Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores met with the media Friday morning, speaking about the team’s preparations for Sunday’s game against the Indianapolis Colts. One piece of news from the press conference surrounded starting center Michael Deiter, who was injured during practice on Wednesday. Listed as having both a foot issue and a quadriceps problem, Flores indicated Deiter will be out for the game this week.
And he said it is likely Deiter will miss at least three games, as he is probably headed to the injured reserve list.
In Deiter’s place, Greg Mancz is expected to start. Mancz was acquired via trade from the Baltimore Raves this past summer, with Baltimore adding a sixth-round draft pick and sending Miami a seventh-round pick in the deal. He entered the league as an undrafted free agent out of Toledo, signing with the Houston Texans in 2015. He played for Houston through the 2020 season, spending most of the time last year on the practice squad but appearing in four games. He signed a reserve/futures contract with the Ravens in January but was expected to be among the roster cuts near the end of training camp. He has 58 career appearances, with 28 starts, playing center and guard.
Miami has struggled along the offensive line this year, with Deiter clearly being the top player in the group. Losing him will hurt, though Mancz’s experience may limit the dropoff. The line did play better last week against the Las Vegas Raiders and will be looking to continue that improvement on Sunday.