The epicenter of the 2022 NFL offseason has arguably been in Florida, and Monday morning in Palm Beach, league coaches and general managers gathered for breakfast at their annual meeting.
It was a buffet type of a day for the media, as tidbits were shared from coaches and executives alike, including Mike McDaniel and Chris Grier, who provided several offerings for Dolphins fans to feast on.
Grier had mentioned to reporters that he’s received inquiries on multiple players, namely wide receiver DeVante Parker and versatile offensive lineman Michael Deiter. While Miami’s wide receiver room has gotten an upgrade compared to a B-12 shot, it makes a player like Parker a bit more expendable. Tyreek Hill was acquired last week from Kansas City, Cedrick Wilson, Jr. was signed as a free agent and Preston Williams was re-signed. These players join the NFL rookie receptions record holder in Jaylen Waddle.
Then there’s the offensive line, which, although improved vastly with the signing of free agent gem Terron Armstead and guard Connor Williams, could still use some work.
The right tackle sport seems to be headed for a two-man battle between Austin Jackson and Liam Eichenberg this summer. The young linemen are used to a competition of sorts, as Jackson’s USC Trojans and Eichenberg’s Notre Dame Fighting Irish are among college football’s best historical rivalries.
The center position is a role that’s been a rare question mark for Miami after years of a lineage that included some outstanding anchors of the offensive line. Deiter, who was drafted in the third round of the 2019 draft as a guard out of Wisconsin, has moved around the line in his first few seasons. He started 15 games as a rookie, yet 2020 was a year of change on the line with a trio of rookies coming into the equation.
It was in 2021 that Deiter was moved to center and played well as the team’s starter in the season’s first three games. After a “freak injury,” as described by Grier, Deiter finished the final five games of the season as the Dolphins’ center.
Looking at an offensive line that should see Armstead and Williams on the left side, and Robert Hunt penciled in at right guard, Deiter has the opportunity to run with Grier’s endorsement today and work to become the latest in what has truly been a position of greatness in Miami history.
From Jim Langer to Dwight Stephenson to Tim Ruddy to Mike Pouncey, perhaps Deiter is primed to take his place in the pantheon of centers in South Florida.
He certainly seems to have the support of his general manager, and now he gets an offensive coaching staff rife with offensive line teachers, including Frank Smith. Smith was Armstead’s assistant offensive line coach while he was a rookie with the New Orleans Saints, and the Dolphins’ big catch cited a reunion with coach as one of the main draws for Miami. Don’t forget that they also hired former Boston College offensive line coach Matt Applebaum.
Smith and Applebaum’s knowledge and coaching mixed with McDaniel’s schematics of the line and overall running game should mesh with Deiter perfectly. It’s another box that may just be checked off in terms of a necessity in fixing Miami’s greatest weakness from the past few seasons.
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