New Dolphins general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan has been busy positioning the team for the opening stages of a long-term rebuild. That has included the departure of several veterans, although center Aaron Brewer is still in the fold.
Brewer earned second-team All-Pro honors for his play in 2025, the second year of his Miami tenure. An extension is in the team’s plans in Brewer’s case, something which is only true of a small number of other incumbent players. Left tackle Patrick Paul is coming off his first full season as a starter, and the 2024 second-round pick can be expected to remain a mainstay on the blindside.
The Dolphins’ other three offensive line spots are much less certain, however. Jonah Savaiinaea struggled during his rookie season, leaving the door open to a replacement in the starting lineup under first-year head coach Jeff Hafley. Free agency brought about the addition of Jamaree Salyer, who is expected to compete for the starting right guard gig. Meanwhile, veteran right tackle Austin Jackson is still in the fold, although his health has long been a talking point. Jackson, a pending 2027 free agent, has only totaled 14 appearances across the past two seasons.
“Savaiinaea can be the first one to tell you, he’s got to be more consistent,” Sullivan said (via ESPN’s Marcel Louis-Jacques). “And on the right side, we have some questions that we’ve got to get answered. [Jackson] is coming back. We’re excited to get him back.. And then we’re going to have a competition at the right guard spot.
“But I like a lot of pieces on the offensive line, the left tackle and the center especially. I think there’s going to be competition elsewhere.”
As one might expect given the team’s massive dead money charges for 2026, Miami is near the bottom of the NFL in terms of cap space. A notable free agent move should not be expected as such, but some of the Dolphins’ 11 draft picks could of course be devoted to adding up front. That would set up one or more training camp competitions as Miami seeks needed improvement on offense for 2026.
Headline should read “Fins’ will hold open competition at all 53 roster spots…’.
I think all of that dead cap weight is a little bit deceptive, they have more of that roster figured out than we think, and it’s not gonna be as bad as we think. This isn’t like the 1989 Cowboys, which is the comparison I made before, there really is more talent here. As long as they don’t botch the draft & add more Noah Igbinoghene & Dion Jordan types, I think they’ll be okay.