The task of overhauling the league's worst offensive line started early in free agency when Miami inked Dallas Cowboys left guard Connor Williams to a two-year deal worth $14.035 million.
The pluses: At just 24 years old, Williams already has 51 NFL starts under his belt, having played all 1,146 snaps for Dallas in 2020. That durability is paired with pedigree, as he is a former second-round pick out of Texas. At 6-5, 298 pounds, he also has the flexibility to play tackle, and he has experience in the new zone-blocking scheme being implemented by Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel. Charged with allowing only one sack last season, Williams was ranked as the fifth-best pass-blocking guard in the league for the last five weeks by Pro Football Focus, which rated him the No. 11 guard in the NFL in 2021.
The negatives: Right from the jump, it must be acknowledged that Williams committed a staggering 15 penalties last year, including 11 holding flags. The issue got bad enough that he was benched in midseason. After the signing, initial speculation by Miami beat writers centered around the newcomer being a potential reserve in hopes of regaining some confidence, but it's pretty clear that the 'Fins intend to plug him as the starting left guard.
The bottom line: It's fairly obvious that there is a lot of potential here, and it's rare that young, tools-y offensive linemen hit the open market -- a fact bolstered by how quickly Miami moved on Williams once free agency began. While it's fair to question how much better Williams makes even a really bad offensive line considering some of his problems from last year, the hope is that an emphasis on zone blocking and an upgrade in positional coaching compared to last year's Dolphins staff will help. While $8.535 million guaranteed is nothing to sneeze at, this is a relatively easy contract to move on from if things don't pan out with Williams in South Beach.
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