Tag: Austin Jackson

Who is Dolphins’ best option if they’re without Austin Jackson Week 1?

Who is Dolphins’ best option if they’re without Austin Jackson?

The Miami Dolphins’ morning isn’t off to the best of starts. The Dolphins have learned that veteran tight end Adam Shaheen has tested positive for COVID-19. But the bigger implication is that the team also placed OT Austin Jackson, their starter at left tackle, on the list as well. It is currently unknown whether or not Jackson is also a positive test or is there via contact tracing — but what we know right now is that his status for Week 1 against the New England Patriots is in doubt.

But thanks to the Dolphins’ approach to constructing an offensive line, the team would have a number of options to fill in for him if they needed to find an alternative option.

But which would be the best?

The contenders include:

  • Greg Little, who the team acquired via trade in August as a former 2nd-round draft choice
  • Jesse Davis, the team’s current projected starter at right tackle 
  • Liam Eichenberg, the rookie lineman who has not been given a look at left tackle all summer but started for several seasons at left tackle at Notre Dame

The combinations here are fascinating. Miami could plug Little in at left tackle and keep the rest of the line status quo. The Dolphins could potentially move Jesse Davis to left tackle and put Eichenberg, who has been banged up in recent days, at right tackle to go from there. Or the team could put Eichenberg where his body is likely still most comfortable after his time at Notre Dame: at left tackle.

Eichengberg’s availability will be the biggest X-factor of the combinations Miami will consider — assuming Jackson is out. But if he’s a full-go, giving Eichenberg a shot at left tackle may be the solution that offers the Dolphins the highest ceiling. He’s started three years at Notre Dame at left tackle; his muscle memory for his technique will allow him to perform better there than he is on the right side of the line as he learns to invert all of his footwork. And while he hasn’t taken snaps at left tackle in the NFL yet, he’s been in the system longer than Greg Little has; so one would assume he’s more familiar with the assignments than Little, who has only been with the team for a few weeks.

Would Miami go there? They were at least willing to try Eichenberg on the left side at left guard early in training camp. Given the team’s cross-training approach, Eichenberg could stand to offer team value in Week 1 if he’s needed there. But if he’s still not physically ready to go after missing practice time last week, then it will be all for not and Greg Little should be considered the ‘next man up’ at tackle if Miami needs to press on without Jackson.

Austin Jackson’s status could test Dolphins’ OL philosophy in Week 1

Austin Jackson’s status could test Dolphins’ OL philosophy in Week 1

The Miami Dolphins preparations are well underway for the start of the season, which comes in 6 days against the New England Patriots in Foxborough. But not all is calm in the Dolphins’ building this morning; as the news has broke that starting left tackle Austin Jackson is one of two players who have been placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list to start the week.

And with the news of what the Dolphins now face, a watchful eye must be kept on the status of Jackson — because his availability will have a domino effect that impacts the rest of the offensive line. The Dolphins have a very particular approach for their offensive line and Jackson’s status could possibly put it to the ultimate test.

The Dolphins like their offensive linemen to be able to play multiple spots. Nearly every active offensive lineman on the roster has the ability to play multiple spots.

  • OG Solomon Kindley can play either guard spot
  • C Michael Deiter can play center or guard
  • OG Robert Hunt can play either guard or tackle
  • Rookie OL Liam Eichenberg has been cross-trained at guard and tackle in camp
  • Veteran OL Jesse Davis can play all 4 spots aside of center
  • Newly acquired OL Greg Mancz has played both center and guard in his NFL career
  • UDFA OG Robert Jones played tackle at Middle Tennessee State but is currently inside at guard
  • Greg Little has played on both sides of the line of scrimmage as a right and left tackle 

The ideology was touched on by co-offensive coordinator George Godsey earlier this summer when asked about the line.

“(Interior OL is) another position where there’s only really eight of them active on game day so they’ve got to have some flexibility and it’s nice for Michael (Deiter) to have played guard for a year now knowing what it takes from a center with that communication,” said Godsey.

