The Dolphins announced today the signing of center Matt Skura. Undrafted in 2016 out of Duke, Skura spent the first four years of his career with the Ravens where he appeared in 54 games, starting 51 of those contests.
The Film
The first thing that stands out when watching Skura's game is his play strength. He's highly adept at walling off the backside and he frequently drops the anchor in pass protection. He fires off the ball with a low pad level and generates push as a run blocker. His feet stay active through contact and results in the occasional pancake block.
The Fit
Head Coach Brian Flores makes no secret about his desire for tough, smart, physical players. Known around the league for his toughness and physicality, Skura displayed dedication and work ethic when he started the 2020 season opener for Baltimore just 10 months after tearing multiple knee ligaments and dislocating his knee cap in November of 2019.
Ravens Offensive Coordinator Greg Roman praised Skura's intelligence, communication and versatility at the start of training camp last August.
"He's played guard, he's played center, he understands and he's a very intelligent player," Roman said. "So, I really think his understanding of the game made his communication process almost utterly seamless at times. That's something he takes a lot of pride in, but a center is so important as far as getting everybody on the same page in today's NFL."
The Stats (Courtesy of Pro Football Focus)
Credited with just 10 quarterback pressures allowed on 334 pass-blocking snaps last season, Skura checked in with a pass blocking efficiency rate of 97.1 percent. He was even better in 2019 prior to the significant knee injury. He allowed just seven total pressures and committed only two penalties as the anchor in the middle of the Ravens line.
In his four-year career and over 1,824 pass-blocking snaps, Skura has surrendered just five total sacks and nine QB hits.
The Roster Impact
Last year's starting center, Ted Karras, signed with the Patriots earlier this week. Skura is the most experienced center on the team, as he assumed that position with the Ravens in his second season (started 12 games at right guard as a rookie). Skura provides competition for third-year pro Michael Deiter and Cameron Tom, who signed with the Dolphins last month.
The Conclusion
Miami's shown its proclivity to get stronger up the middle this offseason. The additions of Adam Butler and Benardrick McKinney bolster the interior of the defense, and now Skura provides a similar boost for the offense. He's played 3,364 career snaps with 2,651 coming at center (PFF).
