Miami Dolphins prepare for 2015 season without Evan Mathis

By Jake Robison | August 27, 2015

The Miami Dolphins have decided that their offensive line is good enough heading into the 2015 season even as its performance on the field in early preseason games suggests otherwise – and they’ve just let their best Plan B depart for Denver. Evan Mathis was the top guard on the free agent market and had been waiting to sign until a team offered him an outsized contract, finally signing with the Broncos this week. So now the Dolphins enter the season without a net. But will they fly?

The good news for the Dolphins offensive line is that it’s strong in at least three positions. Center Mike Pouncey and tackle Brandon Albert are Pro Bowlers, and both enter this season healthier than they were for much of last year. Second year guard Ja’Juan James is also steady. But that leaves the likes of Dallas Thomas, Jason Fox and Billy Turner fighting for the other starting guard and tackle spots, and those names tend to elicit groans from Miami fans who witnessed their largely inconsistent play last year. Still, the Dolphins have looked good thus far offensively in the preseason.

Ryan Tannehill and the first string offense have had little trouble moving the ball down the field and scoring during the relatively brief times they’ve been on the field during the first two preseason games. So it’s possible the Miami Dolphins coaches know something about the also-rans on the offensive line that the fans don’t. In any case, with Evan Mathis now officially off the board, the Dolphins gamble on its in-house talent simply must work.