He continued to outline why rookie OL Liam Eichenberg spent time this summer being looked at in multiple spots at both guard and tackle.

“It’s the same thing with the amount of guys on a roster on game day. He’s going to have to play multiple and learn multiple spots and based on the dynamics in that room, whoever is active come the first week of the season, which we’ve got some time, there needs to be some flexibility to be able to play inside and outside.”

The Dolphins want positional versatility across their entire front for this exact scenario. And now the test will be, if Jackson is unavailable for game day against New England, if the rest of the group is up to the challenge to allow the Dolphins to take this change in stride.

Dolphins place Austin Jackson, Adam Shaheen on reserve/COVID-19 list

Dolphins place Austin Jackson, Adam Shaheen on reserve/COVID-19 list

Welcome to the 2021 NFL season, where the lingering threat of COVID-19 can derail a team’s depth chart and game plan at any given notice. For the Miami Dolphins, we’re now seeing the first glimpse of that according to a report this morning from ESPN’s Field Yates. Yates is reporting that the Dolphins have placed two offensive players, starting left tackle Austin Jackson and backup tight end Adam Shaheen, on the reserve/COVID-19 list to start the week.

This development could just be contact tracing — in which case both players could possibly be eligible to return. But if there are positive cases here, Miami is going to need to pivot with their planning for the regular season opener against New England and have other talent ready to step into the void left by their absences.

Shaheen has been banged up in recent days and his presence is simply that of a potential red zone target. The Dolphins kept five tight ends at the roster cut down and 2021 rookie Hunter Long could absorb those reps in a fairly straight forward swap on the depth chart. And if he did, it wouldn’t be likely that we’d see much of a difference in the production of either player; although Long has less experience but arguably a higher ceiling as a talent.

At left tackle, the Dolphins will have some interesting options. The team acquired OT Greg Little a few weeks back and he played well against Cincinnati in the third and final preseason game. The team also has 2nd-round rookie pick Liam Eichenberg; who played left tackle for years at Notre Dame before being drafted by Miami and groomed this offseason to step in at right tackle. Perhaps a short return to his natural left side alignment could be in the cards. But Eichenberg has dealt with some bumps and bruises this past month and has missed valuable time in his preparations for the start of the season.

He’s currently expected to be the Dolphins’ 6th offensive lineman entering into Week 1. We’ll see if the Dolphins trust him to play the swing tackle role if Jackson misses extended time.

Dolphins co-OC George Godsey weighs in on offensive line development

Dolphins co-OC George Godsey weighs in on offensive line development

The Miami Dolphins’ attempted overhaul of the offensive line is entering into Year 2 with a number of key contributors — and the results throughout the course of training camp have been something of a mixed bag. But with so many young pieces, that can be an expected growing pain for one of Miami’s most scrutinized units on the roster. It’s been a long time since Miami had their line “right” and there’s no guarantee things will fully come together this year, either.

But in a world in which Miami could enter the 2021 season with all 5 starters on the line being draft picks of this regime within the last three years, there’s plenty of hope that the Dolphins can get it to a competitive spot by either the start of the season or, just as important, the end of the season.

Co-offensive coordinator George Godsey was asked about his line during Monday’s press availability and offered an extensive rundown on many of the young contenders to start. Miami’s line features at least two players playing in new positions in 2021: Robert Hunt at right guard and Michael Deiter (formerly a left guard) at center.

Godsey has appreciated their preparations to take the switches in stride.

“Both those guys are smart players and it’s another position where there’s only really eight of them active on game day so they’ve got to have some flexibility and it’s nice for Michael (Deiter) to have played guard for a year now knowing what it takes from a center with that communication. Same thing with Rob (Hunt) with the guard and tackle. So all of that works together,” said Godsey.

“I wouldn’t say it’s an easy transition for anybody at any level or at this level for any position, but those guys have done a good job of trying to stay ahead of all the install.”

No player on the line will be watched more closely than Austin Jackson. The team’s left tackle was a top-20 selection by the team in 2020 and his preseason struggles thus far in 2021 have not gone unnoticed. Jackson has all the physical tools but appears to be struggling with putting everything together in real time; he’s too often conceding his chest or not timing his strikes on the edge.

