The Miami Dolphins’ hunt for quality offensive line depth continues. The Dolphins’ latest transaction and addition to the offensive line comes as an even more low-risk investment than any of the other additions Miami has made this offseason — as they’ve added veteran offensive tackle and former local product Bobby Hart into the mix as a practice squad addition. Hart played his football locally at St. Thomas Aquinas before going on to play for the Florida State Seminoles.
And now he’s back with the Dolphins as a member of the practice squad.
Veteran OT Bobby Hart, the former St. Thomas Aquinas and FSU standout who has started 66 NFL games for the Giants and Bengals, joined Dolphins practice squad.
— Barry Jackson (@flasportsbuzz) September 7, 2021
Despite Hart’s pedigree as a multi-year starter in the NFL, it should be acknowledged that the team is in deep trouble if Hart is ever needed to be called into action as a player on the field for the Dolphins. Hart is, effectively, the team’s No. 4 option at right tackle behind Jesse Davis, Liam Eichenberg and Robert Hunt (at right guard).
But for what Hart is as a practice squad player, he does bring a significant level of experience to the offensive line room. That can be valuable — even if the lessons he offers can be what not to do in a given situation.
Consider this: Miami’s offensive line currently features seven players who have started less than 16 games and have been in the league for two seasons of tenure or less:
- Michael Deiter: 15 starts (2 seasons of NFL play)
- Solomon Kindley: 13 starts (1 season of NFL play)
- Austin Jackson: 12 starts (1 season of NFL play)
- Robert Hunt: 11 starts (1 season of NFL play)
- Greg Little: 6 starts (2 seasons of NFL play)
- Liam Eichenberg: 0 starts (2021 rookie)
- Robert Jones: 0 starts (2021 rookie)
Only Jesse Davis (56 starts) and Greg Mancz (28 starts) serve as active roster linemen with more than one season worth of starting action and more than 2 years of tenure entering into the season. Hart offers six years of tenure and 66 career starts as a 4th-string practice squad presence. And from that standpoint, why wouldn’t the Dolphins bring him into the picture with that role and expectation?
Miami’s offensive line gets knocked constantly for their quality of play. They’ll need to be better, there’s no arguing that. But the youth of the group, as illustrated above, should offer optimism that it can be done. And with Hart as a practice squad mentor, hopefully he can help provide some experienced perspective to the Dolphins’ starters and developing players in the trenches.