Jamil

Douglas

Douglas appeared in four games between Buffalo and Washington as a deep reserve last season. The 30-year-old former fourth-round pick will serve as veteran depth with the Giants.

With Anthony Steen (ankle) listed as doubtful and Brandon Albert (ankle) questionable for Thursday night, the Dolphins needed an extra body up front. Douglas made six starts for Miami in 2015 but couldn’t survive final cuts this summer.

A 2015 fourth-rounder, Douglas looked overmatched in six starts as a rookie. He may get a sniff on waivers, but he looks more like a backup than a starter.

Douglas played 529 snaps as a rookie, making six starts at right guard and center, but he was absolutely obliterated as a blocker, receiving incredibly poor marks from Pro Football Focus. With a new coaching staff in Miami, Douglas is off scholarship and looks to be on his way out of town.

He’s getting a chance to unseat Dallas Thomas, who isn’t good. Despite some of the worst guard play in the NFL last year, the Dolphins ranked second in the league in yards-per-carry average, while Ryan Tannehill set statistical career highs across the board. The Dolphins’ guard play is unlikely to get exponentially better in 2015, but it’s not an overwhelming fantasy concern.

Reporter Barry Jackson is citing "(feedback) from Dolphins players.” Neither of coach Joe Philbin’s guard spots are settled, though Jackson does pass along that fourth-rounder Jamil Douglas has “had some good moments” this offseason. Douglas should get every opportunity to unseat Dallas Thomas.

“Well, I think there are concerns when you have unknowns,” Lazor said. The Dolphins’ best offensive lineman, LT Branden Albert, is coming off a season-ending knee injury, and they are starting a rookie at right guard in Jamil Douglas. Douglas has reportedly “outplayed his age,” but the Dolphins’ line remains the biggest question mark on an offense which looks poised to take a step forward this season.

Douglas has slowly started getting more reps with the first-team offense at the expense of Turner over the past couple weeks, and the two players were notified of the switch on Monday. Douglas was initially supposed to push LG Dallas Thomas, but Thomas has played well after a rough first two seasons.

Per the Miami Herald, “people in the organization” see Douglas as “the favorite to ultimately earn the starting spot” over Thomas, who was one of the worst offensive linemen in football last year, and has continued to struggle on the practice field. This all assumes the Fins don’t sign free agent OG Evan Mathis, whom OC Bill Lazor knows from their time together in Philadelphia.

Douglas (6'4/304) was a 40-game starter for the Sun Devils, converting from guard to left tackle as a senior and earning first-team All-Pac 12 accolades. He ran 5.25 with a 29-inch vertical at the Combine, pumping 28 reps on the bench. Douglas has huge hands (10 3/4") and adequate arm length (33 3/8"), but is expected to kick back inside in the pros. A finesse blocker, Douglas will likely have trouble with bigger nose tackles and may need a year or two of seasoning before he’s ready to push for snaps. His best NFL position is likely left guard.