The mission for two Dolphins offensive linemen. And the result of Gailey’s prediction
A six-pack of Miami Dolphins notes on a Tuesday:
▪ If there were odds established on such a thing, then the most likely scenario would include Jesse Davis and Robert Hunt starting on the right side of the Dolphins’ offensive line this season — one at tackle and one at guard.
So what happens to the other young guards on the roster?
Glad you asked.
The Dolphins aren’t ready to give up on Michael Deiter, who started 15 games last season, and have hopes that fourth-round pick Solomon Kindley can develop into a future starter.
But both need to work on their bodies this offseason, and that’s not easy for the Dolphins to monitor when players aren’t allowed in the facility.
For Deiter, the issue is getting physically stronger.
For Kindley, it’s getting into better shape.
Deiter — selected in the third round (78th overall) in the 2019 NFL Draft — is a conscientious young man, and I trust he has worked toward that, even within the societal constraints of coronavirus and the lack of access to team facilities.
One source who has spoken to the Dolphins said the team believes he still has the potential to be a starting guard again one day — perhaps even this season if Hunt isn’t ready — but that he needs to bulk up.
Late last season, Deiter said he must get “get stronger, get more fit. They will probably want me around the weight I am now, but a different body content.”
The Dolphins list Deiter at 310 pounds.
Deiter was a dominant run blocker at Wisconsin, but in the area of run blocking, Pro Football Focus rated him 110th among 119 guards who did any run blocking last season.
Overall, PFF rated him 80th among 83 qualifying guards. He allowed six sacks (third most among guards) and 44 pressures (second most behind only Packers and former Dolphins guard Billy Turner).
Deiter was benched for one game in December but started the 15 others at left guard.
▪ As for Kindley, we hear the Dolphins project him as a backup guard initially, particularly behind Ereck Flowers at left guard. One longtime scout said Kindley was out of shape at Georgia and that must change.
The Dolphins list Kindley at 6-4 and 339 pounds, making him the heaviest of 16 Dolphins offensive linemen.
Kindley began his career at right guard but started at left guard the past two seasons. He allowed four sacks and 14 hurries on 901 pass-blocking snaps in college, per Pro Football Focus.
Georgia coach Kirby Smart gave Kindley a nice video farewell:
“You get to road grade somebody other than all our players,” Smart said. “You and Andrew [Thomas] coming off on that double-team have been a nightmare not only for people in the SEC, but I know all the linemen at UGA are tired of meeting up with you two guys.”
We hear Thomas was the No. 1-rated tackle on Miami’s board, and the Dolphins explored acquiring another top-five pick to draft both Thomas and Tua Tagovailoa. Thomas went fourth to the Giants.
▪ Kindley was one of Jacksonville’s largest lifeguards as a teenager.
Smart said Kindley helped rescue Georgia running back Brian Herrien after a frightening incident in a lake.
“I still remember the first time going to my lake,” Smart said. “When you told me you were a lifeguard, I actually laughed, I didn’t believe you. But when I saw you dive in and go swimming after Brian when Brian Herrien thought he was drowning, I thought it was one of the most of remarkable things I’d ever seen, to see a 335-pound man do the breast stroke out to Brian to save him.
“You are a special guy, always have a great attitude, a great outlook on life,” Smart added in that video tribute. “Can’t wait to get you back here to share your experiences with our players. Just a joy to be around. You gave so much more than just your body and your soul.”
▪ It’s rare to see the Dolphins not sign a cornerback after the draft. We’re told they tried to sign Javaris Davis — Auburn’s other cornerback opposite Dolphins draft pick Noah Igbinoghene — but Davis opted for a deal with Kansas City…. Among Miami’s undrafted rookies, one scout said Mississippi defensive lineman Benito Jones is among those with a chance to stick, though that scout said he was on the ground too much as a senior. Jones likes to raise cattle in his spare time.
▪ Though the Dolphins spent a lot of time with the NFL Draft’s top kicker — Georgia’s Rodrigo Blankenship — they ultimately decided to stick with Jason Sanders, unopposed, as their kicker and made no postdraft offer to Blankenship, who signed with the Colts.
▪ Count former Redskins and Texans general manager Charley Casserly among those who believes Brian Flores made the right move bringing 68-year-old Chan Gailey out of retirement to be the Dolphins’ offensive coordinator.
“Ten years ago, Chan Gailey told me that ‘the NFL will change. They will run college offenses because they don’t have the time to develop those quarterbacks into pro offenses,’” Casserley said on NFL Network last week.
“Guess what? Chan Gailey was ahead of his time. He runs a spread offense. He will take some of that Alabama stuff, put it in. He’s already running it. There won’t be a great learning curve for Tua Tagovailoa with Chan Gailey running that offense.”...
With seventh-rounder Malcolm Perry agreeing to terms on Tuesday, only three Dolphins draft picks remain unsigned: first-rounders Austin Jackson and Noah Igbinoghene and second-rounder Robert Hunt.
This story was originally published June 2, 2020 at 2:55 PM.
