Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Time to let the experiment begin
Offensive line, coaching staff ready for trial run in preseason opener vs. Falcons
It may seem illogical the Miami Dolphins would transition their only player to play every offensive snap a season ago to another position.
But with the Dolphins’ offensive line being one of the team’s thinnest position groups, lacking talented depth across all five positions and looking for three new starters, Miami hopes a little experimentation can pay off in the long run.
Jesse Davis, who started all 16 games last season at right guard, has been moved to play right tackle during Dolphins training camp the last two weeks to fill the void left by former starter Ja’Wuan James’ free agent departure to the Denver Broncos this offseason.
“I like the challenge that they threw into my lap and I’m going to take it,” said Davis, who enters his third season and will earn the league minimum base salary of $645,000 after two years of experience. Thursday’s Dolphins preseason opener against the Atlanta Falcons at 7:30 p.m. inside Hard Rock Stadium will be Brian Flores’ first game coaching his new team. It will be the first NFL games for rookies such as firstround defensive end Christian Wilkins, third-round offensive lineman Michael Deiter, and fifthround outside linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel, among many other players on the Dolphins preseason roster.
And it will be a first glimpse of the new Dolphins offensive line that will be tasked with protecting Ryan Fitzpatrick and Josh Rosen as they continue battling for the starting quarterback job.
Flores named Fitzpatrick as the Dolphins’ starter for the game, while he was coy when asked if Rosen could see some time with the first-team offense against the Falcons.
In any event, the Dolphins firstteam offensive line is expected to be: standout Laremy Tunsil at left tackle, Deiter at left guard, veteran Daniel Kilgore at center, undrafted rookie Shaq Calhoun at right guard and Davis.
Those five players have worked with the first-team offensive since Flores promoted Dave DeGuglielmo to be the Dolphins new offensive line coach after firing former position coach Pat Flaherty on July 29.
“When you get that opportunity, you want to take advantage of it,” said Deiter, who replaced offensive lineman Chris Reed at the left guard position after the coaching move. “All I can do is try to play my best and try to learn with those guys that are around me.”
Deiter, Calhoun and Wilkins, who is expected to start at defensive tackle, are among many new faces for the 2019 Dolphins, navigating their way through a youth movement and significant rebuild.
The Dolphins hope to build their offensive line around Tunsil, a former first-round pick who surrendered just one sack in 15 games last season and could be in line for a hefty payday after the season.
Davis and Kilgore are the only returning starters, although Kilgore only started last season’s opener, suffering a season-ending triceps tear last September.
As the offensive line works out its kinks, Flores and his coaching staff will also do the same.
While Flores, first-time offensive coordinator Chad O’Shea and first-time defensive coordinator Patrick Graham worked together on Bill Belichick’s staff in New England, the preseason opener will be their first trial run at running the whole show with the Dolphins in Miami.
“I’m very excited. I’m excited to see all the hard work we’ve put in from April 1 until now [and] to go out and try to perform and execute at a good level,” Flores said.
“I think the things that are important to us and this team right now is having a good operation, getting the right guys in the huddle, having good communication in the huddle, breaking the huddle, just having a good overall operation. Then obviously playing penalty-free, limiting the turnovers.
“And I think if you do those things, you give yourself an opportunity to at least string some good plays together.”