For new center Skura, it’s all about making snap decisions in offseason
“I wanted to go to a team that has a great culture, a great locker room and a team that wants to win. That was ultimately the biggest things for me.”
All it took was three poor snaps during a “torrential downpour” — as he called it — for center Matt Skura to lose his starting job with the Baltimore Ravens last season.
But Skura, the Miami Dolphins’ newest offensive lineman, vows he is working to improve his technique. And the Dolphins believe his mistakes can be corrected.
“I’m someone who really doesn’t like to make excuses,” Skura said Friday regarding his poor snaps that contributed to a rainy Ravens loss to the New England Patriots last season.
“I don’t care if it’s a blizzard or a hailstorm, that’s something I have to take responsibility for. That’s one thing this offseason, literally every day, [I’m] snapping.
“Whether it’s 10 snaps in or 30 snaps in, whatever I can if time permits for myself, I’m doing snaps [or] I’m doing O-line drills. I’m doing everything I can so I can be prepared.”
Skura, who snapped the football for Ravens star Lamar Jackson the past three seasons, joins the Dolphins on a one-year deal after fielding offers from several teams during free agency.
Playing for Dolphins coach Brian Flores provided Skura with several assurances he was looking
— Matt Skura, new Dolphins center
for in a new team this offseason.
“The thing with me making my decision to come to Miami was seeing Coach Flores’ passion for the game and how much he truly cares for his players and really [about] wanting to improve the culture of this team,” Skura said. “That was a big thing for me.
“I wanted to go to a team that has a great culture, a great locker room and a team that wants to win. That was ultimately the biggest things for me.”
Miami hopes Skura’s addition will shore up the missing piece on its offensive line that has built considerable depth during the past two offseasons.
Skura will have an opportunity to be Miami’s new starting center, replacing Ted Karras, who returned to the New England Patriots after a season with the Dolphins.
Skura joins the offensive line group of left guard Ereck Flowers, versatile guard/tackle Jesse Davis, left tackle Austin Jackson, right tackle Robert Hunt and right guard Solomon Kindley.
The Dolphins also traded for former first-round offensive tackle Isaiah Wilson, who could play right tackle. Former 2019 thirdround pick Michael Deiter is also still in the mix and could back up either guard or center positions.
Together, they must keep Dolphins starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa upright during his second NFL season.
Skura joins Miami after starting in 51 of 54 games for the Ravens.
He is also more than a year removed from a devastating knee injury, in which he tore the ACL, PCL and MCL in his left knee in November 2019. Skura said his knee held up well without any issues last season.
Another positive to Skura’s signing is he’s worked with a young quarterback before in Jackson, a Pompano Beach native, Boynton Beach High grad and the 2019 NFL MVP.
Skura says his relationship with Jackson off the field inspired their play together on the field. And Skura knows developing such a relationship with Tagovailoa could go a long way next season.
“I think one of the biggest things is communication,” Skura said regarding working with Tagovailoa. “Him communicating to me on the line, me communicating any protection changes we want to make and just understanding how he sees the game.
“Everyone is different. Everyone has different perspectives, so understanding how he sees certain blitzes, how he sees defenses or how he wants the offensive line to protect him are all things that go into it.”
Dolphins sign another ex-Texan
The Dolphins added depth to their thinned-out linebacker unit Friday by signing Brennan Scarlett, an outside linebacker who spent his first five seasons with the Houston Texans.
Scarlett has started 22 of the 56 games he’s played in the past five seasons, but all but one of those seasons ended with him on injured reserve.
Last season, Scarlett missed five games because of a fractured forearm.
Details of Scarlett’s contract weren’t immediately available, but it’s likely that he signed a one-year deal for a salary paying him slightly more than the NFL minimum.
Scarlett, who has contributed 139 tackles, 5 ½ sacks, one interception and three forced fumbles and one fumble recovery during his NFL career, will likely contribute on defense and special teams.
He’ll compete with Andrew Van Ginkel, who is entering his third season, and Vince Biegel, who was re-signed this week, for the starting spots and playing time vacated by the departures of Kyle Van Noy, who was released; Shaq Lawson, who was traded to the Texans; Kamu-Grugier-Hill, who signed with the Texans as a free agent; and Elandon Roberts, who remains a free agent.
The Dolphins have a need to fill at edge rusher, but that’s not exactly Scarlett’s forte, going back to his collegiate career at Stanford and the University of California.
Scarlett becomes the 13th NFL veteran added this offseason and the second linebacker, joining Benardrick McKinney, a 2018 Pro Bowl selection the Dolphins acquired in a trade this week, a deal that sent Lawson to Houston in an exchange that also included a swap of late-round picks (Miami sends a 2021 sixth for Houston’s 2021 seventh).
So far the Dolphins have had an active first week in free agency, adding three former Texans — Scarlett , McKinney and receiver Will Fuller.
Miami also signed quarterback Jacoby Brissett, tailbacks Malcolm Brown and Jordan Scarlett, receiver Robert Foster, centers Skura and Cameron Toms, defensive tackle Adam Butler, cornerback Justin Coleman and punter Michael Palardy.
The Dolphins also acquired offensive tackle Isaiah Wilson, a 2020 first-round pick, in a trade with the Texans that featured a swap of 2021 and 2022 seventhround picks.
The Dolphins also re-signed Biegel, and placed qualifying tenders on exclusive rights and restricted free agent offensive linemen Adam Pankey, cornerback Nik Needam and Jamal Perry and linebacker Calvin Munson.
The Dolphins began free agency with roughly $35 million in cap space, and are projected to have roughly $12 million remaining.
Miami will need a good portion of that cap space to sign the 2021 rookie class, but that won’t prevent the Dolphins from continuing to add veteran players in the second wave of free agency if that’s their intention.