‘Sky is the limit.' How Aaron Brewer plans to get the Dolphins o-line to gel

Miami Herald

2 days ago

The Miami Dolphins' starting offensive line will look very different in 2025.
For starters, Terron Armstead retired, leaving a five-time Pro Bowler-sized hole at right tackle. Then left guard Robert Jones departed for the Dallas Cowboys in free agency. Sure, right guard Liam Eichenberg was retained yet it's unlikely he starts from day one.
That means the Dolphins will have three new faces along the o-line, leaving a huge question mark about the offense's effectiveness. The key to making the unit gel, however, will ultimately come down to the man in the middle: Aaron Brewer.
'It's our team so you work with what you got,' the center said in late May. 'Whoever is next to me, whoever we're playing with, the sky is the limit for me with anybody. We could have a group full of rookies and the sky is the limit. I'm trying to come in and be great.'
For the first time since high school, Brewer will play the same position for consecutive years. That continuity bodes well for not just the entire offense – not much will change from a communication standpoint – but specifically the o-line as they seek to find chemistry in training camp and beyond.
'That's something I'm very focused on with everything we're doing,' Brewer said. 'Even when some guys are uncomfortable with talking to people or just having that icebreaker conversation or having an uncomfortable conversation; I'm trying to be very intentional about everything getting guys closer together so we have that bond and that connection as soon as possible. That's what we need to be successful – that brotherhood, that community, we have to be there together.'
How quickly the Dolphins gel along the offensive line will be paramount. Of the three new starters, two – Patrick Paul and Jonah Savaiinaea – have never played extensive NFL minutes. Paul, a 2024 second-round tackle out of Houston, started a few games as a rookie due to Armstead's injuries yet had only a minimal impact. The Dolphins subsequently selected Savaiinaea also in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft.
'As soon as he got drafted, I reached out to him, talked to him and let him know I'm excited to work with him,' Brewer said of the rookie guard. 'As soon as he gets here, I'm just trying to get him that mentality and get him to the standard ASAP because the future is going to be so bright for him.'
The third starter, seven-year veteran James Daniels, was signed during free agency. While the guard ranked second in run blocking, according to Pro Football Focus, he too comes with a bit of a question mark: a ruptured Achilles suffered in 2024, something the Dolphins will surely be a bit cautious with despite projections that he will be ready for training camp.
More important than where Daniels or Savaiinaea flank Brewer, however, is how the trio works in unison. They are, after all, the base of the run game.
'I think communication is the biggest thing first,' Brewer said. 'First, I like to just learn each other on and off the field, how we operate, how we go about situations. I feel like communication is the first big thing to understanding how we operate on the field.'
Although Brewer hasn't played the same position for consecutive years since high school, his first taste of the NFL came as a rookie center for the Tennessee Titans in 2020. Several position changes during his four-year stint in Nashville eventually landed him a three-year, $21 million with the Dolphins in 2024. Brewer subsequently had arguably the best season of his career, starting all 17 games as he finished season the the seventh-ranked center, per PFF.
'When his technique is right, he can be a very violent player,' coach Mike McDaniel said June 12. 'I think there's a correlation between guys that have that tonality and the respect and regard others have. So as a leader, it's huge because the more confidence he has and the more he's able to be a fixture of leadership on the team, the better off we are just by way he attacks football and attacks his craft.'
Strong offensive line play created a dangerous rushing attack aided that helped power the Dolphins' the top-ranked offense in 2023. If the additions follow Brewer's example, Miami could once again become that offensive juggernaut.