FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — In an effort to beef up its offensive line, the Dolphins on Tuesday signed Jake Grove, who immediately became the front-runner to unseat Samson Satele as the team's starting center.

According to a league source, Grove received a five-year deal that could pay him as much as $30 million. The contract includes $14 million in guaranteed money.

The 6-foot-4, 300-pound Grove, Oakland's second-round pick in 2004, has started 46 games at center and right guard since entering the NFL.

The Dolphins had trouble running between the tackles last season, and one of the offseason priorities was upgrading at center because Satele lacked the girth and strength needed to serve as a forceful drive blocker.

The Dolphins expressed interest in signing Ravens free agent Jason Brown until his asking price trumped their interest level. Brown ended up signing a five-year, $37.5 million deal with the Rams last week that includes $20 million guaranteed.

The Dolphins identified Grove as a player with the physicality needed to compete against division foes such as the New York Jets' Kris Jenkins, New England's Vince Wilfork and Buffalo's Marcus Stroud, three of the most physically imposing defensive tackles in the NFL.

"(The Dolphins) made a commitment to me, and I'm going to come in and work every day and make sure I make the commitment to them to make sure they know I'm worth the money," Grove said in an interview on WQAM radio Tuesday afternoon.

Last season Grove, who turned 29 earlier this year, started 12 games and helped anchor the league's 10th-ranked rushing attack.

He bench pressed nearly 500 pounds in college at Virginia Tech and played the last eight games of the 2001 season with a broken hand, the kind of toughness that Dolphins vice president of football operations Bill Parcells admires.

However, Grove has had durability issues. He has only played one full season in the NFL, in 2006. Last season, a calf injury sidelined him four games. He passed an extensive team physical Tuesday before finalizing the deal.

Counting Grove, former Dallas center-guard Joe Berger and right tackle Vernon Carey, who re-signed last month, the Dolphins have invested more than $155 million in its offensive line in the last year. That figure includes the five-year, $57.5 million contract Jake Long received as the first pick of the 2008 draft, and the five-year $25 million deal left guard Justin Smiley received last offseason.

The Dolphins will likely have Satele continue to work at center, but, late last season, the coaches experimented with the two-year starter at guard, a position he played at the University of Hawaii. His 32 consecutive starts could help him push Donald Thomas for the starting right guard spot.

It's also possible the Dolphins could find a trade partner for Satele, who has two years and $1.01 million left on the contract he signed in 2007.