Friday’s news that Terron Armstead, the Miami Dolphins‘ Pro Bowl left tackle, would miss the team’s opener against the Los Angeles Chargers was not unexpected.
But that didn’t make it any less impactful.
Armstead is not just the leader of the Dolphins’ offensive line, he’s its most significant player. Miami’s offensive splits when Armstead was on the field in 2022 versus when he was not are telling.
Making matters worse, the Chargers will have both Joey Bosa and Khalil Mack in the lineup Sunday; Bosa missed L.A.’s win over Miami in 2022 due to injury.
With all of that context, then, it’s a wonder the Chargers are only favored by three points at home.
But there’s seemingly no panic among Dolphins coaches about Sunday’s matchup. That might be because there’s a lot of confidence in that building in Armstead’s backup.
Miami Dolphins’ Kendall Lamm to Start With Terron Armstead Out
Kendall Lamm is the next man up for the Dolphins after winning the top backup job thanks to a solid camp. Lamm beat out — among others — rookie Ryan Hayes and vets Geron Christian and Cedric Ogbuehi for the job.
“Kendall [Lam] is a great example of a guy that has found a place on a team that had been through some trials in his career,” Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel said Friday. “Last year he made an impact so early in the room, about how he goes about his business. He uses every slight that’s happened to him to his advantage, not disadvantage. And he’s a core piece of the locker room at this point, which says a lot.”
“So my confidence is high, just because I see better than I hear, and he’s shown me as consistent, really, as anybody of what I can expect, what his teammates can expect from him, and that’s a guy that there’s nothing more important to him than what he needs to deliver on for himself and his teammates.
“So any time he’s on the field, I get excited for him because he’s been down the rigors of the NFL journey for a player that’s not a lottery pick, so to speak, and he’s coming out a better version than he went in.”
Lamm, the proud Appalachian State product, probably would have settled for being Mr. Irrelevant on draft weekend in 2015. He was not one of the 20 tackles selected that year, a list that includes long-forgotten names such as Laurence Gibson, Tayo Fabuluje, and Tyrus Thompson.
But Lamm caught on with the Houston Texans as a rookie free agent as a solid swing tackle, starting 24 games in his four seasons in Houston.
He was the Texans’ starting right tackle in 2018 and parlayed his performance that fall into modest contracts with the Cleveland Browns and Tennessee Titans over the next few years. But after he was cut twice in 2022 — first by the Titans and later by the Detroit Lions — Lamm was in need of a job.
The Dolphins offered him one in late November — but not on their active roster. Lamm signed to Miami’s practice squad, and was only called up for one appearance — against the New England Patriots, when he logged 32 solid snaps.
Kendall Lamm holds up well on that third down throw to Tyreek, against Josh Uche. pic.twitter.com/ZrstP4GRBM
— Simon Clancy (@SiClancy) January 1, 2023
He re-upped with the Dolphins the ensuing offseason, given just $100,000 in guaranteed money and promised nothing but a chance to compete.
That might end up being the best money general manager Chris Grier spent this offseason.
“Last year when I came in, to be completely real with you, when I came in toward halfway through the season, it’s like, I understood, but at the same time, not being able to go through this time and this process is major,” Lamm said during training camp.
“Especially this being Year 9 for me,” he continued. “I look forward to training camp because this is the time when you really get to grind. This is the time where I get a feel. This is the time where I truly get to put the weight on someone each and every day.”
“Then at the same time, of course when the season comes, we don’t necessarily do this as much. So for me, hearing the calls, getting on the same page with Liam [Eichenberg], Isaiah [Wynn], Rob [Jones], Rob [Hunt], I just love being able to do that now. Not having that last year was different, but it’s been beautiful to do it now.”