The Teair Tart Era in Miami is over before it officially began, as the Dolphins cut the defensive tackle early on Tuesday. The former undrafted free agent originally entered the league as an undrafted free agent in 2020 but became a full-time starter in 2021 and 2022. He made a name for himself as a good, but not great, lineman during those seasons and appeared to have a bright future in the league.
Unfortunately, the wheels fell off the wagon in 2023. After recording a career-best 73.1 PFF grade in 2022, Teair Tart regressed and the Titans cut him before the season ended. He latched on with the Texans and showed some signs of life, but he apparently couldn’t recapture that form in Miami. This might be the end of the road for the once-promising Florida International product, but some other team could take a risk on the veteran. Seeing as he won’t cost much more than the veteran minimum, don’t be surprised if he turns up with the Carolina Panthers or New Orleans Saints.
Dolphins are releasing veteran defensive tackle Teair Tart.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 13, 2024
Miami Dolphins Cut Teair Tart – Panthers, Saints Could Claim Him
The Carolina Panthers have one of the weakest defensive lines in the league. Defensive tackle Derrick Brown is one of the most dominant interior linemen in the league, but the rest of the line is littered with question marks. Jadeveon Clowney has the potential to be great, but the former first-overall pick is on the older side and has never been all that consistent. The rest of the defensive line, meanwhile, is cut up of unknowns and unremarkable talents that could use a player like Teair Tart.
Teair Tart might not ever recapture the promise of his early career, but the recently cut veteran is an ideal complement for Brown. Brown is a monster of a man who is more than capable of taking up space, eating double teams, and freeing up space for others to make plays. Head coach Dave Canales believes in the power of the run game, so why wouldn’t he want to kick the tires on a player with the raw potential to give Carolina a dominant duo against the run in the heart of the defense?
Saints Secure the Line
The Saints defensive line is one of the most high-risk, high-reward groupings in the league. While the edge defenders have their issues, let’s focus on 2023 first-round defensive tackle Bryan Breese. The Clemson product’s rookie season was something of a mixed bag, as he recorded a respectable 4.5 sacks in 17 games without making a single start. He can get after the quarterback, but what he can’t do is stop the run.
Last year, Bresee finished the regular season with an atrocious 30.1 run defense grade, the fifth-worst mark in the league. Getting after the quarterback is more important than run defense, but you can’t be that bad and expect to keep a full-time job. Teair Tart is at his best against the run, and the Saints could call upon the recently cut veteran to shore up their defensive line. Maybe Bresee can make the Year 2 leap against the run, but it wouldn’t hurt to add an insurance policy like Tart into the mix.
Main Photo: Sam Navorro – USA Today Sports
