close to being talent-rich at offensive tackle. The Dolphins also could re-sign both of their primary backups— 31- year-old right tackle Brandon Shell and 25- year-old left tackle Greg Little— at a reasonable cost in free agency. The Dolphins have the option of shifting right guard Robert Hunt to tackle, the position he was...

Offensive tackle poses an interesting situation for the Miami Dolphins in free agency.

You could argue the Dolphins are close to being talent-rich at offensive tackle. Both starters, Pro Bowl left tackle Terron Armstead and young right tackle Austin Jackson, will return. The Dolphins also could re-sign both of their primary backups — 31-year-old right tackle Brandon Shell and 25-year-old left tackle Greg Little — at a reasonable cost in free agency.

Kendall Lamm, the 30-year-old who started briefly before sustaining an injury, also is an option, as well as 26-year-old Geron Christian, another late-season signee.

The Dolphins have the option of shifting right guard Robert Hunt to tackle, the position he was drafted to play. Or perhaps left guard Liam Eichenberg gets another shot at tackle.

The point is when it comes to offensive tackle there’s a chance the Dolphins allow free agency to pass without signing a significant player from another team.

Free agency unofficially starts March 13, when teams can begin the two-day contact period. Free agents can sign contracts March 15, when the new league year begins.

The top of the free agency food chain is likely way too pricey for the Dolphins.

Standouts such as San Francisco right tackle Mike McGlinchey and Kansas City left tackle Orlando Brown might command between $10 and $15 million per year and are probably out of the Dolphins’ spending range.

Plus, it appears the Chiefs might keep Brown, who played under the franchise tag last season.

Teams can designate their franchise-tag player starting Feb. 21 and ending March 7. The offensive line franchise tag is $18.2 million.

But the Dolphins don’t want to go too cheap on the backup tackles. After all, the left tackle would be replacing Armstead, one of the best players on the team, and the right tackle would protect quarterback Tua Tagovailoa’s blind side. Those are key replacements.

Backup tackles must also be taken seriously because in their last three games, including the wildcard game at Buffalo, the Dolphins started Armstead, Little, Shell, Lamm and Hunt at the tackle positions in various combinations.

Of course, the danger of the Dolphins standing pat with Armstead and Jackson is both are injury risks. Armstead, a 10-year veteran, played through toe, hip, knee and pectoral injuries last season. Considering he’s missed about five games a year for the last six seasons, durability questions must be taken into consideration.

Jackson, the 2020 first-round pick, only played two games last season due to ankle injuries but he was fairly healthy the previous two seasons.

If either Shell or Little departs in free agency, the Dolphins could be forced to sign a backup or someone who could challenge Jackson in training camp for the starting job.

There’s a chance, and perhaps a good chance, the Dolphins take care of their offensive tackle situation in the draft where they can get younger, cheaper talent than they can get in free agency.

The Dolphins don’t have a first-round draft pick due to tampering. Their first three draft picks are one selection in the second round and two selections in the third round, which could be prime territory to find a starting-caliber offensive tackle or a quality backup.

The Dolphins have a new offensive line coach in Butch Barry, who spent last season as Denver’s offensive line coach. In 2021, he was an assistant offensive line coach with San Francisco, where he worked with Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel.

Barry replaces ex-offensive line coach Matt Applebaum, who was let go after the season. Applebaum is the Dolphins’ seventh offensive line coach in seven years and the 10th in the last nine years.

The cash-strapped Dolphins have plenty of options at tackle between the draft and re-signing their own players, so signing a top-notch free agent probably isn’t a priority.

Here’s a look at some of the top free agents that could be on the Dolphins’ radar:

Mike McGlinchey, San Francisco: McGlinchey, one of the top right tackles on the market and someone who will likely get between $10-15 million a year, has a near-zero chance of playing for the Dolphins in 2023. But in the spirit of “you never say never” and acknowledging the Dolphins are in a “win now” mode and McGlinchey has familiarity with coach Mike McDaniel, we’ll put him on the list.

Brandon Shell, Dolphins: Shell performed well in both the run and pass games last season. He played left tackle for the first time in his career at the New York Jets but mostly played right tackle. He totaled 762 snaps (72 percent) and would be an ideal backup right tackle behind Austin Jackson once again. It’s not clear whether the Dolphins would want Shell as their full-time starter, but he’ll get the opportunity if he were to beat out Jackson in training camp.

Greg Little, Dolphins: Little was a fill-in at left tackle last season but graded poorly, according to Pro Football Focus, which had him at 35.1 (by comparison, guard Liam Eichenberg, the lowest-graded offensive line starter, was 39.8). He remains an option because of his youth, familiarity and low cost. Little played 528 snaps, so he saw a good amount of action and there’s room for improvement.

Cameron Fleming, Denver: Fleming spent the last two years with the Broncos at right tackle, which gives him familiarity with Butch Barry, the Dolphins’ new offensive line coach. Fleming, a nine-year veteran, started 15 games last season after being limited to five games in 2021. He also started 16 games for the New York Giants in 2020, but has spent most of his career as a reserve for Dallas (2018) and New England (2014-17).

Kelvin Beachum, Arizona: Beachum, 34, would be brought in to compete with Austin Jackson to start at right tackle, but might get offers to start elsewhere despite his age. He is a quality pass blocker with 10 straight seasons with a pass blocking grade above 70.0, according to Pro Football Focus. However, he’s regarded as a “limited” run blocker by Pro Football Focus.

Others to watch: Bobby Hart, Buffalo; Germain Ifedi, Atlanta; Jermaine Eluemunor, Las Vegas; Geron Christian, Dolphins; Kendall Lamm, Dolphins.

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