Dolphins, T Terron Armstead agree to five-year, $75M deal

Terron Armstead‘s Miami visit has produced an accepted contract offer. The veteran tackle is signing a five-year deal with the Dolphins, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.

The sides agreed on a five-year deal worth $75M, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets, with Schefter adding the Dolphins will guarantee Armstead $43.37M (Twitter link). Armstead can earn up to $87.5M on the deal.

While Armstead delayed his decision by a bit, keeping the door open with New Orleans, he will head to Florida to give the Dolphins a high-end left tackle option. Pro Football Focus ranked the Dolphins’ offensive line 32nd in 2021. The unit featured multiple starters change positions either ahead of last season or during the campaign. Armstead’s role figures to be solidified.

Armstead operated as the Saints’ starting left tackle for the past eight seasons. While the former third-round pick missed some time due to injury, including an extended stretch last season, he hit the market as one of the top players available. The 30-year-old blocker is a three-time Pro Bowler who played a key role in the Saints’ late-2010s resurgence.

The Saints prioritized the younger Ryan Ramczyk, extending their right tackle on a top-market deal. Ramczyk’s contract contains escalators that would change the terms of the deal if the former first-rounder excels at left tackle. Regardless of New Orleans’ plan with its Pro Bowl right tackle, this ends a five-year Armstead-Ramczyk partnership.

Miami’s left tackle spot has been in flux since the team dealt Laremy Tunsil to Houston in 2019. Successor option Austin Jackson, a 2020 first-round pick, has since been moved to guard. The Dolphins used 2021 second-round pick Liam Eichenberg at left tackle extensively last season, but the Notre Dame product will not keep the gig. Armstead and Connor Williams have committed to Miami, with the latter likely claiming one of the team’s guard jobs. The Dolphins moved Robert Hunt from tackle to guard during the 2021 offseason, and PFF graded Hunt as the team’s best O-line regular.