Should the Dolphins Sign Guard Donald Thomas to Help Offensive Line?

There are very few positions where the Miami Dolphins still have question marks in their starting lineup, but offensive guard is one of them, and there's someone available on the free-agent market who can help give them an answer.

Veteran guard Donald Thomas is no stranger to the Dolphins franchise; he was drafted by the Dolphins in the sixth round back in 2008 and spent two years of his career with Miami. That was well before Joe Philbin took the head coaching job in 2012, back when Tony Sparano was still running the show and when Jeff Ireland was still calling the shots as general manager.

Now that Thomas has been released by the Indianapolis Colts, questions have surfaced as to whether the Dolphins would consider a reunion.

Needless to say, if the Dolphins are going to reunite with Thomas, it wouldn't be out of some vague sense of connection; it wouldn't be the "hey, we know that guy, and he knows us" kind of move that is so prevalent around the NFL at a time when players are being cast off left and right.

No, this would be purely about giving the Dolphins more depth at the guard spot—or potentially even supplanting one of their current starters. 

But for all that's changed in Miami since Thomas last set foot in Sun Life Stadium, just as much (if not more) has changed for Thomas. The seven-year veteran has played for three different teams in the five years since leaving Miami and has started 10 games. In the past two seasons, however, he has started just two games after signing a four-year, $14 million contract with the Colts. 

Since signing with the Colts, Thomas suffered a torn quadriceps in 2013 and again in 2014. He had been activated from the physically unable to perform list less than a week before being cut, but the Colts have not had a chance to properly evaluate him on the field ahead of finalizing their 53-man roster later this week. 

There are two issues facing Thomas: rust and wear and tear. By the time the 2015 season begins, it will have been nearly two full years since he last played in a regular-season game. Who knows what he has left after tearing the same quad twice in a row; he may not have the strong base he'll need to man up against big-bodied interior defensive linemen. 

The question the Dolphins must ask themselves with regard to Thomas is whether those risks are worth the potential reward. The problem is, there may not be a reward at all. If anything, bringing in Thomas could set the Dolphins back even further in their quest to find a formidable starting five on the offensive line. 

Dallas Thomas and Billy Turner have been given the opportunity to develop into starting linemen at the two guard spots, and rookie Jamil Douglas was added to the mix through the 2015 NFL draft to provide a measure of depth on the line.

Dallas Thomas hasn't turned out quite as the Dolphins hoped he would when they drafted him in 2013, but the coaches accept some of the responsibility for thwarting his development by juggling him back and forth between different spots, according to Andrew Abramson of the Palm Beach Post. Turner is in the same boat, transitioning from tackle in college to guard in the pros. 

There wouldn't be any harm in adding Donald Thomas as depth or an insurance policy to Dallas Thomas and Billy Turner. That's only if they can get him on a low price tag.

Beyond that, the Dolphins shouldn't expect much from the veteran guard.