Another Move on Offensive Line
The Miami Dolphins continue to look for solution for their struggling offensive line, and it looks like the latest move will involve poaching the New Orleans Saints practice squad.
Veteran center Austin Reiter, who started 28 games for the Kansas City Chiefs the past two seasons, will be joining the Dolphins from the Saints practice squad, according to NFL reporter Aaron Wilson.
Reiter was elevated from the Saints practice squad for their games against Carolina and New England in Weeks 2 and 3 but he did not play in either game despite being active.
He signed with the Saints practice squad in September after no team picked him up in free agency this offseason.
After starting 12 games in 2020, Reiter was part of the Kansas City purge of its offensive line in the aftermath of the blowout loss against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Super Bowl LV.
Reiter was part of an offensive line that allowed the Bucs to sack Patrick Mahomes three times but more importantly harass him all night on their way to a 31-9 victory.
Not one of the starting offensive linemen for the Chiefs in Super Bowl LV started in their 2021 opener.
Word from Joshua Brisco, publisher of SI Fan Nation sister site Arrowhead Report, is that Reiter is a middle-of-the-pack center who relies a lot more on finesse than power.
His work in pass protection earned high grades from Pro Football Focus, which ranked him third among all centers over the past three seasons.
Reiter has the ability to play guard, but don't be surprised to see him challenging Greg Mancz for the starting center job.
Michael Deiter was placed on injured reserve Saturday and there's been no word on exactly how long he'll be out, though this transaction would suggest his return might come later rather than sooner.
Reiter becomes the third veteran to join the Dolphins since August, following tackle Greg Little and Mancz, who arrived in trades with Carolina and Baltimore, respectively.
The offensive line has been a sore spot for the Dolphins all season, and there have been four different starting combinations in the first four games.
And after another sub-par performance against the Colts on Sunday, it's impossible to say for certain that more changes aren't on the way.
“I think we are evaluating everything," head coach Brian Flores said Monday. "We are evaluating what we are seeing on the offensive line, the defensive line and really across the board. We are going to take a hard look at really everything we are doing, to include the offensive line. We’ve had to make changes due to injury or performance this year and we will continue to evaluate it and if we feel like we need to make a change, we will.”
