Naturally, that came after Terron Armstead, a tackle, and guard Robert Hunt left the previous game against the Washington Commanders due to injuries to Hunt’s hamstring, and after Armstead was booted by a player who was falling during a Raheem Mostert touchdown run.
If it weren’t so depressing, it almost seems humorous.
However, how peculiar is the Dolphins’ string of injuries to their offensive line, and what more could the team have done to prepare for every scenario rather than risk having to start a free agent at center who only recently joined the team (Jonathon Harrison or Matt Skura)?
IS THE O-LINE DOLPHINS INJURY LUCK WORSE THAN USUAL?
It is believed that Harrison or Skura will start against the Jets, giving the Dolphins their tenth different starting lineup in addition to their tenth different offensive lineman.
The 10 different starters will tie the highest total from the previous eight seasons, but it’s also not out of line with the previous three seasons, when Miami had nine different starting offensive linemen each time. We have been tracking the Dolphins starting offensive line since 2016 — an arbitrary starting point, to be sure.
With the exception of 2019, when there was a lot of roster upheaval everywhere, the Dolphins have also started less players than they have at any other point in that time. With Armstead, Isaiah Wynn, Williams, Hunt, and Austin Jackson as their starting five, the Dolphins have made 43 starts out of a possible 65, or 66.2 percent.
This is less than the 69.4% from the previous year. With the exception of the “Unicorn” starting five of 2016, which came in just short at 78.9 percent, the starting offensive lines for 2018, 2020, and 2021 were all at 80 percent or higher.
When it comes to offensive line injuries, the Dolphins have been impacted harder than others, but there are other instances throughout the league.
For instance, the Jets have placed Connor McGovern and Alijah Vera-Tucker, who started on opening day, on injured reserve. Veteran tackle Duane Brown has also missed the majority of the season due to a hip ailment.
This week, the Cleveland Browns placed starting tackles Jedrick Wills Jr. and Dawand Jones on injured reserve (IR), joining Jack Conklin, who started the season.
WERE THE DOLPHINS SUFFICIENT?
The Dolphins appear to have an annual problem with the offensive line. They did make some changes in the offseason to assemble a strong group, but their center predicament has left them vulnerable to reasonable criticism.
The Dolphins should be commended for acquiring experience after signing Skura and Harrison in response to this week’s injuries to Williams and Eichenberg. However, they also cut rookie center Alama Uluave from the practice squad. It’s reasonable to wonder why a player is on the practice squad if the team doesn’t have enough faith in him to play in an emergency, which the Dolphins are obviously experiencing.
Could or should the Dolphins have added Harrison and/or Skura to the practice squad prior to this week so they would have had a ready option instead of depending on someone who, while experienced, knows very little about the Dolphins’ organizational structure.
Ultimately speaking, though, the Dolphins assembled a respectable team for 2023; they have just been overtaken by the number of injuries.
Overly pink? Consider this: Kendall Lamm, a veteran with 87 games and 29 starts under his belt, was the Dolphins’ best backup at tackle at the outset of the season. Liam Eichenberg, a recent second-round selection with starting experience, was one of the reserve interior lineman.
Except for their one appearance in a regular season game in 2023—the home opener against the Denver Broncos in Week 3—and the outcome of that encounter, the starting five was largely stable throughout the season.
When the Dolphins signed Dan Feeney as an unrestricted free agent in the offseason, they attempted to get an experienced backup center. However, the move proved unsuccessful, and they ultimately traded Feeney to the Chicago Bears for a late-round draft pick. Therefore, the move was a disaster, and it is obvious that the front office should take responsibility for failing to find someone better—someone who could have persuaded the coaches to maintain rigorous control over Eichenberg.
However, the Dolphins did assemble a respectable offensive line overall. However, the Dolphins eventually required a bit of injury luck as well. And that hasn’t existed at all.
Through the years 2023–20, nine offensive linemen will be hired by the Dolphins.
Terron Armstead 6, *Lester Cotton 5, Robert Jones 1, Austin Jackson 13, Connor Williams 9, Robert Hunt 9, *Liam Eichenberg 8, Kendall Lamm 7, Isaiah Wynn 7, Terron Armstead 6,
2022 — Nine
* Greg Little 7, Austin Jackson 2, Kendall Lamm 1, Connor Williams 17, Robert Hunt 17, Terron Armstead 13, Brandon Shell 11, Liam Eichenberg 10, Robert Jones 7,*
2021 — Nine
Solomon Kindley 2, Robert Jones 1, Michael Deiter 8, Austin Reiter 5, Greg Mancz 4, Robert Hunt 17, *Austin Jackson 16,* Jesse Davis 16, *Liam Eichenberg 16.
2020 — Six
Ted Karras, 16, Austin Jackson, 12, Solomon Kindley, 12, Robert Hunt, 11, Jesse Davis, 15, Ereck Flowers, 14.
2019 — 10
Daniel Kilgore 13, Julien Davenport 8, J’Marcus Webb 8, Evan Boehm 8, Shaq Calhoun 7, Danny Isidora 3, Keaton Sutherland 2, Isaiah Prince 1; Michael Deiter 15, Jesse Davis 15, Daniel Kilgore 13, *
2018 — Ten
*Jake Brendel 2, Zach Sterup 1, Josh Sitton 1, Sam Young 1, Ted Larsen 14, Travis Swanson 11, Daniel Kilgore 4, Jesse Davis 16, Ja’Wuan James 15, Laremy Tunsil 15, and Travis Swanson 11.
2017 — Nine
*Jesse Davis 10, Ted Larsen 8, Ja’Wuan James 8, Anthony Steen 6, Sam Young 6, Zach Sterup 1; Mike Pouncey 16, Laremy Tunsil 15, Jermon Bushrod 10, *Jesse Davis 10,
2016 — Ten
Billy Turner 2, Sam Young 1, Dallas Thomas 1, Jermon Bushrod 16, Ja’Wuan James 16, *Laremy Tunsil 14, Branden Albert 12, Anthony Steen 7, *Kraig Urbik 6, Mike Pouncey 5, *Billy Turner 2, *
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