Godsey understands the complexity of the position and appreciates Jackson’s communication efforts up front.

“That position – left tackle – at this level is one of the hardest in sports and it’s one of the hardest on the line. You’re going against a premier pass rusher on every snap and he knows it’s one play at a time. We’ve got to make sure we help both sides out with chips and tight end presence, but Austin (Jackson) has been nothing but a pleasantry out there at tackle because he knows the offense, he run blocks well, he’s aggressive,” said Godsey.

“He enjoys being out here every day. He’s doing a good job, too, of communicating with the guards, who’s playing left guard and we know that there’s been some movement there so that’s part of his leadership on the line.”

And finally, the “other” 2020 draft pick on the offensive line appears to have re-secured his role as a starter on the inside. Solomon Kindley has started both of the first two games of the preseason after getting pushed to the third-team early in training camp. His only true competition for a starting spot in rookie Liam Eichenberg; who flashed playing right guard on Saturday against Atlanta. But regardless of Eichenberg’s status, Kindley’s experience from his rookie season does give him an advantage in prepping in 2021.

“(Kindley) got some experience as a rookie playing there a lot of snaps and then he also is a run blocker – north, south, downhill, inside run blocker. He can pull, he can double-team a zone block and he’s got, like I said, familiarity with going against some pretty top-level players last year. So again, all experience helps at that position.”

Three worst case scenarios for the Miami Dolphins’ offensive line

Three worst case scenarios for the Miami Dolphins’ offensive line

The Miami Dolphins’ offensive line group is going to go a long way in helping to define the team’s 2021 successes. There are no shortage of new names in play for Miami along the offensive line this season — the team added OT Liam Eichenberg in the 2nd-round of the 2021 NFL draft and has signed free agents like Matt Skura, D.J. Fluker, Jermaine Eluemunor and Cameron Tom to compete with the foundational pieces secured in the 2020 offseason. Miami closed the season with three rookies starting on the offensive line last season and hopes that the playing experience afforded to that trio will lead to a big jump in the quality play of the line.

But this is not a foolproof plan and the Dolphins will need to have their guard up and be ready for a number of challenges which could derail progress up front and interrupt the development of second-year quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.

Here are three prominent worst case scenarios for the Dolphins’ line this season:

Offensive tackle Austin Jackson fails to take a step forward

Every second-year player in the NFL is hoping for a big leap in their play but no such thing is fully guaranteed. One thing that will come either way is clarity — and for Dolphins tackle Austin Jackson, his development as a player is going to be very telling for the future of the left tackle position.

If Jackson doesn’t advance his play in 2021, it doesn’t mean he never will. But it certainly puts the Dolphins into a very challenging position: do you continue to stay committed to a top-20 selection for a third year when you’re presumably entering into a competitive window? That’s not an easy question to answer, given the weight of Miami’s investment into Jackson.

This outcome would be problematic for both 2021 and for the long-term for the Dolphins — so let’s hope this one doesn’t materialize.

Matt Skura fails to claim up his snap issues

Skura was benched at one point last season in Baltimore for errant snaps; an issue that cannot continue in 2021. At the time of Skura’s benching, Ravens head coach John Harbaugh said the issue was ‘very costly’ in a loss to New England.

“Are the snaps concerning us? Absolutely; that was very costly in the game,” said Harbaugh.

“It’s a tough deal. That’s a hard situation, but Matt [Skura] knows he has to get those snaps back there. Nobody feels worse about it than he does.”

One thing the Dolphins won’t tolerate is issues with the snaps and avoidable mistakes. So if Skura is able to wrestle the starting center position from competition from Cameron Tom and Michael Deiter, expect a short hook in terms of snaps. And that would be an issue for a unit that needs all the consistency and continuity it can get.

