Miami Dolphins should not be mad if Liam Eichenberg stays at guard
By Brian Miller
When the Miami Dolphins traded up for offensive lineman Liam Eichenberg, the initial thought was they found their tackle, but he is playing guard. That has soured on some fans but it shouldn’t be viewed as a bad thing.
Eichenberg has a lot of talent and he has the grit to play inside. Entering the draft, some wondered if he was better suited at tackle or guard. Eichenberg moved into the guard position when Solomon Kindley was demoted. It may not stay this way and the offensive line coach, Lemuel Jeanpierre, is not saying if this is a set-in-stone kind of thing.
Barry Jackson pointed out today that the offensive line grouping of Austin Jackson, Robert Hunt, Michael Dieter, Liam Eichenberg, and Jesse Davis has practiced together with the first team for the 8th day in a row. Still, Jeanpierre said that after this weekend, the team my reevaluate that line.
That would make sense given the fact that the Dolphins are practicing against the Bears and will scrimmage them on Saturday.
As for Eichenberg, it appears his move inside is more about the other guards than his lack of ability on the outside but I will say this, Dolphins fans should hope that he succeeds at guard. Miami hasn’t had any stability anywhere on the line for years and if Eichenberg can be a long-term solution at the position, it’s one less that the team has to worry about.
The last really good guard was Richie Incognito. Personally, I would love to see Eichenberg stay at guard and thrive rather than play tackle and possibly struggle. Moving up for a guard is not a big deal, especially given the fact it was a move in round two.
Imagine if Eichenberg stabilizes one guard spot while Robert Hunt stabilizes the other. Miami will be set for the next four years or more. Obviously, right tackle is a problem but it’s not because of Eichenberg’s move inside.
Finding players that can fit and succeed is far more important than believing a player is a bust because they moved. That isn’t the case with Eichenberg, not yet, not even close.