Either the Miami Dolphins are engaging in some gamesmanship with their first depth chart of the regular season, or head coach Mike McDaniel sees things differently than most outside observers.
Liam Eichenberg — and not Isaiah Wynn — has been named as the Dolphins’ starting left guard, providing some late intrigue to a nonbinding Dolphins depth chart that had very few other surprises.
The Complete Week 1 Miami Dolphins Depth Chart
Here’s the entire depth chart, which the team announced as part of its weekly release Tuesday:
Here’s the Miami Dolphins’ full Week 1 depth chart pic.twitter.com/p8afHlPg3Q
— Adam Beasley (@AdamHBeasley)
Most close followers had presumed that Wynn had surpassed Eichenberg in the pecking order due to his solid play, while the latter — a former second-round pick whom the team moved from tackle to guard last year — missed time with injury.
Wynn, a former first-round pick by the Patriots who signed a one-year deal with the Dolphins in May, also has changed positions, likewise moving inside after playing tackle in New England.
Wynn’s career body of work has been superior to Eichenberg’s, which is why many believed McDaniel naming him LG1 was a fait accompli.
But McDaniel’s cryptic answer Monday when asked point-blank whether Wynn was the team’s starting left guard should have sounded some alarm bells:
“He will be getting reps this practice week, and he may or may not be getting reps in the game.”
If Eichenberg is indeed the starting left guard, it makes Lester Cotton the team’s backup center — a position he’s never before played.
However, if Connor Williams gets hurt, the likeliest move is Eichenberg will slide over again to center, and Wynn will take over at left guard.
Other observations from the Dolphins’ Week 1 depth chart:
- The Dolphins list Brandon Jones, who missed the entire preseason as he recovers from a torn ACL, as the starting safety alongside DeShon Elliott, although both will see significant action.
- Braxton Berrios and River Cracraft are the Dolphins’ WR3 and WR4, respectively, beating out Cedrick Wilson and Erik Ezukanma. Berrios is the team’s primary kick and punt returner.
- Salvon Ahmed — not De’Von Achane — is listed as the team’s RB2.
- Eli Apple and Cam Smith are the primary cornerback backups to Kader Kohou and Xavien Howard, respectively. Apple is expected to be the first corner off the bench in nickel looks, playing the boundary as Kohou slides inside.
