Where the Dolphins stand at two positions that need more. McDaniel talks with tight end

You could make the case that the Dolphins have only two missing elements on their roster: an established right tackle and a highly-skilled pass catching tight end.

But my sense is that the team is merely being patient, as opposed to ignoring those issues altogether.

At right tackle, the Dolphins have inquired about several free agents, according to three sources. They showed preliminary interest in George Fant earlier in free agency, and have at least inquired about a couple others whom I’ve been asked not to identify.

But if they’ve made an aggressive pursuit to sign any of them, I’m not aware.

Meanwhile, they’ve kept Brandon Shell in a holding pattern, not ruling it out but not trying to re-sign him, either, as of late this week.

That’s somewhat surprising, because Shell permitted only two sacks in 472 pass blocking snaps last season and was a godsend considering their precarious predicament after Austin Jackson was lost to an ankle injury that sidelined him most of the season.

So are the Dolphins really going to go into a season with Jackson as their only right tackle (aside from backups Kendall Lamm and Geron Christian)? I highly doubt it.

My sense is that they might be waiting for a good player to become available through a cut, a trade request, or anything that can happen over the next five months.

More right tackles figure to become available to expand the options; as an example, La’El Collins reportedly might be released by the Bengals. The Dolphins focused on Terron Armstead over Collins last March, but Dolphins general manager Chris Grier was interested in Collins earlier in his career.

Left tackle Jonah Williams has asked the Bengals to trade him, and talks with teams are ongoing, but he reportedly does not want to play right tackle, and he’s due a high salary in 2023 ($12.6 million).

So it’s a waiting game at right tackle. Perhaps an enticing opportunity will surface in the weeks or months ahead. My belief is that Miami isn’t merely looking for right tackle depth, but something more than that -- if it becomes available.

Otherwise, the Dolphins will need to circle back to Shell or one of these other free agents such as Fant.

It wouldn’t be unprecedented for the Dolphins to hold off on re-signing a free agent and then suddenly decide to do so. So Shell will continue to be an option.

The Dolphins have two other options:

1). Drafting a right tackle at 51 to compete with Jackson. But that’s risky because of the crapshoot nature of the draft and Miami’s uneven history with drafting linemen over the past decade.

2). Moving Robert Hunt to right tackle. But Grier has suggested the Dolphins are disinclined to do that because they believe Hunt can be a special player at right guard.

As for tight end, my suspicion is that the Dolphins are waiting until the draft to see whether they can add a top tight end prospect with their picks at 51 and 84, which are their only selections before the sixth and seventh rounds.

Among the second-day possibilities: Georgia’s Darnell Washington (likely will be gone before 51), Notre Dame’s Michael Mayer (could be gone by 51), Utah’s Dalton Kincaid (could be gone by 51), Iowa’s Sam LaPorta (NFL Net’s Daniel Jeremiah rates him 41 among all prospects), Oregon State’s Luke Musgrave (Jeremiah has him 43rd), South Dakota State’s Tucker Craft, Alabama’s Cameron Latu (Grier checked out Latu and other at Alabama’s Pro Day on Thursday) and Penn State’s Brenton Strange.

Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel spoke with Strange at Penn State’s Pro Day on Friday, and he would fit the Dolphins’ offense. Strange is highly skilled blocker who caught 32 passes for 362 yards and five touchdowns last season.

“In a draft filled with high-quality tight end talent, Strange could fly under the radar as a future starter with the potential to operate as a hybrid, three-down talent,” NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein said.

Miami’s signing of six-year veteran Eric Saubert wasn’t flashy, but one talent evaluator said he moves well and and can do several things competently. He’s a decent blocker and has done enough to earn 15 NFL starts. Denver used him on 27 and 35 percent of its offensive snaps the past two seasons.

Last year, then-Broncos coach Nathanial Hackett praised Saubert’s “ability to block, and he runs really well. Watching him get down the field and catching the ball, he’s definitely somebody we’re excited to have... [And] he’s strong, he’s good at the point of attack in the run game, and then he’s done some good stuff in the pass game.

“Whenever you get a guy that’s a smart guy, a tough guy, and that’s going to buy into what we’re trying to do, you’re going to see great things happen.”

One concern is that he has seven drops in 52 career targets, per Pro Football Reference; he has caught 33 of those 52 targets.

Durham Smythe, who started 15 games last season, figures to remain the front-runner to start.

Remember, the Dolphins don’t target the tight end enough in the passing game to justify giving big money to a pricey free agent such as Dalton Schultz (Houston), Mike Gesicki (who signed with New England) or Hayden Hurst (Carolina).

Smythe is a good blocker, and that’s more important in an offense that primarily features two star receivers and running backs in the passing game and added a skilled slot receiver in Braxton Berrios.

Keep in mind that Smythe’s targets in the passing game dropped from 41 in 2021 to 20 last season, and his receptions from 34 to 15.

Considering the Dolphins’ starting tight end averaged just one catch per start (15 receptions in 15 games), it’s not surprising that Miami so far hasn’t chosen to spend much money at the position.

The Dolphins also would like to continue to develop tight end and former college wide receiver Tanner Conner, who has upside as a stretch tight end.

Conner said in January that Dolphins tight ends coach Jon Embree told him that he’s ahead of where the team thought he would be as an undrafted rookie who changed positions.