Terron Armstead is no longer among the top offensive tackles in the NFL according to one scout who said injuries have had a noticeable effect on the Miami Dolphins star.
“A year or two ago, he was definitely in the elite,” a veteran AFC scout told ESPN. “But the injuries he’s had over the course of his career. … He’s still tough as nails, but injuries have showed up on him with his anchor and bend.”
The comments were made as part of an ESPN survey that ranked the top 10 offensive tackles in the NFL. Armstead was part of the honorable mention category after he was No. 10 on the 2022 list and in the top five the a year before that.
The injuries did not keep the 31-year-old from his fourth Pro Bowl selection last season, his first with Miami. He reportedly played through a foot injury that drew a recommendation for surgery that would have ended his season and appeared on the injury report listed with toe and pectoral injuries. He missed four games last season.
Prior to joining the Dolphins as a free agent before last season, Armstead suffered multiple injuries with the New Orleans Saints in 2021 and missed nine games. Armstead has never played more than 14 games in a season, but despite that, received a five-year, $75 million contract from Miami.
The good news is that Armstead is the highest-ranked tackle from the AFC East in the ESPN survey, with only Dion Dawkins of the Buffalo Bills also being mentioned among the others receiving votes. Dawkins, in fact, recently went on the record saying he is “not a huge fan” of Dolphins defensive lineman Christian Wilkins, who also was an honorable mention choice in ESPN’s rankings of his position.
Miami is entering preparations for this season as a contender to win the division, which the Dolphins haven’t done since the 2008 NFL season. The balance of power could swing depending on where Dalvin Cook signs, with the Dolphins, Bills and New York Jets all having been linked to the running back this offseason.
The 27-year-old reportedly is not willing to accept the Dolphins’ current contract offer, even though they are thought to be an ideal landing spot for the Miami native.
Armstead posted a career-high 75.1 percent run block win rate last season, so maybe that can nudge Cook to come on board and help Miami pursue a second straight playoff berth.
