The Miami Dolphins have a long way to go before anyone can call their offensive line safe, and the biggest issue isn’t the starters. It’s what happens when the game forces them to go deeper.
That’s where the concern with Jamaree Salyer comes in.
Salyer, the free-agent addition who was supposed to give Miami a dependable veteran option inside and outside, has not practiced since the third day of training camp on July 31. He also wasn’t seen at practice at all in August, which stands out because other injured players - Dante Trader Jr., Kevin Coleman Jr., rookie Chris Bell and PUP cornerbacks Storm Duck and Darrell Baker Jr. - have still been visible around the team.
That absence is getting harder to ignore.
It matters because the Dolphins’ line already feels thin behind the projected starters. Miami traded for New England Patriots 2024 third-round pick Caedan Wallace, hoping he could develop into help at guard or tackle, but he’s still one of several young, untested pieces in the room. The depth chart beyond that gets shaky in a hurry.
Salyer was brought in after four seasons with the L.A. Chargers, where he worked at both guard and tackle and proved durable.
He played all 17 games in 2022-24 before appearing in 13 last season. That kind of availability is exactly why Miami viewed him as a useful insurance policy.
Now, though, the Dolphins are waiting on him to get back on the field at all.
Head coach Jeff Hafley hasn’t addressed Salyer recently, but the bigger picture is clear: Miami can’t really afford to be without him for long. Charlie Heck has had well-publicized struggles in camp, even if he’s looked better over the past few days.
Andrew Meyer flashed some promise as an undrafted rookie, but he remains unproven. And at tackle, outside of Heck, there isn’t much certainty.
Wallace has only 10 games of NFL experience, though that still tops Marques Cox, Kevin Cline and Gottlieb Ayedze combined.
The spring plan seemed straightforward enough. If Austin Jackson got hurt, Heck would slide in.
But camp has made that idea look a lot less comfortable. Salyer, in theory, gives Miami another answer at right tackle and the best backup option at guard.
He’d even be a candidate to start if Jonah Savaiinaea doesn’t take the expected step forward after a rough rookie season.
That’s the problem, though: all of that depends on Salyer being healthy enough to play.
For now, he isn’t. And he hasn’t been for more than 10 days, with no clear sign yet of when that changes. That makes his injury one of the Dolphins’ most serious concerns right now.
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