Terron Armstead says Miami Dolphins have ‘really good opportunity to be special’ in 2023 season

The Miami Dolphins’ 2022 season didn’t turn out the way they likely expected. But in the eyes of veteran offensive tackle Terron Armstead, the team has a bright future.

“I like our chances,” Armstead answered when asked what’s in store for the Dolphins. “I think we got a really good opportunity to be special down in South Florida. The addition of Vic Fangio with the guys we have on that defense, we get our offense healthy, the sky’s the limit.”

The 31-year-old tackle seems to be in good spirits, which is unsurprising given that at the time of the interview, he was serving as an honorary captain for the 2023 HBCU Legacy Bowl in New Orleans.

He played college football for the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, a historically Black university. Armstead had quite a successful collegiate career and eventually began his NFL career after being selected by the New Orleans Saints in the third round of the 2013 draft.

After a nine-year tenure with the Saints, he signed with the Dolphins in the 2022 offseason. The 6-foot-5 tackle played a key role for the Dolphins’ solid offense in the 2022 campaign. Miami scored 23.4 points per contest, good for No. 11 in the league, and ranked sixth in yards per game with 364.5.

But as good as the Dolphins were on offense, their defense couldn’t keep up. They allowed opponents to rack up 23.5 points per match, which ranked 24th in the league. Bleeding a lot of points to its foes partly contributed to Miami’s lackluster 9-8 standing and playoff exit at the hands of the Buffalo Bills.

However, the front office has seemingly addressed that problem by bringing in Fangio, as Armstead alluded to. The 64-year-old defensive coordinator has been in the NFL for more than three decades. Furthermore, he is renowned for guiding some of the league’s best defenses during that span.

Miami and its fans are likely hoping that Fangio, with his extensive experience and expertise, can solve Miami’s defensive woes this season. The Dolphins faithful should be thrilled, especially with the coach’s recent pronouncement that he is already “anxious” to try out new coverages for Miami.

Only time will tell if the Dolphins can improve enough in the 2023 campaign to make a deep playoff run.