Dolphins place tenders on 4 young linemen

The Miami Dolphins placed tenders on exclusive rights free agents Jesse Davis, Isaac Asiata, Zach Sterup and Jonathan Woodard on Wednesday, retaining all four linemen for the 2019 season.

Exclusive right tenders can be offered to players with less than four years of experience, whose contracts have expired. It pays those free agents the NFL minimum for one season, and puts the franchise that owns their rights in position to make them restricted free agents the following year.

Teams could also do multiyear deals with those players, but there is very little motivation to do so usually.

When Davis, the team’s starting right guard the past two years, Asiata, a 2017 fifth-round pick who spent most of last year on Miami’s practice squad, Sterrup, a backup offensive tackle, and Woodard, a backup defensive end, sign their tenders they’ll be added to Miami’s 90-player training camp roster.

But their salaries won’t become guaranteed unless they make the 53-man regular-season roster, and even then they aren’t fully guaranteed.

Retaining Davis, Asiata and Sterrup helps fortify an offensive line that struggled last season, and has been identified as a unit that needs drastic improvement by general manager Chris Grier.

Ja’Wuan James, the team’s starting right tackle for the past few years, is an unrestricted free agent, and will likely command a contract that pays him more than $9 million a season when free agency opens on March 13.

If James leaves the Dolphins, signing with a franchise that offered more money, it is possible that Davis could move over from right guard to right tackle, playing the position he entered the NFL as. Sterrup, whom the Dolphins claimed off of the Cleveland Browns practice squad in 2017, could also compete to fill that starting role.

Davis began his career with the Dolphins as tackle, but was pressed into duty as a guard in 2017, and has excelled at that position. He was the only offensive player to play every snap of the 2018 season. If Davis is moved over to tackle, Asiata could contend for one of the two starting guard spots.

It is possible that Miami could release Josh Sitton and Ted Larsen, last season’s two starting guards, in the coming days to clear cap space. That would open the door for Asiata to push for a playing time, if not a starting role.

Woodard, a second-year player Miami called up from the practice squad last season, contributed 10 tackles and one sack when pressed into duty because of injuries. He’s a 6-foot-6, 270-pound defensive end that might be able to serve as a 3-4 end in Miami’s new defensive scheme.