Dolphins Stock Report (Day 14): Terron Armstead inching closer to physical practice

The pillar of the Miami Dolphins offensive line is inching closer and closer to being ready for the regular season.

Terron Armstead, who annually eases his way into training camp when healthy, participated in his most extensive training camp practice, taking live snaps during 11-on-11 for the first time since training camp opened three weeks ago.

The 11-year veteran has been on a training camp program that has progressively been ramped up each week, and Tuesday’s work could be setting the five-time Pro Bowler up to participate in Thursday’s joint practices with the Washington Commanders.

Or the Dolphins could wait until next week when Miami visits Tampa for a joint practice with the Buccaneers, which leads into a Friday night exhibition game that closes out both team’s preseason.

Patrick Paul, the Dolphins’ 2024 second-round pick, took the bulk of Miami’s left tackle snaps in the Dolphins’ 17-10 preseason win against the Atlanta Falcons, playing well into the fourth quarter.

Kendall Lamm is viewed as the top backup at both tackle spots, so he will likely handle the first-team left tackle work in the next two preseason games unless Miami wants Paul to gain experience going against NFL starters.

As for Armstead, don’t expect to see him on a football field until the games that count start.

TOP PERFORMER

Stock Up

Marcus Maye has had a couple opportunities to work as the Dolphins’ starting safety the past week because of the injuries Jordan Poyer and Jevon Holland are nursing, which has kept them out of action for the past few practices. On Tuesday, Maye pulled down an interception on a Tua Tagovailoa pass intended for Braylon Sanders.

Mike White has getting limited work the past few days, so the backup quarterback who is in a competition with Skylar Thompson to determine who Tagovailoa’s backup will be, needs to maximize every opportunity he gets in 11-on-11. White did just that on Tuesday by connecting on a 40-yard deep ball to Tyreek Hill, who showed up for 11-on-11s after sitting out the first 50 minutes of practice.

Stock Down

Braylon Sanders has talent, which explains why the Dolphins have kept him on the practice squad for the past two seasons. But he has dropped more than his share of passes this training camp, and Tuesday was no exception. At this point Sanders is on the outside looking it when it comes to which six receivers make it onto the 53-man roster, so his NFL future likely depends on how he performs in the next two preseason games.

Ryan Hayes, a 6-foot-6, 303 pounder the Dolphins selected in the seventh round of the 2023 Draft, looked like a fish out of water working an offensive guard on Tuesday. With the depth the Dolphins have at offensive tackle, if the former Michigan standout is going to make it onto the 53-man roster it’s going to have to be as a lineman who can play both spots.

TAKEAWAY FROM THE DAY

Teair Tart’s abrupt release, which came an hour before Tuesday’s practice, sent a message to the Dolphins players that loafing won’t be tolerated.

As talented as Tart was, his motor ran idle plenty during training camp. Even with Benito Jones sidelined by an injury the past week Tart’s presence wasn’t noticeable. The fact Miami had Brandon Pili working with the starting unit while Jones has been sidelined was a clear indicator that the Dolphins did not like what they saw from Tart, a former Florida International standout who spent his first four seasons with the Tennessee Titans.

Now the question is what happens if Jones isn’t ready for the start of the regular season?

Calais Campbell worked two straight days for the first time all camp, and it’s safe to wonder if Tart’s release was a factor in the 37-year-old veteran ramping it up.

WHAT THEY SAID

“His talent level, his arm ability, the way he can move people with his eyes, it’s definitely night and day,” Maye said, evaluating his impressions of Tagovailoa, whom he played against early in his tenure as the Dolphins’ starter while a starting safety for the New York Jets.