Resetting the Tackle Position After the Monday Moves

The Miami Dolphins made official three roster moves Monday, including the departure of offensive linemen Kion Smith and Carter Warren.

Along with making the signing of UFL All-Star safety Major Burns official, the Dolphins also waived Smith and waived-injured Warren.

Smith had been with the Dolphins since 2021, though a lot of time was spent on the practice squad. In his five years with the team, Smith played in 23 games with two starts, both of them coming last year when he started at right guard after veteran James Daniels was injured in the season opener against the Indianapolis Colts.

But Smith was pulled from the lineup in favor of Daniel Brunskill during the Week 3 Thursday night game against the Buffalo Bills and he wound up playing only nine snaps on the offensive line over the final 14 games, the bulk of his action coming on special teams.

Smith missed the entire 2024 season because of a torn ACL he sustained in the preseason, with then-GM Chris Grier saying afterward he had entertained trade calls for Smith.

During the spring practices open to the media, Smith struggled in pass protection.

As for Warren, he was not spotted during the practices open to the media because of an undisclosed issue.

THE NEW TALLY AT TACKLE

The departures of Smith and Warren left the Dolphins with eight players listed as either tackles or guard/tackles and maybe some questions as to how the backup roles will be handled.

The current projected starting offensive line would have Patrick Paul and Austin Jackson at tackle, first-round pick Kadyn Proctor and Jonah Savaiinaea at guard, and newly extended Aaron Brewer at center.

The other players on the roster listed either as tackles or guard/tackles are veteran newcomers Jamaree Salyer and Charlie Heck, along with young players Josh Priebe, Marques Cox and Kevin Cline.

The latter three have zero NFL regular season experience, leaving Salyer and Heck as the only solid backup options at tackle if the Dolphins want to continue having Proctor spend his rookie season at left guard.

One potential complication here as well is that Salyer could be an option to start at right guard if the Dolphins decide at some point over the summer — in training camp, joint practices or the preseason — that Savaiinaea simply isn't the answer.

Then that would leave Heck as the only proven option, and remember that the Dolphins want to have more answers than not given — fair or not — Jackson's injury history (and the fact he didn't do team drills during the spring practices open to the media).

Of course, the Dolphins always could scrap the Proctor rookie plan and begin his right tackle career — because it is indeed where he's expected to wind up for the long haul. And let's also remember that neither Jon-Eric Sullivan and Jeff Hafley never specifically said they wanted Proctor at left guard for his entire rookie year, only that it's where they wanted him to start.

The roster moves left the Dolphins with one open spot — again with the obligatory disclaimer that IPP tight end Seydou Traore has a roster exemption all offseason — and it very well may be that the vacancy will be filled by another offensive tackle.

At this point, the Dolphins probably want to increase their number of options.

It could be argued that neither Warren nor Smith figured to be contributors in 2026 regardless, but the Dolphins always obviously would prefer having too many choices as opposed to not enough.

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