New Dolphins offensive lineman Aaron Brewer: What you should know
Five things to know about Aaron Brewer, the former Tennessee Titans center who agreed to a three-year deal worth $21 million with the Dolphins last week:
Aaron Brewer is a center. We think.
Connor Williams is a free agent. And he’s coming off an ACL tear. So the Dolphins have added Brewer, 26.
The logical assumption is Brewer will replace Williams. While there’s a good chance he will, until the Dolphins confirm it, we won’t know for sure.
Here’s why:
Brewer is about as versatile as it gets. He started his NFL career in 2020 as a center, then spent two seasons at guard, then was a center again in 2023. But there’s more. Brewer came from Texas State, where he started at all five positions on the offensive line.
Why is this relevant? Because last Monday, the Dolphins lost guard Rob Hunt, who is joining Carolina via free agency.
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Have to tighten up his pass protection
The good news is Pro Football Focus graded out Brewer among the better centers in the league last year, placing him 11th overall.
The concerning news is his pass protection, the importance of which can’t be overstated when it comes to keeping Tua Tagovailoa upright.
Brewer gave up six sacks last season, tied for second-most among NFL centers. He also allowed 34 pressures, 21 hurries and seven QB hits, all of which ranked among the worst in the league.
As last season showed, however, offensive line coach Butch Barry has a way of maximizing linemen’s strengths and minimizing their weaknesses. Barry's latest challenge is making sure Brewer doesn’t become a liability up the middle to Tagovailoa, regardless of which interior line position he plays.
Maybe Aaron Brewer and Tyreek Hill can have a backflip duel
Brewer was a multisport athlete coming out of high school in Dallas whose pathway to a scholarship was assisted in a most unusual way.
Brewer posted a video of himself doing a standing backflip on social media. Seeing a person of his size perform such a feat got the attention of Texas State. It’s not the only reason the school was interested, but it didn’t hurt.
“I posted it and it just blew up,” Brewer once told The Athletic. “Like 30 minutes later, Texas State called.”
Breaking down grades in his career
PFF graded Brewer 26th in pass protection last season and seventh in run blocking. His overall offensive grade, 71.6, ranked second in his career behind the 76.2 he received in 2020.
In pass protection, Brewer's 52.2 was second in his career to 66.2. In run blocking, Brewer's 78.7 also was second, behind 81.1. Both of those career bests came in 2020.
He was called for five penalties last season.
Aaron Brewer is as durable as they come
Brewer certainly is durable.
If he misses a snap in 2024, it would be a first for him dating back to the 2021 season.
In 2022, he played all 1,031 offensive snaps for the Titans.
In 2023, he played all 1,050 snaps.
It wasn’t out of character for him. In college, he made 47 consecutive starts.
In other words, don’t bother looking for him on the bench or by the Gatorade, at least not when the Dolphins have the ball.
“He’s a dog,” said past and future teammate David Long, a linebacker. “He has that mentality.”
Dolphins reporter Hal Habib can be reached at hhabib@pbpost.com. Follow him on social media @gunnerhal.
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This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Aaron Brewer: 5 things to know about new Miami Dolphins lineman