Liam Eichenberg isn’t ready to play

Miami has been unafraid of pursuing players in need of some seasoning with early picks. The 2020 selection of Noah Igbinoghene was one that didn’t bear fruit last season. But the choice of Liam Eichenberg on the Dolphins’ offensive line is going to need to hit for the Dolphins in Year 1 if Miami’s line is going to have untapped potential to strive for. Without Eichenberg being ready to play, Robert Hunt presumably stays at right tackle (where he would be fine). But then who plays right guard? Jesse Davis? D.J. Fluker? Jermaine Eluemunor? The ceiling for any other option that isn’t Eichenberg is going to be hard to get excited about for Miami — especially after Miami traded up in the draft to land Eichenberg this past spring.

How did Austin Jackson compare to other rookie OTs in pass protection?

How did Austin Jackson compare to other rookie OTs in pass protection?

The Miami Dolphins’ decision to draft offensive tackle Austin Jackson with the team’s second 1st-round draft choice in 2020 felt like a move made with team needs in mind — the Dolphins were seeking an heir to the left tackle role on offense for Laremy Tunsil and ultimately decided that the fifth option at the position, Austin Jackson, was the proper choice for the team.

With that set of expectations, it should come as no surprise that Jackson ultimately was a starter from the jump. Now, with that first full season behind him, the Dolphins are hoping that the growing pains paid during the 2020 season will pay dividends and that Jackson can develop into a more stable option on the perimeter in pass protection — especially as Miami appears poised to gear up and throw the football down the field with all of their speedy options in 2021.

Jackson’s play was up and down — but how different were his struggles from the rest of the pack of rookie tackles last season? Courtesy of Pro Football Focus, here is a quick breakdown on the pressures allowed and efficiency of protection for members of the 2020 NFL draft’s crop of 1st-round tackles:

  • New York Giants OT Andrew Thomas: 575 snap opportunities in pass protection, 10 sacks allowed, 57 total pressures, 94.2 efficiency grade
  • Cleveland Browns OT Jedrick Willis Jr.: 481 snap opportunities in pass protection, 4 sacks allowed, 18 total pressures, 97.7 efficiency grade
  • New York Jets OT Mekhi Becton: 387 snap opportunities in pass protection, 7 sacks allowed, 23 total pressures, 96.1 efficiency grade
  • Tampa Bay Buccaneers OT Tristan Wirfs: 651 snap opportunities in pass protection, 1 sack allowed, 22 total pressures, 98.2 efficiency grade
  • Miami Dolphins OT Austin Jackson: 506 snap opportunities in pass protection, 4 sacks allowed, 38 total pressures, 95.8 efficiency grade

Jackson conceded the second most pressures of the first round tackles but was also outperformed by his rookie teammate, Robert Hunt. Hunt, who was drafted inside the first 8 picks of the 2nd-round in 2020, logged a pass protection efficiency grade of 96.9 — better than both Jackson and the Jets’ Mekhi Becton.

If Jackson can cut down his pressures by a fair amount this upcoming season, the Dolphins will benefit greatly. Worried about how realistic that may be? Take solace in the progression of another former PAC-12 offensive tackle drafted in the 1st-round despite being very raw: Raiders left tackle Kolton Miller.

Miller conceded 65 pressures and 16 sacks in his rookie season in 2018. This past year, in 2020, Miller gave up just 31 pressures and 2 sacks. It can be done. And Jackson has the physical tools to do it — but now he needs to execute in Year 2.

Dolphins OT Austin Jackson banking on resources, adversity for growth

Dolphins OT Austin Jackson banking on resources, adversity for growth

The 2020 season was a trying one for Miami Dolphins rookie tackle Austin Jackson. The former USC Trojan was thrust into the starting lineup from the jump, a decision that felt largely made because of the team’s lack of alternative options to take the field at one of the team’s biggest needs. Jackson, who was a first-round selection but was quite raw coming out of USC, was asked to be a starter from the jump in spite of a reduced training camp, no preseason and the need to develop technically as a player.

The end result saw plenty of ups and downs for Jackson, who now must make a significant leap in his play if he’s going to live up to the standards that come with being the No. 18 overall selection.

For Jackson, the 2021 offseason already feels significantly different, however. During a meeting with the South Florida media, Jackson spoke about how much more he has to draw upon versus this time last year — and how that can set him up for success.

