What Dolphins are saying about status of two veteran players. And Pro Bowl runner in play?
A six-pack of Miami Dolphins notes on a Monday:
▪ It’s still early in the offseason, but a few things are taking shape with the offensive line.
Most notably: The Dolphins have conveyed to center Ted Karras — an impending unrestricted free agent - that they would like him back next season, according to a team source.
But the team has not yet made an offer, and this initial expression of interest doesn’t necessarily assure his return.
Karras, 28, was an upgrade over Daniel Kilgore in his first season with the Dolphins.
He allowed only two sacks and showed leadership and high character that earned praise from Dolphins people. He’s smart, reliable, selfless and durable. Pro Football Focus rated him 17th overall among 36 qualifying centers.
Though the Dolphins have $35 million in cap space and can create more, that money can go quickly and Miami likely will be generally judicious aside from perhaps one splashy signing, possibly a receiver.
So the sense here is that if Karras is willing to take a deal along the lines of what he played for last season ($3 million), he has a very good chance of returning. Perhaps Miami can find a way to give him more. It’s also certainly possible that another team could outbid the Dolphins.
If it doesn’t work out with Karras, there are four other starting free agent centers also set to hit free agency:
Green Bay’s Corey Linsley, Kansas City’s Austin Reiter, New England’s David Andrews and Atlanta’s Alex Mack.
As for other offensive linemen: Even though Jesse Davis lost his starting job for three late-season games (before starting the final two amid an injury to Solomon Kindley), neither party is looking to move on.
Davis, a team-first guy but honest in interviews, made clear in a Zoom session with reporters that he prefers to start. Nevertheless, he will accept any role asked of him and will not ask for a trade.
The Dolphins have left the impression they will allow Davis to compete for a starting job in 2021. And if he doesn’t win one, the team values him greatly because of his ability to capably play multiple positions.
Davis will earn $3.1 million in base salary each of the next two seasons as part of a three-year, $15 million extension signed in 2019.
Meanwhile, a decision is pending on whether Miami will try to re-sign unrestricted backup free agent offensive tackle Julien Davenport, who played just 53 snaps on offense in 2020.
▪ The Dolphins face a tough call about whether to offer a new deal to impending unrestricted free agent Davon Godchaux or seek a new backup defensive tackle in free agency or the draft.
Godchaux started 42 games in four seasons for Miami, including the first five this past season, before a biceps injury ended his season. Raekwon Davis took over the starting job and is unlikely to relinquish it in 2021, even if Godchaux returns.
A source close to Godchaux said he expects the Dolphins to approach him about a new contract, but that the sense is that he might get more money elsewhere.
▪ Indianapolis-based NFL writer Evan Massey reported Friday that Packers 2020 Pro Bowl running back Aaron Jones “is expected to receive heavy interest from the Dolphins, 49ers, Steelers and Bears. Plenty of other teams will have interest, but those four are teams to keep a close eye on. Green Bay would like to re-sign him as well.”
With the Dolphins’ fairly limited cap space, I would be surprised if Miami made a big offer to Jones, who has 25 rushing touchdowns during the past two seasons and had 1,104 yards rushing on 5.5 per carry last season.
But a source said Miami would be among teams that would appeal to Jones if it doesn’t work out in Green Bay. So a Dolphins/Jones marriage is conceivable if it’s a responsible contract from a cap standpoint.
But I believe the greater likelihood is the Dolphins address running back in the draft and end up with a top three of that rookie, Myles Gaskin and perhaps Salvon Ahmed.
▪ Ryan Fitzpatrick, on Sirius XM’s Mad Dog Radio show, was blunt about Tua Tagovailoa: “Young quarterbacks have got to show a huge jump from Year 1 to Year 2. That is going to say a lot about who he is. Now he can completely put everything into football. It’s his job. He’s comfortable in that he’s played in games. Now he has to make the huge leap.
“People see him as a leader. People want to follow him. He has that aura about him. Now he’s got to put the work in and take the jump this next year.”
▪ Quick stuff: Alabama receiver DeVonta Smith, a candidate for the Dolphins’ third overall pick, said Dolphins cornerback Noah Igbinoghene is the best defensive back he has played against in college (at Auburn)… Tagovailoa ranked fourth — behind only Tom Brady, Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson — in the NFLPA official ranking of player merchandise sales between March 1 and Nov. 30....
It appears the Dolphins might not be able to count on free agent linebacker Elandon Roberts, who’s coming off a serious knee injury in the Week 16 game against Las Vegas. His agent declined to say if Roberts would be ready for the start of the 2021 season.
▪ Kudos to Dolphins guard Kindley for paying for 66 laptop computers and autographed T-shirts for elementary and high school students in Jacksonville. He distributed 22 of those computers at his alma mater, Raines High.
Kindley started all 13 of his Dolphins appearances last season, bucking the trend for third-day Dolphins offensive line selections.
The Dolphins have drafted 12 offensive linemen in the fourth or fifth rounds during the past 30 years, and Kindley already has started more games than all but one other of those 12. Chris Gray, a fifth-rounder in 1993, started 23 games for Miami before moving onto Seattle.
This story was originally published February 8, 2021 at 3:21 PM.
