Dolphins Training Camp Preview: OL Robert Jones

The former undrafted free agent is hoping to make a big move and land the starting job at right guard

Jason Sarney | Jul 5, 2024

Miami Dolphins guard Robert Jones enters the field before the game against the New York Jets at Hard Rock Stadium last December. / Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports

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Miami Dolphins

The Miami Dolphins have work to do this training camp on their offensive line, and a candidate for a starting spot at right guard is Robert Jones. An undrafted free agent for Miami in 2021, Jones could be the replacement for free agent departure Robert Hunt, who is now in Carolina with the Panthers.

Jones has played multiple spots on the offensive line as a pro in 32 career games so far. In his 13 NFL starts, he has played three at right guard, nine at left guard, and even one as a right tackle as a rookie.

Jones and the rest of the Dolphins offensive line were playing a virtual game of musical chairs last season due to varying injuries. The line as a unit saw 12 different combinations made by position coach Butch Barry.

Robert Jones is the latest player featured in our series examining players on the Dolphins’ roster heading into training camp. We look back at their 2023 season, how they joined the team, their contract status, and their outlook for 2024.

ROBERT JONES, OL

Height: 6-4
Weight: 325 lbs.
Exp.: 4 Years
School: Middle Tennessee State
How Acquired: Undrafted free agent, 2021

2023 in Review

Beginning the year as a reserve, Jones played eight games in 2023, starting in five. Isaiah Jones made his first start of the season in the Week 9 game against the Kansas City Chiefs in Germany after both Isaiah Wynn and Robert Hunt were injured.

After being Inactive the following three weeks, Jones was thrust into the Monday night game against the Tennessee Titans when center Connor Williams went down with an ACL injury.

Jones played the next three games at right guard, while Liam Eichenberg replaced the injured Williams at center. Jones played the final game of the regular season against the Buffalo Bills at left guard when Hunt returned from his own 2023 injury to retake his spot on the right.

Jones started at left guard for the Dolphins against the Chiefs in the Wild Card playoff loss at Kansas City. He played 418 regular season snaps (82%) and 33 special teams snaps (16%).

Contract/Cap Info

The Dolphins and Jones agreed to a one-year, $2 million deal in 2024 that includes a $500,000 signing bonus and $1.20 million guaranteed.

In 2024, Jones will earn a base salary of $1.10 million, which includes the $500,000 signing bonus and a $50,000 workout bonus. He will carry a cap hit of $1.79 million and a dead cap value of $1.20 million (per Spotrac.com).

2024 Preview

Jones, Eichenberg and Lester Cotton are all candidates to replace Hunt at the right guard spot. One can assume that a healthy Wynn could be projected as the starting left guard heading into training camp.

Terron Armstead is the starting left tackle, with Kendall Lamm as his backup and rookie second-round draft pick Patrick Paul hopefully rising up the ranks. Lamm, a swing tackle, can also fill in if needed for starting right tackle Austin Jackson, which he did against the Dallas Cowboys Week 16.

Free agent addition Aaron Brewer, formerly of the Tennessee Titans, was brought in to play center. So Eichenberg is assumed to be his backup, while also battling Jones and Cotton for right guard work and depth chart positioning.

Further competition on the Dolphins' offensive line this summer includes undrafted rookies Matthew Jones of Ohio State, Ireland Brown from Rutgers, and Andrew Meyer of Texas El-Paso. Free agent signee Jack Driscoll, formerly of the Philadelphia Eagles, is another name to watch battling Jones for right guard when training camp opens in July.