Dolphins position review: Will Miami splurge on offensive line in free agency?

The Dolphins were banking on significant growth from their young offensive line to propel their offense in 2021 but fell short. A lack of development in key positions was the primary reason for an offense that ranked in the bottom half of the league in most major statistics.

In the fourth of a series of position reviews, the Miami Herald will examine the team’s offensive line situation. Next up is tight end.

2021 in review

The Dolphins used eight different starting offensive line combinations in 2021, forced by injuries and poor performance. Only one player started the entire season at the same position: Robert Hunt at right guard. According to Pro Football Focus, the Dolphins offensive line graded out as the NFL’s worst unit, giving up a league-high 235 pressures. And the line ranked 32nd in ESPN’s pass-block win rate metric, defined as how often linemen can hold their blocks for at least 2.5 seconds. These low rankings are especially damning, considering the Dolphins offense was heavily reliant on run-pass options, forcing quarterback Tua Tagovailoa to get the ball out of his hands quickly.

Depth chart

Liam Eichenberg

▪ Skinny: The Dolphins praised Eichenberg’s versatility when they selected him No. 42 overall in the 2021 Draft and that trait defined his rookie season, though not with positive returns. Eichenberg spent training camp at right tackle and left guard. He opened the season at left tackle with Austin Jackson sidelined, returned to the starting lineup at right tackle in Week 3 for two games and then started the rest of the season at left tackle. Eichenberg’s growing pains were evident but like much of the offensive line, he improved as the season progressed.

▪ Contract: Eichenberg, 24, is entering the second year of a four-year rookie contract. He has a cap hit of $1,821,473.

Austin Jackson

▪ Skinny: The struggles that Jackson saw in the second half of his rookie season bled into his sophomore campaign, resulting in an early season move from left tackle to left guard. Jackson improved a bit as the season continued and spoke positively of the move inside, saying he thinks it will prolong his NFL career. However, Jackson was selected No. 18 overall in the 2020 Draft to be a franchise left tackle, and the fact he was moved inside to stay on the field is a worrisome development.

▪ Contract: Jackson, 22, is entering the third year of a five-year rookie contract, with a team option for the fifth season. He has a cap hit of $3,720,095.

Michael Deiter

▪ Skinny: Deiter beat out veteran Matt Skura in training camp for the starting spot at center. He missed nine games on injured reserve but was one of the team’s better offensive linemen. Pro Football Focus graded Deiter as the team’s fourth-best lineman this season, only behind Hunt, Robert Jones and Greg Mancz.

▪ Contract: Deiter, 25, is entering the final year of a four-year rookie contract. He has a cap hit of $1,211,312.

Robert Hunt

▪ Skinny: After an encouraging rookie season at right tackle, the Dolphins moved Hunt inside to right guard. In a disastrous season for the offensive line, Pro Football Focus graded Hunt as the team’s best linemen. Before his dismissal as head coach, Flores said he believed Hunt “found a home” at right guard.

▪ Contract: Hunt, 25, is entering the third year of a four-year rookie contract. He has a cap hit of $2,199,747.

Jesse Davis

▪ Skinny: Davis struggled for much of the season at right tackle, giving up eight sacks and infamously allowing the hit that fractured Tagovailoa’s ribs in Week 2. He dealt with a nagging knee injury but didn’t use it as an excuse when asked about it at the end of the season. Davis is a respected leader on the team but likely best in a swing tackle role.

▪ Contract: Davis, 30, is entering the final year of a three-year extension he signed in 2019. He has a cap hit of $4,610,000.

Greg Mancz

▪ Skinny: The Dolphins traded for Mancz late in training camp, swapping late-round picks with the Baltimore Ravens. Mancz started three games when Deiter landed on injured reserve but was placed on IR after Week 9 with an ankle injury.

▪ Contract: Mancz, 29, is headed for unrestricted free agency.

