Dolphins rookies Chop Robinson and Patrick Paul will benefit from these veteran teammates | Schad
MIAMI GARDENS — Terron Armstead may already know if Patrick Paul would prefer the stuffed salmon or chicken and sausage pasta on the offensive line menu at Casa De Armstead.
We know Paul will be invited to those Thursday dinners. All the offensive linemen are.
But Armstead, who may be succeeded by Paul as Miami Dolphins starting left tackle as early as 2025, will surely offer special attention to the second-rounder from Houston.
"Just like how Terron came out from a small school and had people invest in him, he loves paying it forward," Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel said during the NFL draft. "He’ll be the most excited. He might already have a jersey of his.”
Armstead is a Good Guy. Literally. He was the 2022 Good Guy Award winner as voted on by the Dolphins' media. But more importantly, he is a Good Guy to his teammates.
Armstead is the ideal mentor for Paul. As much as Miami players and coaches have credited offensive line coach Butch Barry for marked improvements last season, they praise Armstead, too.
It's Armstead who has led player-only footwork drills on off days.
It's Armstead who has sent out those text invitations.
"I know Terron," Paul said during the NFL draft. "I met him about two years ago at an 'O-Line Masterminds.' He’s been a master at his craft for a very long time, so I’m excited to get in there and get in that o-line room and learn from him.”
Dolphins Patrick Paul and Terron Armstead have trained
OL Masterminds is an annual offensive line summit in Texas.
Most offensive linemen are smart and friendly. But Paul is walking into the potential for a daily offensive line summit in Miami Gardens.
What message would right tackle Austin Jackson have for Paul?
"I can’t wait to meet you," Jackson said on a Zoom with local media this week.
OK, so there was more than that. Jackson, like Paul, was deemed a developmental prospect with raw talent and a high ceiling. Jackson's advice to Paul is revealing.
"I would just say keep a sense of urgency and stay hungry," Jackson said. "Most definitely, especially while you’re young. The league moves fast and if you’re not trying to get on top of it, you’re falling behind, meaning every day is a day to get better."
Jackson conceded there was a moment in his career where he wishes he'd had a greater sense of urgency. Jackson explained the importance of making three reps — if three reps are all you're getting in a particular drill — count.
This is the kind of stuff that will really benefit Paul, a physical specimen in need of development.
NFL draft pick Patrick Paul gets advice from Miami Dolphin
Chop Robinson, Miami's first-round draft pick, is also considered a raw, physical specimen with a high ceiling. Robinson should benefit immeasurably from the presence of Jaelan Phillips and Bradley Chubb in the linebackers' room.
Phillips and Chubb are Good Guy finalists themselves. But they're also close friends who lean on each other and sharpen their skill sets together.
"Great situation," Robinson said of working with Phillips and Chubb.
It is squarely on Robinson, who is understandably confident, to also bring humility and a spongelike approach to those relationships.
It's a coincidence, but fifth-round edge rusher Mo Kamara — who possesses more talent than most fifth-rounders — attended Colorado State, like Shaq Barrett.
Barrett, 31, is in his first season as a Dolphin. But he's played 131 games and recorded 59 sacks.
"I’m going to study his brain and how he was able to sustain this long career in the NFL, because that’s what I want to do," Kamara said.
Perfect plan.
Dolphins fans deserve a playoff win. Are these rookies ready to help in 2024? | SCHAD
Joe Schad is a journalist covering the Miami Dolphins and the NFL at The Palm Beach Post. You can reach him at jschad@pbpost.com and follow him on Instagram and on X @schadjoe. Sign up for Joe's free weekly Dolphins Pulse Newsletter. Help support our work by subscribing today.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Miami Dolphins NFL Draft picks Chop Robinson Patrick Paul have mentors now
