What are the Dolphins getting in new center Aaron Brewer?
A six-pack of notes on the biggest free agent addition to their offensive line:
▪ Brewer is the ideal fit for Miami’s running game, a mobile and skilled blocker who should pick right up where Connor Williams left off. (Williams, recovering from a serious December knee injury, is now healthy and looking to sign with a team where he can play center, per his agent Drew Rosenhaus.)
The question is whether Tua Tagovailoa’s quick release can mask Brewer’s deficiencies in pass protection, and whether offensive line coach Butch Barry can improve those deficiencies after making an immensely positive impact in his first year on head coach Mike McDaniel’s staff.
Brewer permitted six sacks (second most among centers) and 34 pressures (third most) in 622 pass-blocking snaps for the Tennessee Titans last season. Williams, conversely, permitted one sack and six pressures in 280 pass-blocking snaps, per Pro Football Focus.
Brewer believes he’s a good scheme fit: “I’m one of the fastest offensive linemen, being able to get to the first level, second level. In open space, I can move pretty well. I feel like it’ll be a nice fit for me.”
▪ Here’s what Brewer’s former coach, Mike Vrabel, said about Brewer during their time together in Tennessee:
“He’s explosive, he’s quick, he’s tougher than a $2 steak,” Vrabel said when asked how Brewer overcomes his smaller frame (6-1, 295 pounds).
“He understands the angles and trying to get to guys. And he understands pad level, technique, and those are a lot of things that he can do that somebody that’s bigger can’t, just the way that he moves. I like the way that he shows up to work every day and is willing to compete.”
▪ Brewer’s 2023 offensive line coach, Keith Carter, raved about him last season:
“Aaron is an unbelievable athlete,” Carter said. “He has a really unbelievable way to recover when he gets stuck in some bad positions.”
▪ Here’s how Pro Football Focus evaluated Brewer:
“Brewer is a perfect fit in Miami’s run scheme and carries added value since he could replace free agent center Connor Williams or guard Robert Hunt, who signed a colossal deal with the Panthers. Mike McDaniel can protect him as a pass protector, and he’s great at getting out to the second level in a hurry.”
▪ Brewer has position versatility. He played 252 snaps at left guard, 209 at right guard and 13 at center in 2021, per PFF.
In 2022, he played 908 snaps at left guard and 123 at center.
Last year, he played all 1,049 snaps at center.
The Dolphins view him as a center.
“I’d say that transition to center, I feel like that was always my destined position, just for me being more of an undersized offensive lineman,” Brewer said.
“I’m not one of the big 320-, 310-, 300-pound offensive lineman. You don’t really see too many of the undersized offensive linemen being at guard. I just feel like me being undersized, it was basically predetermined for me to be at center.”
Vrabel knew after the 2022 season that Brewer had the skills to make the move to center.
“We went through a situation, where on a short week, going to Green Bay, on the road, Brew had to play center,” Vrabel said.
“I saw him over the course of four days prepare, communicate, and get those guys ready to go, all the way up until we left the hotel from Green Bay. Those short weeks you’re cramming in everything you can. And that was exactly what we’re looking for.”
He moved to center permanently last season and graded out well in run blocking (seventh among all centers, per PFF) but poorly in pass blocking.
▪ Here’s the breakdown on his contract:
His three-year, $21 million deal includes $10 million guaranteed. But for 2025, only $3.5 million of his $6.4 million base salary is guaranteed.
His cap number will be low in year one ($2.5 million) and then jump to $8.1 million in 2025 and 2026. And he will have a $2.2 million dead money void year charge in 2027, after his contract is over.
ROOKIES REPORT
Dolphins rookies reported to training camp on Tuesday.
Media access will begin next Tuesday, when veterans report. The first training camp practice will be Wednesday, July 24; that’s not among the practices open to the public.
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