Expendable?

Dolphins’ vets on O-line may not fit plan.

MOBILE, Ala. — The Miami Dolphins’ decision-makers have dropped plenty of hints that changes to the offensive line might be coming.

Even though Jay Ajayi made it to the Pro Bowl after rushing for 1,272 yards in his first season as a featured back, the Dolphins’ top executives acknowledged the rushing attack still has plenty of room for improvement. Miami ran for fewer than 100 yards in 10 games this past season, and six of those were losses.

The goal is for the offensive line to be more reliable and durable moving forward.

“Look at Atlanta,” General Manager Chris Grier said Wednesday at the Senior Bowl practices, referring to the NFC’s representative in the Super Bowl. “They didn’t have an offensive lineman miss a game all year. They stayed together all year. It just shows you that if you can keep those five guys on the field together, especially our offensive line, [success comes].”

The Dolphins won all four games this past season when the entire starting offensive line — left tackle Branden Albert, left guard Laremy Tunsil, center Mike Pouncey, right guard Jermon Bushrod and right tackle Ja’Wuan James — was on the field together.

And Grier pointed out that the Dolphins

are 10-1 when Pouncey, Albert and James have started and finished games together since 2014. The problem is, that’s 11 of 48 possible games they’ve played together because of various injuries.

“It’s important that we can keep those guys together,” Grier said, “but at the end of the day, we know that they may not all be here, and we just have to make sure that whoever the next five guys are next season that we do our best to keep them on the field together.”

Mike Tannenbaum, the Dolphins’ executive vice president of football operations, said the team is working off a two-year blueprint. That means any player they feel won’t be part of the franchise’s future in 2018 will probably get cast aside in the coming weeks.

Three veteran defenders — end Mario Williams, tackle Earl Mitchell and linebacker Koa Misi — are likely candidates to be cut, considering their release would clear $16.7 million in salary cap space.

But that two-year window also raises uncertainty about the futures of Albert and Bushrod.

Albert, who recently turned 32, is under contract for the next two years. But his price tag is $8.9 million this season and $9.6 million next year. Because Tunsil, the 2016 first-round pick, has proven he can handle the starting left tackle spot, Miami could move on from Albert, who has missed 13 games for medical reasons over the past three seasons.

When healthy Albert, a three-time Pro Bowl selection, is dominant. Releasing him and moving Tunsil over one spot could create a void at both guard spots, depending on what the Dolphins do with Bushrod, who is a free agent.

Bushrod — who started every game in 2016 and 112 over the past 10 seasons — will be 33 by the time the 2017 season arrives. He signed a one-year, $1.5 million contract with the Dolphins before last season, and it is possible he could ink a comparable deal this offseason, to serve either as a backup or starter.

Miami could ask Albert to restructure his contract and sweeten any possible deal with bonuses. But he would have to agree to altering the final two years on his contract.

Albert could choose not to do that and test the market if the Dolphins decide to cut him. Considering that this year’s free-agent and draft classes don’t feature too many top-shelf tackles, he might be able to make up a good portion of the money the Dolphins would owe him over the next two years.

When asked Wednesday about his vision for Tunsil as either a guard or tackle in his second season, Tannenbaum said: “I think we’re thrilled that we have him and we have that flexibility.”

“We have to assess a few other variables obviously,” Tannenbaum continued, possibly referring to Albert’s status. “But the fact that Laremy had so many plays — so many games — all under his belt is great. Obviously, he played in the SEC at a high level at left tackle, so the fact that he has that ability gives us a lot of comfort.”

“I think we’re thrilled that we have him and we have that flexibility.” Mike Tannenbaum, executive vice president, on Tunsil’s guard and tackle play