Miami Dolphins right tackle Austin Jackson has an injury that is threatening the start of the season. The team invited five offensive linemen to Miami on Saturday for a series of tryouts.
The Miami Dolphins welcomed five free agent offensive linemen into the team training facilities on Saturday, looking to find a potential replacement for starting right tackle Austin Jackson. Miami is suddenly in need of options with Jackson expected to miss “weeks,” including potentially the opening portion of the regular season next month.
The Dolphins worked out Zack Bailey, Yodny Cajuste, Chris Hubbard, Germain Ifedi, and David Sharpe. Aaron Wilson reported the visits.
Bailey entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent out of South Carolina, signing with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Injuries have caused issues throughout Bailey’s career, which has included stops with the Buccaneers, Minnesota Vikings, Washington Commanders, Los Angeles Chargers, Atlanta Falcons, and New York Jets. He has appeared in two games, playing four snaps on special teams in 2022 and nine snaps on offense last year with New York.
Cajuste, a Miami native, was a third-round pick of the New England Patriots in 2019. Coming out of West Virginia, played a combined 17 games, including five starts, in 2021 and 2022 for New England before briefly joining the New York Jets in 2023, then moving to the New York Giants’ practice squad during the season. He did not catch on with a team last year.
Hubbard was signed by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2013 as an undrafted free agent from UAB. He spent five years with the Steelers before a five-year stint with the Cleveland Browns. He joined the Tennessee Titans in 2023 followed by a practice squad stint with the San Francisco 49ers to start the 2024 season. He was poached off the 49ers practice squad during the season, signing with the Giants. During his career, Hubbard has appeared in 102 games, with 61 starts, playing tackle and guard. He played in eight games with three starts with the Giants in 2024.
Ifedi was drafted in the first round of the 2016 NFL Draft, joining the Seattle Seahawks out of Texas A&M. He spent four years with Seattle before signing as a free agent with the Chicago Bears for the 2020 and 2021 seasons. In 2022, he joined the Atlanta Falcons before a brief 2023 stint with the Detroit Lions. After being released by the Lions at the end of the 2023 preseason, the Buffalo Bills signed Ifedi, splitting time during the season on the active roster and the practice squad. In 2024, he started the season on the Browns’ practice squad before being promoted to the active roster. He has played in 117 games, including 90 starts, in his career, primarily playing right tackle with some guard experience. He played in 15 games, with seven starts, last year with the Browns, adding left tackle to his repertoire.
Sharpe was selected in the fourth round of the 2017 NFL Draft, joining the Oakland Raiders out of the University of Florida. A Neptune Beach native, Sharpe was waived by the Raiders as the 2018 season began, joining the Houston Texans a couple weeks later. After two weeks in Houston, Sharpe was waived, and the Raiders claimed him, returning him to Oakland. As the 2020 season began, the Raiders traded Sharpe to the Washington Football Team, then was waived before the 2021 season. He signed onto the Baltimore Ravens’ practice squad during that season, eventually being promoted to the active roster. After being released as the end of the 2023 preseason, Sharpe signed with the Carolina Panthers, bouncing up and down between the practice squad and the active roster. In 2024, Sharpe returned to the Texans before ending the year on the Jets’ practice squad. He has appeared in 45 games including six starts during his career, but did not appear in any games last season.
Miami currently has Kion Smith, Larry Borom, Ryan Hayes, Bayron Matos, Braeden Daniels, and Jalen McKenzie as potential on-roster replacements for Jackson. Second-year tackle Patrick Paul is the team’s starting left tackle. Guard Liam Eichenberg, who has played tackle in previous seasons for Miami, is on the physically unable to perform list.