Trading for 2019 second-round pick Greg Little, the Dolphins continue to shuffle their offensive line group. But they are making more changes among their in-house personnel as well.
They have shifted second-round pick Liam Eichenberg from tackle to guard, according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. While Dolphins offensive line coach Lemuel Jeanpierre initially said the move was to give the Notre Dame product experience at guard, Adam Beasley of ProFootballNetwork.com notes the Dolphins view versatile veteran Jesse Davis as a better option to start at right tackle this season than Eichenberg. Davis, a former UDFA, was the Dolphins’ primary right tackle in 2019. Eichbenberg was an All-American left tackle with the Fighting Irish, starting there for three years.
Eichenberg is working as Miami’s first-string left guard, however. The team’s directions with Davis and Eichenberg have resulted in two starters from last season — Robert Hunt and Solomon Kindley — vying for the starting right guard role, Beasley adds. The Dolphins moved Hunt from tackle to guard this offseason. While they have been high on the 2020 second-round pick, viewing him as a possible Pro Bowler inside, the Louisiana product is currently battling for a starting spot in camp.
Additionally, Miami appears to be moving toward giving 2019 third-round pick Michael Deiter — a full-time guard starter as a rookie but a backup in 2020 — its starting center position over free agent acquisition Matt Skura, per Beasley. Skura represents a veteran presence on a group that lost D.J. Fluker early in camp, but Davis could end up being the only seasoned starter tabbed to be part of the Dolphins’ O-line in Week 1. Deiter played more games at guard at Wisconsin but was a 16-game center starter with the Big Ten program.
Pro Football Focus ranked the 2020 Miami O-line 28th, and it is possible only one player — left tackle Austin Jackson — will end up in the same position he primarily played last season. The team traded 2020 guard starter Ereck Flowers this offseason as well, and that change may be one of many at this Dolphins position group this year. It will certainly be interesting to see how Miami’s O-line configuration looks come Week 1.
Maybe Miami should’ve drafted Penei Sewell at #6, instead of messing around with yet another WR when they already had DeVante Parker, Will Fuller and Preston Williams at the position and Mike Gesicki at TE…
You can always trust the Dolphins to make the wrong choice, or if they do make the right choice to trade them away in a year or two.
Potential HOF lineman or probable gadget WR, pretty sure we know who the right choice is.
The guy who has struggles? And the wr’s who haven’t practiced? Great analysis.
Agree with the above …..he was there for the raking!
Is it really a surprise he didn’t take Sewell? He’s horrible at assessing talent on the O line. All the ones he drafted have been mediocre.
Those new Miami jerseys look a bit like the fighting Irish
Perhaps the Dolphins plan is to drop down into the NCAA on occasion to score a few easy wins.
I like there pieces. And I get trying to find the right mix. But shouldn’t a guy like Jackson really b the RT with Tua being a lefty? I do agree they should of drafted Sewell. But even tho they didn’t. They still have a good young mix. My guess is LT Jackson. LG Eichenberg. C Deiter. RG Hunt. RT Little. By the end of the year. With Davis as the swing tackle and Solomon as the swing inside guy. They will probably keep Skura as a “vet in the room” but he won’t play unless they lose a couple guys. Also I don’t really see Waddle as a gadget guy. He’s going to b a very very good moveable piece. Can play outside and on the slot to help Parker. If any phins fans really thought they should count on Fuller being healthy every year then think again. Dude can’t stay healthy and he’s really the gadget guy who doesn’t run a full route tree. If anything is known around real football people, it’s that Bama WRs know how to run a route tree and know how to run the option routes.
Lemuel Jeanpierre always had one of my favorite names in football. It’d pretty cool to me to see him coaching now.
Right now, it seems that Miami is casting a wide net (no pun intended) and seeing what fits. After last year we shouldn’t be surprised by this, but the one thing that surprises me is their apparent desire to not start Matt Skura on a line that will be nearly bereft of any substantial experience. Skura has played well in the past, but mostly it seems that a line with that little experience would need a veteran communicator making calls at the position while the rookies learn. I mean, Miami doesn’t just have inexperienced linemen, they have guys who are also learning entirely new positions altogether on that line as well-possibly three out of their five starters.