If you're a Miami Dolphins fan and you either forgot that veteran offensive lineman Isaiah Wynn was a free agent or didn't know it, there's a good chance that might've been by design. After all, the former first-round pick by the Patriots didn't exactly cover himself in glory while playing for the Fins over the past two seasons with Miami. And yet, as he remains available this offseason as we push into OTAs, there's a chance Wynn could be back in the Dolphins offensive line mix.
According to Miami insider Omar Kelly, Dolphins general manager Chris Grier wouldn't officially say not to the idea of bringing Wynn back into the fold. At this point in the offseason, it feels like the exact time that any NFL team, Miami included, would turn to a familiar veteran face and orchestrate a reunion on a cheap contract.
Though Wynn was drafted as a tackle, he's primarily played guard for the past few years, especially with Miami. However, he's not been all that impressive there. He graded out as just the 108th-best qualified player at the position in 2023 and fell further the 114th this past season.
Wynn coming back to the Dolphins, on the surface, probably doesn't excite fans given his underperformance. However, this time around, it might actually be a positive for Miami as the math around the offensive line has changed.
Isaiah Wynn returning to Dolphins would actually be a good sign
For the past few frustrating years under Mike McDaniel, it's felt as if Grier has been trying to thread the needle when it comes to the offensive line. If everything broke right, the protection unit for Tua Tagovailoa could perform at a high level. Once an injury took place, though, all bets were off at that point. That's not exactly the best mode of survival in the NFL.
Even with the retirement of Terron Armstead, though, the Dolphins line appears to have something it's been lacking in those previous situations: Depth. Liam Eichenberg was a headache for fans for many years. However, if he's a backup with Jackson Carman and perhaps Wynn at guard behind free-agent addition James Daniels and rookie second-rounder Jonah Savaiinaea, that's actually a positive. The same is true for Wynn.
Beyond that, Wynn's background as a tackle provides more versatile depth after the Dolphins also added former Bear Larry Borom behind Austin Jackson and Patrick Paul. If he performed well in camp, that could be to Wynn's benefit in terms of his chances of making the 53-man roster.
All that is to say, the Dolphins offensive line is in a much better situation. While fans may have wanted to forget Wynn's minimal contributions, his return would actually signify Grier and the front office taking the necessary steps on the O-line that they've been skipping far too often over the past few seasons.