Only three types of players typically hit free agency in the NFL.
The first are the players whose teams believe will be paid more than they are worth.
The next group is comprised of veterans who are in their 30s.
And the final batch is made up of players who have struggled to stay healthy and have durability concerns.
Terron Armstead fits into all three of those categories, and that’s the only reason the Dolphins are fortunate enough to have him in town this week, listening to their sales pitch about possibly joining the team.
New head coach Mike McDaniel can’t let Armstead leave South Florida without signing a contract — no matter the cost. The three-time Pro Bowl selection is capable of transforming Miami’s lackluster offensive line into a forceful unit, one that complements the run-heavy, outsize zone running style McDaniel plans to install this spring.
Who cares if that means making Armstead the highest-paid offensive lineman in the NFL for two seasons, which is all NFL contracts come down to these days since all but the guaranteed money is fake. Owner Steve Ross has never shied away from making standouts like Karlos Dansby, Mike Wallace, Brandon Albert, Ndamukong Suh and Xavien Howard the highest-paid players at their respective positions.
Armstead, who will turn 31 in July, played through a knee injury last season, but you’d never tell based on how he effectively moved opposing linemen around in the trenches, opening up running lanes for the Saints.
The 6-foot-5, and fit 304-pounder, who has started 93 of the 97 NFL games he’s played, is a bulldozer.
There’s risk associated with signing him, but that’s no different than any other free agent or draft pick the Dolphins could add this offseason to bolster the offensive line, which has often disappointed Dolphins fans the past three seasons.
Fail to close the deal with Armstead, who is more athlete than offensive lineman, and we’re again rolling the dice on Liam Eichenberg, Austin Jackson, Michael Deiter, Solomon Kindley, Jesse Davis and Robert Hunt, who have struggled throughout their brief NFL careers.
And that’s part of the issue — the origin of this desperation associated with Miami’s pursuit of Armstead. General manager Chris Grier’s evaluation, and selection of offensive linemen since he took over as the team’s top football executive in 2018 has been troublesome.
And that’s putting it nicely.
Former Dallas Cowboys offensive guard Connor Williams, who the Dolphins signed to a two-year, $14 million deal in the first round of free agency last week, is a nice player. He’s a decent NFL starter, which his contract reflects. But Williams, who has played left guard most of his NFL career, is a supporting actor on a respectable offensive line.
Armstead, who owns the NFL combine record for running the fastest 40-time (4.71) of any offensive linemen, is a box office star, a talent who can make everyone around him perform up to a higher standard.
He’s an offensive linemen in the Trent Williams mold, a talent McDaniel can build his running game around much like he built the 49ers rushing attack around Williams, and that’s exactly what the Dolphins are missing.
Expecting to find that type of talent in the draft, especially with Grier’s draft history, is risky.
So if the Dolphins intend on building this forceful rushing attack that can provide balance to the offense, giving Tua Tagovailoa the ground game he needs to be successful, this deal has to get done unless a medical examination advises otherwise.
Miami might not be Armstead’s first choice, which is evident from his week-long wait to see how the Saints fared in the Deshaun Watson sweepstakes, which they lost to Cleveland.
But that doesn’t mean Armstead and the Dolphins, who likely are the highest bidders, can’t agree to a deal.
Miami can provide Armstead financial security — say $48-50 million in guaranteed money — and potentially generational wealth.
The Dolphins would also be providing him the opportunity to transform their troublesome offensive line.
It shouldn’t be too challenging for Armstead to imagine himself as the player who turned one of the NFL’s weakest offensive lines into one of its most feared because that’s what his legacy could be if he buys into what McDaniel and these coaches are selling, and signs on the dotted line, finishing his career in Miami.
