The Miami Dolphins again got no love from a national outlet for the 2024 season, this time the folks at Pro Football Focus.
The analytics website released its Top 101 performers of 2024, and the Dolphins had only one representative on this list — tackle Terron Armstead.
The rankings, which include postseason performance, are based on the following two criteria, per PFF:
-- The list is based solely on play in 2024. Past or future play is not accounted for. This isn't about class or talent; it's about performance throughout the 2024 NFL season.
-- This list is created with an “all positions are created equal” mantra. So, you won't see 32 quarterbacks heading the list, even though that is the game's most valuable position. Instead, we take a look at how players performed relative to what is expected from their position.
The Dolphins were among 10 teams that had either one or zero players on the list, along with the New England Patriots (0), New York Jets (1), Cleveland Browns (1), Tennessee Titans (1), Las Vegas Raiders (1), Dallas Cowboys (1), Chicago Bears (1), Carolina Panthers (0) and New Orleans (0).
Of those 10 teams, only Miami and Atlanta had as many as eight wins in 2024.
The Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles not surprisingly led the way with 11 players in the top 101, followed by the Detroit Lions with nine and the Baltimore Ravens with seven.
Ravens QB Lamar Jackson earned the No.1 spot ahead of Cleveland Browns DE Myles Garrett, while league MVP Josh Allen came in at number 6.
This was quite a drop-off for the Dolphins, who had seven players in the Top 101 for 2023 — WR Tyreek Hill, WR Jaylen Waddle, LB Andrew Van Ginkel, QB Tua Tagovailoa, RB Raheem Mostert, S Jevon Holland and DT Christian Wilkins.
Armstead was ranked 52nd on the PFF Top 101 list, coming in as the third-rated tackle behind Jordan Mailata of the Eagles (3) and Zach Tom of the Green Bay Packers (48).
While he dealt with a right knee injury that all but eliminated his practice time in the final weeks of the regular season, Armstead turned in another solid performance for the Dolphins while starting 15 games — his highest total in his three seasons in Miami.
While his comments during Super Bowl week suggest that Armstead wants to return for an 13th NFL season in 2025, there's no guarantee that will happen with the Dolphins because of his $22 million cap number and the fact the team drafted his successor Patrick Paul in the second round last April and might not want to have him sit and learn for a second season.
How this plays out — whether the Dolphins keep or release Armstead or restructure his contract or even trade him — is one of the biggest offseason storylines for Miami.
If he has played his last game for the team, Armstead at least can feel comfortable knowing he left on a high note in terms of his individual performance.
More must-reads:
Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!