Watch Out The Potential Patrick Paul Problem……. Read more 

 

 

The Miami Dolphins have decisions to make at the offensive position.

Patrick Paul is clear that he wants to be a starter in his second season with the Miami Dolphins in 2025.

It’s exactly what anyone should want to hear from an NFL player, particularly one a year removed from being a second-round pick.

And the Dolphins should want that as well, even though it does present a bit of a dilemma for them.

THE ARMSTEAD ANGLE

The issue for the Dolphins is that Paul plays a position where the team employs one of its best players on one side in the form of Terron Armstead — actually, the team’s best player, according to PFF— and an ascending former first-round pick on the other in the form of Austin Jackson.

Armstead has a problematic cap situation with a 2025 figure topping $22 million, which has led to speculation he could become a cap casualty. And that’s going under the assumption he wants to return for a 13th NFL season after battling injuries (again) in 2024, though his comments at the Super Bowl sure sounds like somebody who wants to keep playing.

Based on Armstead’s performance in 2024 when he started 15 games — the most in his three seasons in Miami — the Dolphins absolutely should want him on their roster next season if they can find a way to make his cap number more palatable.

But the Dolphins need, absolutely need, to start having more young (and cheaper) players with key roles because that provides a better formula for sustained success than always relying on a small number of highly paid veterans.

The Dolphins also can’t afford to have another early draft pick sitting on the bench and making minor contributions, as has been the case so far for 2023 second-round pick Cam Smith.

It’s not the way to get into Super Bowl contention.

But would the Dolphins be better in 2025 with Armstead as their starting left tackle or Paul?

THE AUSTIN JACKSON ANGLE

Jackson, meanwhile, was playing perhaps the best football of his career when he went on IR with a knee injury following the Week 9 loss against the Buffalo Bills and that was coming off a contract extension.

The Dolphins running game went south after Jackson was sidelined, though there were other factors involved, including a bigger emphasis on the short passing game and Armstead dealing with a knee injury.

Ideally, the Dolphins keep Jackson at right tackle.

But maybe a case could be made for exploring the idea of moving Jackson to guard, which would enable the Dolphins to bring back Armstead and have Paul start at right tackle, as he did in the final two games of the 2024 season — against the Cleveland Browns and in the final against the New York Jets.

The two slight issues there are that Paul was a left tackle at the University of Houston and he’s more familiar there, and Jackson also is more of a tackle than a guard.

Yes, Jackson has played guard in the NFL before, that coming in 2021 after he struggled at left tackle and switched position with then-rookie Liam Eichenberg.

Would the Dolphins really consider moving Jackson after he blossomed at right tackle, which was his third NFL position, and take the chance of a regression? Particularly after he played good football for the first half of last season?

PAUL A TACKLE, PERIOD

As for the idea of a position switch inside to get Paul into the starting lineup, this just flat out doesn’t work.

Paul himself quashed that idea when he spoke to reporters Saturday, and offensive line coach Butch Barry did the same last season.

The biggest issue there is leverage with Paul being 6 feet 8. Like, how many 6-8 guards are there in the NFL?

So the Dolphins are left with their tackle dilemma because they should want Paul in the starting lineup, but saying goodbye to Armstead isn’t really that simple.

But, then again, we guess having too many options at any position is better than not having enough.