Future for Dolphins third-round rookie guard is in question. Deiter, coaches weigh in
Trying to get Miami Dolphins offensive line coach Dave DeGuglielmo to offer praise for rookie guard Michael Deiter has been about as difficult as trying to get your house pet to return the food he stole off your kitchen table.
DeGuglielmo eschewed several opportunities to say anything encouraging — or discouraging, for that matter — about Deiter in the assistant coaches’ final media availability of the season last week.
So in that regard, it wasn’t shocking that Deiter lost his starting left guard job 12 games into his rookie season on Sunday against the Jets, replaced by undrafted rookie Keaton Sutherland. And though Deiter entered the game for nine unremarkable snaps, it raises the question about whether Deiter is even good enough to be considered a 2020 starter.
It would be a disappointment if he’s not, considering Miami invested a third-round pick in him and needs to address multiple other positions on its offensive line.
Asked Monday if the quality of play at left guard improved Sunday in the shift from Deiter to Sutherland, coach Brian Flores declined to answer directly but said Sutherland had “good plays and bad plays” and made some “mistakes.”
Sutherland played 63 of 72 snaps and Pro Football Focus graded him third-worst on Miami’s offense on Sunday, asserting he was responsible for four quarterback pressures. Deiter was graded the worst Miami player on offense; he committed a penalty and allowed a QB hit and pressure.
Sutherland, out of Texas A&M, signed with the Bengals after the draft this past April, played in one game in September, was waived three days later, and signed by Miami the next day. He started one other game for Miami earlier this season, also against the Jets.
Deiter did not appear in the locker-room Monday during the media’s access period, but Flores was satisfied with how Deiter handled the demotion.
“Deiter is a team guy,” Flores said. “Whatever we feel is best for the team, he will jump in and do. I know he was disappointed but at the same time he wanted to see us do well and he was ready to go.”
Just last week, Flores said Deiter has had “a solid rookie year and he’s continuing to get better on a day-to-day basis. He’s had some ups and downs, and he just needs to continue to trust the process, play with consistency and play with the same effort, grit and toughness on a play-to-play basis. I think he’s tried to do that, and we’re going to stay on him to do that.”
Deiter has needed a thick skin all season after being repeatedly subjected to DeGuglielmo’s tough love.
“You’ve got to block it out and know it will only help you,” Deiter told The Miami Herald in an extended conversation on Friday when asked if DeGuglielmo’s in-your-face style has damaged his self-esteem. “The things he’s getting on you about are to make you a better player. You can’t go, ‘Do I suck?’ You need to go, ‘This is what I need to get better at and clean up.’”
Deiter began working with the starters on the fifth day of training camp, replacing since-released Chris Reed, on the day after DeGuglielmo replaced fired Pat Flaherty.
“The biggest thing for me is to become more consistent for them to see I can be a consistent guy,” Deiter said.
Deiter was a dominant run blocker at Wisconsin, one reason Miami drafted him. But Pro Football Focus rates his run-blocking 73rd among 80 qualifying guards this season.
“It’s not as good as it needs to be,” Deiter said. “I would say that about both the running game and pass protection. There’s been good plays and really bad plays. There needs to be way more really good plays and no really bad plays. Eliminate the bone-headed stuff.”
As a pass-blocker, Deiter has allowed six sacks, which is tied for second-most in the league among guards, according to Pro Football Focus. Only Carolina’s Daryl Williams has permitted more sacks (12).
Deiter is tied for the third-most quarterback pressures allowed among guards with 34, behind only Packers and former Dolphins starter Billy Turner and the Chargers’ Dan Feeney, who have each relinquished 36.
Overall, PFF ranks Deiter 74th among 80 guards. Listed at 6-6 and 310 pounds, Deiter said he will make changes to his body this offseason.
“Definitely, get stronger, get more fit,” he said. “Guge wants you to be as strong as possible and as athletic as possible so you can move people. They will probably want me around the weight I am now, but a different body content.”
As for DeGuglielmo, he declined to say last week if Miami has found a longterm starter in Deiter. And Sunday’s demotion suggests that’s certainly in doubt.
“He’s a rookie trying to find his way in this business,” DeGuglielmo said last week. “It’s hard for rookies to do that. He’s had experience blocking some of the toughest guys in the business throughout the year. That’s good for anybody to have that kind of education, and hopefully it will serve him well going forward.”
This story was originally published December 9, 2019 at 5:02 PM.
