The Miami Dolphins took a big swing this offseason when they decided to make former New Orleans Saints offensive tackle Terron Armstead their top target on the free agent market.
Not only was there the chance that he could stay in New Orleans or go to another team that wooed him, but it was also possible that once Armstead made his decision Miami would be left with options that weren’t nearly as appealing to help stabilize their left side.
The Dolphins pounced and gave Armstead a respectable contract, but it was one that was still less than many expected him to earn this offseason. Part of that may have been the injuries in his career that have caused him to miss significant time over the six years.
During this past season, Armstead suffered both an elbow injury and a knee injury that would cost him nine games and require surgery during the offseason. Armstead was able to give some information about those injuries in a piece with The Athletic (subscription required).
“I wasn’t able to use my left arm, turning my body a certain way to get the job done,” he told Katherine Terrell of The Athletic. “I ended up tearing up my knee. I tried to rehab the knee, come back and play, was trying to hold off on the surgery. Just me being me, stubborn.
“In hindsight, it probably would’ve been better to try to just get the surgery early and be back, but that just wasn’t the approach that was taken. I felt like I had to play with what I had going on, and ultimately it got too bad to even walk.”
Coming into Miami with some rather large expectations, Armstead will need to look like he did prior to the injury for fans and members of the Dolphins to feel comfortable with the five-year deal they just gave him. As nine-year professional, he knows what he needs to do to get back on the field and play like a Pro Bowl tackle again.