“Well, things are a lot different when you’re not in a pandemic, first and foremost obviously. Being able to just have way more access to resources this year as opposed to last year certainly helps a lot,” said Jackson.

“Getting my feet set for my second year, having more knowledge, knowing a little bit more of what to expect is pretty good. I would say that’s probably the biggest difference from this time last year to this time this year.”

Jackson’s playing experience and knowing what to expect will prove critical in determining what kind of jump Jackson takes this season. If he can fully elevate his play, Miami’s offense will be poised to leap forward on all fronts. But the law of averages says Miami’s trio of rookies between Jackson, Solomon Kindley and Robert Hunt won’t all see exponential leaps in play.

But the group is well positioned for added success beyond a year of experience. Kindley will presumably return to his position in college as the left guard. Hunt has been reported to be destined to move inside to play right guard. And, as Jackson pointed out, the entire group faced plenty of adversity amid last year’s 10-win campaign to forge better players, too.

“I’d say one thing we can take from last year is just going through adversity. I think when you go through a lot of adversity and come out the other end of it, you kind of learn how to just be consistent in yourself and what you can control. So the things that you can control as a football player is what you do on the field, how you take care of your body, showing up every single day. I think we got a real good glimpse of that last year, which will help carry us over into the future and being able to lock those things down. If you’re not getting better, you’re getting worse. We’re just going to keep it moving with that.”

Dolphins’ handling of rookie class deserving of praise

Dolphins’ handling of rookie class deserving of praise

The Miami Dolphins 2020 NFL Draft class brought a fresh wave of talent to a roster that desperately needed it — hauling in nearly a dozen players from the prospect pool to help the Dolphins boost the team in year two of their rebuild under the direction of Chris Grier and Brian Flores. And with the Dolphins’ season on the doorstep of coming to a close, that rookie class has stepped into a front row, center role for Miami’s ongoing playoff push.

Sitting at 8-5, the Dolphins need at least two wins over their final three games to claim a playoff spot and the team controls their own destiny with three to play; three wins guarantees them a spot in the postseason. And while there may be concern that Miami’s prominent rookie class hasn’t been here before, there’s little question that the young talent on the team is a primary driver of success. That bodes very well for the future but isn’t necessarily a precursor from success to close the season, either.

Consider the role rookies played in Miami’s 33-27 loss against the Kansas City Chiefs. Miami didn’t secure the win but the team played one of their more admirable performances of the season in fighting back to nearly complete a comeback against the defending champions. Rookies played nearly half of the offensive snaps for Miami on the day.

That is an incredible workload for rookies on an 8-5 football team. Granted, injuries forced more play from Bowden Jr. and Malcolm Perry, but regardless Miami clearly has positioned themselves with their rookie class to get meaningful contributions late.

That doesn’t even account for the players on the defensive side of the ball, either. Nose tackle Raekwon Davis is playing tremendous football on the nose and dominates his one on ones each week. Safety Brandon Jones has been an effective sub-package defender in a role that has waxed and waned based on weekly matchups.

It isn’t just that Miami is playing a bunch of rookies. It’s how they got to be playing. Miami has been selectively conservative with their rookie class on a number of fronts. They were slow to insert Tua Tagovailoa into the lineup and then were quick to protect him from a bad day against the Denver Broncos. The rookie quarterback has rewarded the team with his two best performances of the season in the immediate aftermath of that move.

The Dolphins have three starters working together on the offensive line from the rookie class — but only after slowly weaning each of the three at their own pace to ensure they could handle the entirety of the position and execute the full playbook.

The Dolphins have two college quarterbacks playing wide receiver as rookies between Lynn Bowden Jr. and Malcolm Perry. Both have taken some time to acclimate to their new role, but both have also shown promise in what the team has put on their plate.

Drafting a lot of young talent is one thing. But properly handling and developing them is something else entirely. Thus far, it seems as though Miami has found the right balance between the two. And as a result, this team’s future is so extremely bright — not that it should outshine the team’s opportunity to close out 2020 as a winner.

