Bottom line: They better step it up
O-line play isn’t meeting the coaches’ expectations through first week of camp
DAVIE — Let Pat Flaherty tell it, the Miami Dolphins only have one starting offensive lineman on the team exiting the first week of training camp, and that’s left tackle Laremy Tunsil.
Flaherty, the Dolphins’ offensive line coach did not like what he saw from his unit on Saturday and Sunday, the first two days of practices in pads, which featured Miami’s offense getting dominated during the team’s 11-on-11 goal-line work for the second straight day.
In a drill designed around seeing what unit can impose their will, Flaherty’s unit failed to get Miami’s tailbacks in the end zone consistently, and were occasionally pushed back from the goal line by the Dolphins defense.
One play on Saturday was so bad defensive tackle Vincent Taylor was in the backfield so fast he drove the center into Ryan Fitzpatrick so hard the Dolphins’ firstteam quarterback ended up on the ground, and could have gotten hurt.
“It’s open competition,” Flaherty said Sunday. “Daniel Kilgore is a veteran, but we need Chris Reed and Kyler Fuller to get in there and get some snaps along with Tony Adams. The [right] tackle position is wide open.”
Want one of four available starting spots on Miami’s offensive line, take it with a strong day, and week of practice because Flaherty and Miami’s coaching staff are in no rush to commit to a starting five.
“I tell the guys every day, we as a staff will give you the depth chart,” Flaherty said. “But your play dictates it.”
Jordan Mills, a six-year veteran, spent the first week in possession of the first-team right tackle spot, but Flaherty insinuated the fun is just beginning. It’s possible that some of the other tackles — possibly Zach Sterup, Jaryd JonesSmith and rookie Isaiah Prince — might eventually get in the firstteam mix during Week 2 of camp.
Jesse Davis, the starting right guard for the past two seasons, is
also a possibility at right tackle. He played tackle at the University of Idaho, and has been worked there some during Miami’s offseason workouts. But the goal is to have Davis work where he’s most comfortable, and guard.
The Dolphins will probably spend the second week of training camp grooming Reed, who has spent all offseason as the first-team left guard, to play center. Reed, who has history with Flaherty from their days together in Jacksonville, is viewed as the swingman on that’s at right the interior line.
According to Flaherty, Reed will learn to play every spot on the interior of the Dolphins offensive line.
That could open the door for Michael Deiter, the Dolphins’ 2018 third-round pick, to push for a starting guard spot. However, Flaherty hinted that the former of the offensive Wisconsin standout is a long way from becoming a rookie starter right now.
“Smart player. He knows his assignments, but until he can do his technique over and over again [it’s not good enough], that’s what you need to do to get better as a young player,” Flaherty said of Deiter, who has started more college games at Wisconsin than any other offensive lineman in school history.
“He played in the Big Ten, and that’s a good league. But he’s going to be playing against better players. He was well coached in college, but his technique has to change a little bit because he’s going against better players.”