Dolphins Not Interested In Orlando Franklin

Orlando Franklin is searching for a third team after the Chargers cut him earlier this month. Guard has been a position the Dolphins have struggled to fill over the past few seasons, and after they moved Laremy Tunsil to his natural left tackle spot, they seemingly could be interested in more interior help.

But this apparent match doesn’t look to be a fit after Franklin’s agent, Drew Rosenhaus, said (on his weekly WSVN-7 segment, via Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald) he contacted the Dolphins about the 6-foot-6 blocker and was told the team is happy with its guard situation.

A former Miami Hurricane selected in the second round of the 2011 draft, Franklin visited the Jaguars last Monday. The would-be seventh-year veteran has started for six seasons — three at right tackle, three at left guard — with the Broncos and Chargers. He endured an injury-plagued season in 2015, playing only 10 games, but bounced back to start 16 last season. Franklin will be going into what would be his age-29 season in 2017.

But Franklin’s 16 2016 starts did not measure up to his Broncos work that earned him the big Bolts payday, with Pro Football Focus grading him as the No. 66 full-time guard (out of 72 performers). PFF tweeted how it’s graded Franklin throughout his career, and the noticeable spike in its respective assessments of the blocker came during the three years (2012-14) he worked with Peyton Manning, whose quick release and pre-snap adjustments helped linemen over the years.

Miami traded Branden Albert, freeing up its left tackle spot for Tunsil, and signed Ted Larsen from the Bears. The team re-signed Jermon Bushrod, who will again play guard after moving from tackle in 2016, and drafted Utah’s Isaac Asiata in the fifth round.