Miami Signs Top Free Agent Tackle to Protect Tua

The Miami Dolphins have signed offensive tackle Terron Armstead to a five-year, $75 million deal with incentives that makes it worth up to $87.5 million. The deal comes with $43.37 million guaranteed.

Miami hopes the former New Orleans Saint can provide some much needed protection to their third year QB, Tua Tagovailoa, as Miami had the league's worst pass block win rate last season, only winning 46.6% of their matchups according to NFL Next Gen stats. The team's poor blocking forced the former Alabama QB to get the ball out of his hands quickly, with his average time per throw in 2021 coming in at 2.52 seconds, which was the fourth fastest in the league.

Drafted in the third round by the Saints in 2013, Armstead has been impressive so far in his nine seasons in the league, including being selected for three straight Pro Bowls (2018-2020), being named to 2018 AP NFL All-Pro Second Team, and being ranked as the NFL's top offensive tackle in 2015 and 2018 by Pro Football Focus.

The only knock to Armstead's pro career is that it has been plagued by injuries, forcing to miss 21 games from 2016-18, before only missing three games from 2019-20. Unfortunately, he missed nine more games last season with elbow and knee injuries. Still, his ability to make three Pro Bowls and be rated as one of the top free agents in 2022 shows how impactful of a player he is when on the field, making the Dolphins' decision to get him somewhat of a risk-reward signing.

Armstead joins a Dolphins offense that has added many new pieces this offseason, including RB Chase Edmonds, RB Raheem Mostert, WR Cedrick Wilson Jr., G Connor Williams, and QB Teddy Bridgewater, who will serve as Tagovailoa's backup.