Dolphins sign edge rusher. Flores addresses Xavien Howard, COVID, new addition, more
The Dolphins, who have lost two edge rushers to injuries in the past week, re-signed former Miami Hurricanes defensive end/linebacker Trent Harris on Monday, according to a source.
Harris had 22 tackles, 1.5 sacks and one forced fumble in 11 games, including three starts, and played very well over the final two weeks of last season.
The Dolphins lost Vince Biegel to a season-ending Achilles injury on Friday. Rookie defensive end Curtis Weaver is out for the year with a toe/foot injury.
FLORES REPORT
Miami Dolphins coach Brian Flores addressed several matters before the team’s sixth practice in pads on Monday:
▪ On cornerback Xavien Howard, who remains on the COVID-19 and PUP lists but is out of quarantine and working out at the team facility:
“We just got him back into the building. He’s just working his way back. It’s early. From a conditioning standpoint, getting your legs back, it’s very early. We are going to try to progress this one day at a time. If we feel like he’s ready, we’ll make a transaction [off PUP list]. Hopefully get him back as soon as possible.”
Howard had knee surgery in December, and it remains undetermined if he will be ready for the regular season opener Sept. 10 at New England.
▪ A day after testing irregularities produced 77 false COVID positives on other NFL teams (the lab blamed isolated contaminations), Flores said: “You may lose a player for a day but for the safety of the entire team, that’s a small sacrifice to make sure everyone is safe and healthy. The league has done a good job. It can be frustrating from a day-to-day basis when a guy is out. It could be an unconfirmed positive. We’re preceding with caution, as we should. We know how quick this can spread.
“I’m really concerned with our team, the decisions we’re making inside, outside the building. If we take appropriate distancing measures, wear a mask, make responsible choices, that’s the best we can do.”
▪ Will receiver Preston Williams be used as a punt returner, even though he injured his ACL that way last November? (He was used on punts at least one day last week.)
“Anyone who can return punts, we’re going to work him back there,” Flores said. “Preston, with the injury a year ago, we’re trying to be — I don’t want to say cautious, that’s probably the wrong word — but we want to put the amount of reps we’re putting on him. He wants to return every punt. He wants to be out there for every snap.”
Williams has looked very good as a receiver through the first week of practice.
▪ On linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel, who’s getting a more prominent role after the season-ending injury to Vince Biegel: “I’m happy where he is. Andrew is a tough kid, got length, got some speed.
“I thought he did a solid job in the kicking game a year ago over the last six games of the season. He’s a smart kid, and he’s getting better. He’ll get some opportunities definitely throughout training camp and we’ll see what happens when we get to the regular season.”
▪ The Dolphins had a walk through at Hard Rock Stadium on Sunday.
For some of the players, “they’ve never been there, have never seen our locker-room, how we walk out to the tunnel. Where’s the game clock? Where’s the 40-second clock?
“Check the head sets, do a dry-run, I thought we got a lot out of it. Good to get on the stadium and get a feel for where we’re going to play the games that we’re preparing for. Good to get there even in a walk-through setting.”
▪ On new safety Nate Holley, who picked the Dolphins instead of going ahead with options to work out elsewhere: “Nate obviously had a good year in the CFL a year ago. He’s fast, he’s tough. Right now, we’re going to get him out there in more of a safety role — safety-slash-special teams. He’s played some linebacker. I don’t consider myself a recruiter; I’m not a really good recruiter. That wasn’t my role in this. Came in, did a good job in the workout.”
▪ Flores said Ryan Fitzpatrick does something every day that makes Flores forget that Fitzpatrick is 37. “I’m 39,” Flores said.
But Flores was reluctant to answer when asked how different his team looked when Fitzpatrick returned Saturday after missing one day to a personal reason. (Spoiler alert: They looked much better offensively with Fitzpatrick.)
“If [a team] falls apart [after one player is sidelined] , it’s going to be a long season,” Flores said.
This story was originally published August 24, 2020 at 9:16 AM.