Gus Malzahn provides injury update ahead of Iron Bowl

Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn gave an injury update on some key players ahead of Saturday’s matchup with Alabama in the Iron Bowl.

No one wants to face their rival at less than full strength. But that may be where Auburn finds itself Saturday. 

Gus Malzahn said that, as of Tuesday, he was not sure whether either of the Tigers’ starting offensive tackles would be available to face No. 1 Alabama on Saturday (2:30 p.m. CT, CBS).

“Obviously it’s no secret right now that we’ve been beat up front offensively,” Malzahn said. “We’ll see if we’re able to get our tackles back. I don’t know at this point right now.”

Right tackle Brodarious Hamm went down with an apparent lower body injury in the fourth quarter of Auburn’s win over Tennessee and did not re-enter the game. Left tackle Austin Jackson suffered what appeared to be a hand or wrist injury in the third quarter and only briefly returned.

If those two are both unable to play, Auburn would be down three of its original five starting lineman after right guard Brandon Council suffered a season-ending knee injury on Oct. 24.

Junior Austin Troxell is the most likely replacement if either are unable to play Saturday. He entered in place of Jackson against the Volunteers. Brendan Coffey entered in place of Hamm and could also be turned to. 

After those two, the questions do not have any clear answers. Junior college transfer Kilian Zierer is coming back from a knee injury suffered last fall that required surgery. He dressed against Tennessee and has continued to progress.

“Kilian is getting better each week,” Malzahn said. “He is getting healthier. He had the knee surgery in the offseason, but he has gotten better. He’s gotten quite a few reps and he’s a guy that is in the mix. There are quite a few new guys that are in the mix this week that we’ll need to have a good week of practice and be prepared to play.”

“It’s next man up,” Malzahn said. “Just got to step up and get the job done. So that’s our mindset.”

Tank Bigsby is also questionable to play, after appearing to suffer a hip injury against Tennessee. 

“Obviously he couldn’t return last week. So, we’ll see how he progresses this week,” Malzahn said. “Hopefully by the end of the week we’ll have an idea of whether he’ll be able to go or not.”

If he is unable to play, Shaun Shivers and D.J. Williams would be the primary running backs. 

Auburn had one player test positive in the latest round of testing, according to a team spokesman.

Prior to this positive, Auburn’s latest positive test came during their open date two weeks ago, when 10 players and three staff members tested positive. 

Alabama vs Auburn Prediction, Game Preview

Dolphins activate rookie OT Austin Jackson from injured reserve

Dolphins activate rookie OT Austin Jackson from injured reserve

The Miami Dolphins have been working with an amended offensive line for the duration of their three game win streak thanks to a foot injury to 1st-round offensive tackle Austin Jackson. While Miami has found plenty of success in the win column, the team has yet to really find their stride in the run game and find the consistency necessary to churn out the clock and run the ball with a lead. Miami is hoping that can change tomorrow against the Arizona Cardinals and while the Dolphins will be without their top two running backs, they will indeed have some reinforcements.

The Dolphins have announced that they have activated Jackson from injured reserve.

This is a big boost for the Dolphins but will certainly prompt some changes to the Dolphins’ line — assuming that Jackson’s activation will be paired with a return to the starting lineup. Which player would be bumped if the Dolphins did indeed decide to plug Jackson back into the lineup? The easy assumption is that left tackle Jesse Davis or fellow rookie tackle Robert Hunt will be removed. If the Dolphins are worried about communication, perhaps Davis will slide back to right tackle, where he played before the injury to Jackson against Seattle in Week 4.

But the better athletic ceiling for the Dolphins would be to put both rookie tackles into the game. Will Miami, with Tua Tagovailoa entering his second career start at quarterback, welcome three rookie starters on the offensive line?

It’s a good problem to have for Miami, as they’ll have options to try to find the right mix to hopefully breathe some life into the running game and keep the team’s proficient pass protection moving in the right direction. For now, all we know is that Jackson is active. We’ll find out tomorrow if he’s back in the starting lineup.