Mike McDaniel is bringing a new offensive philosophy to the LA Chargers and he may not come alone. After hiring former Miami Dolphins offensive line coach Butch Barry, the Chargers could be in the market for players McDaniel previously coached in the NFL.
One such player is now available on the free-agent market. Miami released veteran center Liam Eichenberg, who didn't play a snap for the team in 2025 due to injuries. Eichenberg's tenure with the Dolphins left a lot to be desired, but his connections to McDaniel and Barry could land him a new gig.
Eichenberg is a palatable addition if he serves a backup role to better starting options. But that is the absolute most the Chargers should hope for if they pursue Eichenberg given his history with the Dolphins.
Chargers may take a flier on Liam Eichenberg in free agency (but that has to be it)
Eichenberg made a name for himself for the wrong reasons as a member of the Dolphins. A second-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, Eichenberg never quite lived up to the expectations that Dolphins fans had for him after watching his strong tape at Notre Dame.
It started out poorly and never got much better for Eichenberg. He ranked No. 79 out of 85 guards in Pro Football Focus' pass-blocking grade in his rookie season. Eichenberg posted a pass-blocking grade below 50 in each of the next three years.
Despite this track record, the Dolphins opted to re-sign Eichenberg to a one-year contract last offseason. When explaining the move, Barry called Eichenberg a glue guy who leads younger players and can play multiple positions.
It's clear that Barry holds a strong amount of respect for Eichenberg and that probably extends to McDaniel as well. Because of his perceived value as a glue guy in the offensive line room, the Chargers very well could take a cheap flier on Eichenberg knowing better things are in store.
This is more prominent if the Chargers are planning to draft interior offensive linemen early in the 2026 NFL Draft, which they should. Los Angeles will definitely look for experience on the offensive line, but at some point, the team has to hit a home run on an early draft pick in the interior.
Based on what Barry is saying, Eichenberg could theoretically play a key role in getting those younger players up to speed while also helping the established Chargers players get used to McDaniel's system. He may not be very valuable as a starter, but he has value that extends into the locker room.
The coming weeks will reveal how much say McDaniel has in the team's personnel decisions and whether or not he shares the same sentiment about Eichenberg. Eichenberg will be a fine depth signing as a locker room leader; his role just can't be any bigger than that.
If it is... well then the Chargers are in trouble yet again.