‘This is a whole new chapter.’ New Dolphins OT Isaiah Wynn on move from Patriots and more
Off the field, Isaiah Wynn is a fan of traveling, the outdoors and reading.
And after five seasons with the New England Patriots, a tenure filled with on-field success, injuries and a position change, the Dolphins’ newest offensive lineman is hoping his latest stop will have a more storybook ending.
“This is a whole new chapter,” Wynn said Tuesday on a virtual news conference, his first comments since signing a one-year deal worth up to $2.7 million. “That thing just started getting written, so y’all got to stay tuned. It’s a whole new chapter and I’m very excited about it. So stay tuned. Stay tuned to the Win With Wynn book, man, the Win With Wynn story.”
Wynn, 27, is one of two offensive linemen the Dolphins signed on Monday, along with Cedric Ogbuehi. After going most of the offseason without any major additions to the offensive line, Miami on one day added a pair of veterans ahead of the start of organized team activities next week. The two are expected to compete with the likes of Kendall Lamm and Geron Christian for roster spots on a team that desperately needs quality depth after a rash of injuries in 2022.
Wynn said the coaching staff and players in Miami appealed to him and as a St. Petersburg native, the opportunity to return home made his decision to sign with the team a “no-brainer for me, no doubt.”
The mystery surrounding Wynn, though, is where he will line up and whether he has been brought in to compete with either 2020 first-round pick Austin Jackson or 2021 second-round pick Liam Eichenberg.
After a torn Achilles sidelined Wynn, the No. 23 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, for his rookie season, he made 33 starts at left tackle from 2019 to 2021. But in 2022, with the Patriots bringing back Trent Brown and playing him at left tackle, Wynn moved to right tackle and also made a start at left guard. He appeared in nine games and made seven starts until a foot injury in November forced him to spend time on injured reserve. Wynn didn’t play in the final seven games of the season.
Wynn deferred to the coaches when asked where he would play as a Dolphin. General manager Chris Grier said last month that the “expectation” is that Jackson will start at right tackle but an inconsistent first three seasons could leave him open to competition this summer.
“I’m good playing either way, either position,” Wynn said. “I’m just here to help the team achieve one goal and that’s win. That’s the reason I’m here.”
Wynn has dealt with his own share of injuries, which have limited him to just 43 of a possible 66 games since 2019. Asked about the foot injury from this past season, he smiled and responded: “I’m all good now.”
The Dolphins eschewed devoting significant cap space to the offensive line this offseason — though the team will get $13.6 million soon from cornerback Byron Jones’ post-June 1 cut — and have continued to publicly back not only Jackson but Eichenberg, who started the 2022 season at left guard but missed seven games because of injuries.
Even if Jackson and Eichenberg develop like the Dolphins hope, having serviceable backups will be key for a team that started nine different offensive line combinations in 2022, primarily because of injuries.
And with Wynn’s connection to the Dolphins’ divisional rival, Wynn’s latest chapter in Miami could get another intriguing story line if he’s able to face the Patriots this upcoming season.
“It was good,” Wynn said of his time with the Patriots. “They’re the team that drafted me. So, I appreciate everybody in that organization, from the staff to the players. I thank them. So, my time was good there. It’s going to be fun playing them. Especially seeing them twice a year, being on the opposite side. Previously, you play against guys that may have already been there and now I’m on the other side. It’s always a fun camaraderie, so we’ll see how that plays out.”
