Omar Kelly: Dolphins O-line begins leaking, can Wynn patch it up?

MIAMI — Chris Grier was on the verge of getting the last laugh about the Miami Dolphins’ offensive line.

The Dolphins’ general manager was almost able to gloat about how well the offensive line he assembled — and vehemently defended to the point of mocking the media about its concern regarding the unit — had been performing in the first half of the season.

The 2024 offensive line, Butch Barry’s boys, had been Miami’s most reliable, most consistent unit in the season’s first eight games. And then injuries hit, like usual.

There’s a common theme of when most Dolphins seasons annually begin to unravel, if not fall apart the past two decades, and it’s when the weakest link on the chain starts to become compromised.

By chain I’m referring to the offensive line, which is the one unit in football that has to work in sync, perform as a cohesive unit to be effective on a weekly basis.

That unit almost annually becomes strained when the starters get hurt, and fill-ins, backups enter the equation.

And the more backups, the more leakage the offense typically experiences when it comes to pressure the quarterbacks are placed under.

“We have to keep the progressions of what we’ve been doing,” left tackle Terron Armstead said after 23-15 win against the Los Angeles Rams, a game where Miami allowed three sacks, and paved the way for a season-low 67 rushing yards on 22 carries.. “We struggled in the run game and have to dissect that and make the corrections so we can run the ball better against the Raiders.”

The Rams game was the Dolphins offensive line’s worst performance of the season because it wasn’t at full strength, so it’s not ideal that the Dolphins searching for two replacement starters.

Starting right tackle Austin Jackson sustained a knee injury last week that concluded his season when it was determined surgery was required.

Kendall Lamm took over the starting right tackle spot against the Rams, and will likely hold that role for the remainder of the season.

“I was happy with the way Kendall played. That’s his job,” coach Mike McDaniel said. “Kendall played winning football, which he’s done against all sorts of opponents.”

The latest injury is to Robert Jones, who re-aggravated a knee injury in Monday night’s win that Miami hopes won’t be season ending.

Lester Cotton replaced Jones against the Rams and struggled, allowing one sack and a couple of pressures, as did Jones.

Miami needs to find a way to patch the interior leaks because it could potentially stifle the offense moving forward, especially against Sunday’s opponent because the Las Vegas Raiders have one of the NFL’s best pass rushers.

“Maxx Crosby is probably as disruptive a player as there is in the National Football League,” McDaniel said. “From an offensive standpoint it’s not one person’s job because he’s going to move around ... You need all the cylinders [firing] to execute against him.”

That’s why it’s a good thing reinforcements might be coming.

Isaiah Wynn, last year’s starting left guard, opened up his practice window Wednesday after beginning the season on the physically unable to perform list.

Miami re-signed the seven-year veteran this offseason hoping that the seven-game starter would return from the quadriceps strain that prematurely ended his 2023 season, but he suffered a setback in the summer that delayed his training.

Wynn had been ramping up his rehab work the past three weeks, and Miami finally opened his 21-day window to be activated to the 53-man roster on Wednesday.

Miami desperately needs Wynn’s presence and experience because of how much the interior linemen struggled against the Rams, and the fact there isn’t another experienced option available to serve as a backup unless Chasen Hines is elevated from the practice squad.

“He’s been on his road to recovery for an extended period of time, but hasn’t lost his place amongst the team in terms of his leadership. Everybody knows how hard he’s been working because you see better than you hear,” McDaniel said of Wynn, who has started 47 NFL games. “I’m really happy that he’s been able to work through the stuff. It’s a great example of who he is as a person to diligently work for however long it’s been. I’m excited to see him back out there.”

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