Dolphins Pick Up Former First-Round Pick
The Miami Dolphins made a big addition to their offensive line Monday — in more ways than one.
The team has agreed to terms with veteran free agent D.J. Fluker, a former first-round pick who has played for four teams since entering the NFL in 2013.
Fluker played last season with the Baltimore Ravens, starting eight of 16 games.
"Fluker played in all 16 games, including eight starts, splitting time with rookie Tyre Phillips at right tackle," Raven Country Publisher Todd Karpovich wrote. "Fluker was a solid run blocker for Baltimore's No. 1 rushing attack (191.9 ypg), which produced the third-most yards (3,071) ever in a 16-game NFL season.
"However, Fluker struggled in pass protection, an area of emphasis for the Ravens this offseason. The Ravens like the upside of Phillips, a 2020 third-round pick from Mississippi State, and he could carry a bigger load with a full offseason under his belt."
Prior to playing for Baltimore, Fluker played for the Chargers, who made him the 11th overall selection in that 2013 draft, the New York Giants and the Seattle Seahawks.
Fluker, who played at Alabama long before Tua Tagovailoa and Raekwon Davis stepped foot on campus, can play pretty much on the offensive line, even though most of his NFL work has come at right guard and right tackle.
He should fortify the right side of the offensive line and join the competition for the two starting jobs that will feature second-year players Robert Hunt and Solomon Kindley as well as veteran Jesse Davis.
Fluker's arrival certainly would seem to all but elminate the idea of the Dolphins taking an offensive lineman in the first round of the 2021 NFL draft.
