Dolphins Pick Up a Center

The Miami Dolphins' search for a starting center came to fruition Thursday when they landed former Baltimore Ravens starter Matt Skura.
The news was announced on Twitter by his agent, David Canter.
Skura spent the past four seasons with the Baltimore Ravens after arriving as an undrafted free agent in 2017 and started 51 of 54 games.
The three games he played but didn't start came last season when he was benched after starting to have issues with shotgun snaps.
Skura missed the final five games of the 2019 season because of a severe knee injury and became a feel-good story around the Ravens last summer merely by being able to be for training camp.
The signing of Skura came after the Dolphins lost 2020 starter Ted Karras, who agreed to return to New England after joining Miami last offseason on a one-year contract.
The Dolphins were believed to be pursuing another New England player, David Andrews, to replace Karras at center but Andrews remains on the open market.
Corey Linsley was perhaps the top free agent center this offseason, but he signed with the L.A. Chargers. Rodney Hudson was traded from the Las Vegas Raiders to Arizona after requesting to be moved, and veteran Alex Mack left the Atlanta Falcons to sign with the 49ers as a free agent.
The signing of Skura follows the pattern established so far in free agency by the Dolphins, who have skipped the big-ticket players in favor of more affordable options.
Skura becomes the eighth veteran newcomer to agree to terms with the Dolphins this month, following punter Michael Palardy, cornerback Justin Coleman, quarterback Jacoby Brissett, running back Malcolm Brown, fullback/tight end Cethan Carter, wide receiver Robert Foster and defensive tackle Adam Butler.
In addition, the Dolphins have traded for Houston Texans linebacker Benardrick McKinney and Tennessee Titans tackle Isaiah Wilson.

Alain Poupart is the publisher/editor of Miami Dolphins On SI and host of the All Dolphins Podcast. Alain has covered the Miami Dolphins on a full-time basis since 1989 for various publications and media outlets, including Dolphin Digest, The Associated Press and the Dolphins team website. In addition to being a credentialed member of the Miami Dolphins press corps, Alain has covered three Super Bowls (for NFL.com, Football News and the Montreal Gazette), the annual NFL draft, the Senior Bowl, and the NFL Scouting Combine. During his almost 40 years in journalism, which began at the now-defunct Miami News, Alain has covered practically every sport at one time or another, from tennis to golf, baseball, basketball and everything in between. The career also included time as a copy editor, including work on several books, such as "Still Perfect," an inside look at the Miami Dolphins' 1972 perfect season. A native of Montreal, Canada, whose first language is French, Alain grew up a huge hockey fan but soon developed a love for all sports, including NFL football. He has lived in South Florida since the 1980s.
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