We are entering into year two of the Brian Flores/Chris Grier regime in South Florida and Miami’s duo atop the organization has now officially had a chance to put their stamp on the Dolphins’ roster. The team has been stripped down and subsequently built back up in a matter of 16 months, a feat that shouldn’t be underestimated. There has been impressive amounts of work done on this Dolphins’ roster — and the team is arguably in its best position in more than a decade.
One of the primary identities of the Dolphins’ team is going to be the offensive line. As the Dolphins look to make life as easy as possible for their young quarterback in Tua Tagovailoa, the offensive line will be required to set the tone and control the line of scrimmage with frequency. Look for the Dolphins to attempt to run the ball at an above average rate, too — the team’s added personnel seems to indicate that will be a priority.
How do we know? And what does the personnel in place tell us about what the Dolphins are looking for in offensive linemen? In all, the Flores/Grier regime has been responsible for bringing in the following notable offensive linemen over the last 16 months:
- iOL Michael Deiter (2019 3rd-RD)
- OT Austin Jackson (2020 1st-RD)
- OL Robert Hunt (2020 2nd-RD)
- iOL Solomon Kindley (2020 4th-RD)
- OT Julien Davenport (2019 trade)
- iOL Ted Karras (2020 free agency)
- OL Ereck Flowers (2020 free agency)
Much like on the defensive side of the ball, density is a frequent variable in the Dolphins’ offensive line. Of all seven linemen added to the Dolphins’ roster over the last sixteen months, the average weight is 320.7 pounds — and it may even be higher for what the likes of Michael Deiter (credited at 309 pounds) came through at the NFL Combine in 2019. This team has embraced the concept of “beef” up front and they want big bodies that are capable of moving opposing defenders from point A to point B against their will.
Interestingly enough, the Dolphins’ trends for the offensive side of the ball with athletic testing indeed match that of the defensive side of the ball — short area power in the form of the standing broad jump seems to be the best indicator of what quality the Dolphins covet.
2020 draft picks Solomon Kindley and Robert Hunt did not participate in on-field drills or testing at the 2020 NFL Combine and free agent signing Ereck Flowers did not complete the drill at the 2015 Combine, but each of the other four added offensive linemen over the past 16 months have all logged a standing broad jump that exceeded the 70th percentile for their position group:
- Austin Jackson: 9’07” (97th percentile of OTs)
- Ted Karras: 8’10” (77th percentile of interior OL)
- Michael Deiter: 8’09” (73rd percentile of interior OL)
- Julien Davenport: 8’10” (71st percentile of OTs)
With any luck, the Miami Dolphins won’t need to add more to their young offensive line group in 2021 — that would indicate that the team’s overhaul this offseason was a success. But if we do get more bodies added, we’ll be able to further pinpoint other necessary thresholds for the team at the position. But for now, we have a pretty telling combination on both sides of the line of scrimmage — short area lower body power in the form of strong broad jump numbers and plenty of mass.
That combo should provide the Dolphins with the needed power up front to uproot and dislodge blockers and defenders from gaps on their respective sides of the ball. Flores’ mentality here is clear — dominating the line of scrimmage is a must. This is how he and Chris Grier think the Dolphins can do it best.