Jackson Activated; What Now for Offensive Line?

Miami Dolphins rookie tackle Austin Jackson ended up missing the minimum of three games after being placed on injured reserve, as he was activated Saturday.

But the question now is whether he'll retake his place in the starting lineup when the Dolphins face the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday. And, if he does, what does it mean for the rest of the offensive line?

Jackson, the first-round pick from USC, started the first four games of the season at left tackle for the Dolphins and by all accounts was off to a fine start in his rookie season.

Because of those factors, one would think he'd be back in the starting lineup for the game against Arizona, particularly since the offensive line is coming off a disappointing performance in the 28-17 victory against the Los Angeles Rams.

Of course, one reason against reinserting Jackson into the starting lineup is that the team went 3-0 during his absence, so maybe there's something to be said about the notion of not fixing something if it ain't broke.

Veteran Jesse Davis moved over from right tackle to left tackle during Jackson's absence, with rookie second-round pick Robert Hunt starting at right tackle against the 49ers, Jets and Rams.

One argument for keeping Hunt in the starting lineup would be accelerating the learning curve for the team's bookend tackles of the future.

On the flip side, it would be difficult to argue that Hunt currently is a better right tackle than Davis, who quietly is having a very solid season.

Dolphins head coach Brian Flores and offensive line coach Steve Marshall gave no indication this week of how the line could look upon Jackson's return, which was similar to the start of the season when there were no definitive answers provided until the team actually played its opener against the New England Patriots.

So what we're left with is an educated guess, and logic says the Dolphins will go back to that line that started against New England in Week 1 and in the following three games: Jackson, Ereck Flowers, Ted Karras, Solomon Kindley and Davis.