Solomon Kindley

▪ Skinny: Kindley opened the season as the starting left guard but was benched after Week 2 as the team reshuffled the offensive line. He appeared in one offensive series the rest of the season.

▪ Contract: Kindley, 24, is entering the third year of a four-year rookie contract. He has a cap hit of $1,091,142.

Robert Jones

▪ Skinny: Jones, an undrafted rookie, played just seven snaps in the first three months of the season then logged 10 as an extra lineman in Week 15. He started the season finale at right tackle over Davis.

▪ Contract: Jones, 22, is entering the second season of a three-year contract. He has a cap hit of $835,000.

Greg Little

▪ Skinny: The Dolphins swapped late-round draft picks with the Carolina Panthers for Greg Little, the No. 37 overall pick in the 2019 Draft, in training camp. Little didn’t appear in a game and landed on IR in November with an undisclosed injury.

▪ Contract: Little, 25, is entering the final year of a four-year rookie contract. He has a cap hit of $1,536,672.

Offseason questions

1. Can the next OL coach develop this young group?

Flores’ instability with his offensive coaching staff was well-documented, with no greater example than with the offensive line. Flores burnt through four offensive line coaches in three seasons. His first, Pat Flaherty, was fired four days into training camp, and the fourth, Lemuel Jeanpierre, was a first-time offensive line coach after a few years as an assistant.

There’s no question the rotating names leading a novice group stunted their development; Jackson said each coach has nuances they prioritize in terms of technique and there’s an adjustment every time. It’s very unlikely Jeanpierre is retained by whomever the Dolphins hire as their next head coach. Outside of offensive coordinator, arguably the most important hire by the incoming coach is the offensive line coach. A unit with multiple high draft picks could benefit greatly from a veteran position coach with a track record of developing linemen.

2. How many starters do the Dolphins have?

The Dolphins not only used eight different starting offensive line combinations but started nine players and frequently shuffled positions. Notably, Jackson moved from left tackle to left guard and Eichenberg took Jackson’s spot at left tackle. The changes didn’t bring much clarity to what will be either player’s long-term position and that will be a major part of the evaluation process for the new coaching staff.

The Dolphins seem to have one legitimate starter with Hunt at right guard and Deiter, when healthy, was a serviceable center. However, the argument can be made the Dolphins don’t have a starting-caliber tackle on their roster.

3. Is a change in philosophy upcoming?

The Dolphins haven’t reached this dire situation with their offensive line for lack of trying. Since 2019, the team has selected five linemen in the first four rounds of the NFL Draft. The Dolphins shouldn’t give up on that young core — no player in the quintet is older than 25 — but the team can’t allow struggles on the line to hamstring the offense to this extent in 2022. With over $70 million in cap space this offseason, bringing in a proven veteran or two could expedite the growth of the offensive line.

Potential Additions

You don’t often see franchise left tackles reach free agency but the Dolphins could have their pick of a pair this spring. Terron Armstead is slated to be on the open market and with the New Orleans Saints’ troublesome cap situation, coupled with Sean Payton’s shocking departure, it’s unclear whether Armstead will stay in New Orleans. The Kansas City Chiefs invested a lot to trade for Orlando Brown Jr. but if he reaches free agency, Brown, 26, is a three-time Pro Bowler in his prime. The New England Patriots’ Trent Brown is another veteran tackle who has experience playing on the left and right side.

The Dolphins will likely miss out on the blue-chip prospects at tackle in the draft but there could be multiple players available at the end of the first round, such as Northern Iowa’s Trevor Penning, Central Michigan’s Bernhard Raimann and Minnesota’s Daniel Faalele. NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah predicted the Dolphins will select Faalele in his initial mock draft. Iowa center Tyler Linderbaum is another option for Miami to address the interior offensive line.

Dolphins Position Reviews

WR: What wide receiver will complement Jaylen Waddle in 2022?

RB: Will Miami finally use a high draft pick on a running back?

QB: Dolphins appear all-in on Tagovailoa but who joins QB room?