Miami Dolphins training camp preview: Offensive line

New faces, new scheme, and hopefully, new results for Miami Dolphins offensive line

Watching the Miami Dolphins offensive line in 2020 was painful, to say the least. However, it was drastically improved during the final nine games, where Miami would go 5-4. Head coach Brian Flores had the team playing much better than they had ever dreamed of. Now with a whole cast of new faces on both the roster and the coaching staff, the Dolphins are looking to the next step. However, that first step will not happen without the offensive line taking their own steps forward.

The guys

There are essentially eleven guys that are realistically competing for about nine spots on the roster. While there are some new faces, the incumbents are Michael Deiter, Jesse Davis, Shaq Calhoun, Danny Isidora, and Julien Davenport. In free agency, Miami added Patriots center Ted Karras and Ereck Flowers. In the 2020 NFL draft, the Dolphins selected offensive tackles Austin Jackson and Robert Hunt, as well as guard Solomon Kindley. Undrafted free agent center Donnell Stanley would have a great chance to make the roster if there were not already three rookies on it. He seems like a guarantee for the practice squad. Unfortunately for guys like Jonathan Hubbard, Nick Kaltmayer, Adam Pankey, and Keaton Sutherland, their future is either the practice squad or the streets.

The starters appear to be Austin Jackson and Ereck Flowers holding down the left side at tackle and guard, respectively. Ted Karras is the likely starter at center, while Michael Deiter is rumored to be getting some reps there. Finally, Jesse Davis and rookie Robert Hunt appear to be in a battle for right tackle, where the loser would play right guard. The key reserves are Michael Deiter, Solomon Kindley, and Julien Davenport. The final spot appears to be coming down to Shaq Calhoun, Danny Isidora, and Donnell Stanley. Stanley has some upside, but all the uncertainty and lack of practice would likely prompt the staff to stick with one of the more experienced players.

How can their teammates help them?

So many things go into offensive line play. Continuity, health, opponents, and the scheme will play huge roles in how this offensive line plays in 2020. It starts with the quarterbacks. Letting go of the ball, living to see the next play, and taking check downs will be essential to mitigating the early struggles. Ryan Fitzpatrick and rookie Tua Tagovailoa are fast mental processors, which as we all saw in the final nine games of 2019, could really help the guys upfront. However, there are two sides to that coin. Both of them have a tendency to hold onto the ball instead of taking their check downs. Correcting those bad habits would help in avoiding sacks. The key to helping this inexperienced line, primarily in pass protection, is to avoid third and longs.

In the run game, Jordan Howard and Matt Breida hitting the hole and getting what they can will be instrumental in getting out of obvious passing situations. While it seems unlikely, the receivers can help bring along this line as well. Miami led the NFL in drops in 2019. A drop on second down leads to a third down and long. Mental lapses are drive killers.

Have you noticed the theme? Avoid third and longs early on. The offensive line is not ready to play football at this moment, especially against some of these teams. That’s the reality of the situation in 2020. Check the schedule, no one wants to see Tua become familiar with guys like Von Miller and Aaron Donald. That will be the case if they can just tee off on the snap because Miami is constantly in third and long.

Synopsis

While most of the talk surrounding the offensive line has been negative because of the lack of practice time, there are certainly some positives to look forward to. At every position on the offensive line, the Dolphins are better than 2019. An influx of talent has Miami in a much better spot than they were at this time last year. Also, for what feels like the first time in decades, the Dolphins may even have depth on the offensive line.

Michael Deiter and Solomon Kindley are slated to be backups in 2019. Deiter was a rookie in 2019, and while he struggled, he certainly showed some flashes. He’s also been taking reps at center. Kindley has starting potential at both guard spots but needs to be refined. The Dolphins are building depth and versatility with their young backups. It may be ugly early on, but the Dolphins will be drastically better in the trenches in 2019.