One thing we know for sure about the Miami Dolphins is that they didn’t like anything they saw from their offensive line in 2019. Why else would the team come out and write three offensive liners and sign two more for formulate a new one? offensive line for the year 2020? With the offensive line purge, the Dolphins pushed their 2019 starters either off the roster or to the bench (Jesse Davis is the only exception), including a 2019 third-round rookie to Michael Deiter.
Deiter, a University of Wisconsin product, offered an impressive level of versatility throughout his college career; logging at least 10 starts in the center, guard i address. But Deiter was a left guard for the Dolphins in 2019 and with a horrible game around him on the left without Laremy Tunsil and in the center with Daniel Kilgore, the rookie didn’t have many reps to show off positively.
And so, Deiter returned to the bench this season. But we could see Deiter pressed into action in Week 15 against the New England Patriots, and his game looked good enough, as guardian of novelty Solomon Kindley, after an injury that took Kindley out of the game. This, of course, comes after an injury to veteran OG Ereck Flowers, who pulled Kindley from the right side of the line to play left-back first.
But during the first two days of training this week and with the Dolphins facing a short week, Solomon Kindley has yet to practice; which means Deiter can be called into action to start Saturday night against the Las Vegas Raiders if Flowers can’t reclaim his place on the left guard.
And if Flowers and Kindley can’t go and Miami has to turn to Deiter, look for him to play well. This has been the business card of this football team throughout the season in all positions. Not everyone plays the game exactly the same way, but there is a level of preparation that every player brings to game day this season for the Dolphins. And with improvements for players like Nik Needham, Zach Seiler and others, there should be a strong sense of optimism for Deiter to join the club of “developed young players” with whom this Dolphins regime has been successful. .
That’s not to say it’s a long-term headline. But his versatility for playing anywhere in the interior should give Miami hope that his investment in the third round starting in 2019 is anything but a sunken cost.