Terron Armstead Heading to Dolphins

The Dolphins get a new big blocker for Tua Tagovailoa, and the Saints now have a massive hole to fill.

John Hendrix | Mar 22, 2022

There is no mystery for the Saints now, as they're going to need a new left tackle to replace Terron Armstead. He's heading to the Miami Dolphins, according to a Tuesday evening report by ESPN's Adam Schefter.

It's a five-year, $75 million deal with extra incentives that could get Armstead up to $87.5 million. He will now be protecting Tua Tagovailoa. We had some thoughts on how the team might replace the loss at left tackle here, some of which has changed in the free agent market.

STAYING IN-HOUSE:

Some have suggested that moving Ryan Ramczyk to the left tackle spot, but that doesn't seem likely. What could happen here is that the team gives veteran James Hurst a shot at being their starter. Depth should see Landon Young return after suffering a season-ending injury last year, and there's major question marks after that.

MARKET OPTIONS:

There's really no easy way to say this, but most of the left tackle free agent market is old. Cam Robinson might have been the most appealing option if he were not franchise tagged by the Jaguars. Among the players that will be available include Nate Solder (34 in April), Duane Brown (37 in August), Eric Fisher (31), and Riley Reiff (33). One other idea is exploring a trade, and the Cowboys are having active conversations around La'el Collins. However, there would be a few concerns rolling with him as the starter.

DRAFTING:

No one would be surprised to see the Saints use their 18th overall pick to get an offensive tackle. Some appealing options that could be around include Mississippi State's Charles Cross, Northern Iowa's Trevor Penning, and Central Michigan's Bernhard Raimann. Getting Doug Marrone back in the mix will certainly help the Saints out, and could even get Cesar Ruiz on a more consistent track.

With the Saints bringing back Jameis Winston, it has certainly helped bring more of their needs in focus. However, the options and path to get there are becoming increasingly more difficult with each passing day.

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Published Mar 22, 2022

JOHN HENDRIX

I officially started covering the New Orleans Saints & other NFL topics in 2011. My work has been featured on various outlets over the years. I worked closely with Skyhorse Publishing in Fall 2018 to update the book, Tales From the New Orleans Saints Sidelines, which filled in all Saints material from the 2013-2017 seasons. Prior to joining Saints News Network, I served as the Managing Editor of SB Nation's Canal Street Chronicles for 3.5 years, and before that with FanSided's Who Dat Dish as the Managing Editor for several years. I have also had experiences of being a freelance Saints reporter for The Sun Herald in Biloxi, MS and a contributing writer for WDSU, a local NBC TV station in New Orleans. I have appeared on a vast amount of TV and Radio shows, both nationally and locally. For tips, comments, or suggestions, please contact me at johnhendrix@saintsnews.net