Have Dolphins Found An Answer At Left Guard?

Sometimes we don’t know the full story behind a player’s struggles, and that often prevents us from understanding or sympathizing with their journey.

Liam Eichenberg has had the steepest fall from prominence since training camp started, losing what was viewed as his starting left guard spot, and it appears a rib injury he’s been nursing since Miami’s 19-3 preseason loss to the Atlanta Falcons, which happened a month ago, contributed to his slide down the depth chart.

“It definitely set me back big time,” Eicheberg said, addressing the injury he suffered in a player pileup for the first time Thursday. “There was a point where I couldn’t breathe without it hurting.”

The Dolphins shut down Eichenberg for two weeks, allowing his bruised or broken ribs to heal. During that time, Isaiah Wynn seemingly entrenched himself into the left guard spot, returning to a position he last played on a full-time basis at the University of Georgia before becoming a first-round pick.

“It’s been good. There’s always adjustments, but it’s all coming together. I have a great coach, a great room and it’s making things easier,” Wynn said of his left guard experience. “Everything is faster. We have to rely on speed.”

Wynn, who did get some snaps at guard for New England last season, started the final two preseason games against Houston and Jacksonville, but Eichenberg remained listed as the first-team left guard on the first regular season depth chart. Head coach Mike McDaniel and offensive coordinator Frank Smith both declined this week to say who would start at that position against the Chargers.

Wynn doesn’t look comfortable at his new spot, but with Robert Jones, who started seven games at left guard, sidelined by a knee injury for the first month of the season, he’s the best option if it’s not Eichenberg.

EICHENBERG'S STRUGGLES BEFORE HIS INJURY

However, the rib injury wasn’t the sole reason Eichenberg relinquished the left guard spot where he started 10 games at last season.

Eichenberg struggled in the first three weeks of training camp, before the injury.

During those practices, he routinely was abused by Christian Wilkins and Zach Sieler, and his struggles led to what became a four-player rotation at left guard, a spot where everyone was being tried out as his replacement until Wynn settled in with the first team.

Eichenberg, a 2021 second-round pick who has started 26 games for the Dolphins the past two seasons, admitted his biggest issue has been sticking to the techniques that Dolphins offensive line coach Butch Barry is implementing, and not falling back on the technique he learned at Notre Dame, which happens to be one of college football’s best producers for offensive linemen.

Coach Mike McDaniel has hinted that if Eichenberg can’t shed his old technique and get with the wide-zone program the Dolphins are in their second season of utilizing, he’ll be replaced.

“Obviously there’s a lot to improve on, and stuff I’m still working on,” Eichenberg said. “Being out took away from that time. It wasn’t ideal, but I’m back now and back to working on it, and improving it.”

WYNN WILLING TO PLAY WHEREVER

The left guard competition has been reopened heading into the season opener against the Chargers, but plenty of other factors could determine who starts the game.

Because of Wynn’s NFL experience as a 40-game starter at tackle for the New England Patriots there’s also a chance he’ll need to be prepared to play that spot if Terron Armstead isn’t cleared to play Sunday, and something happened to Kendall Lamm, who has filled in for Armstead since the start of training camp.

“I’m just trying to work to get better,” said Wynn, who signed a one-year deal worth $2.1 million to join the Dolphins the week after the NFL draft had concluded. “Wherever they need me to be is where I’ll be.”