Dolphins elevate two players for Sunday’s game. And Cracraft on the road back
The Dolphins, who find themselves in a precarious position on their offensive line, elevated veteran NFL tackle Jackson Carman from their practice squad on Saturday but opted not to activate guard Isaiah Wynn just yet.
Carman (who has six NFL starts and 23 appearances, mostly for Cincinnati) and long-snapper Tucker Addington were the two Dolphins elevated from the practice squad to play in Sunday’s game against the visiting Raiders (1 p.m., CBS-4).
The Dolphins are dealing with injuries at multiple spots on their offensive line. Right tackle Austin Jackson is out for the season after knee surgery; Kendall Lamm is replacing him.
Left tackle Terron Armstead did not practice this past week because of a knee injury and is questionable for Sunday’s game. Rookie Patrick Paul likely would start if Armstead cannot play.
Guard Rob Jones (knee) is questionable for Sunday, but Mike McDaniel said he’s optimistic that Jones will play.
Wynn, who played well as the Dolphins’ starting left guard for the first seven games last season, on Thursday began practicing for the first time this season after dealing with quad and knee injuries for months. But Miami decided to delay activating him from the physically unable to perform list.
The Dolphins also opted not to yet activate rookie safety Patrick McMorris (who’s on injured reserve but has already been designated to return) and long snapper Blake Ferguson, who’s eligible to return from IR after being sidelined four games for personal reasons.
Ferguson has been back with the team for two weeks, but the Dolphins decided to stick with Addington as their long snapper for at least another week.
CRACRAFT RETURNS
After being sidelined since late in preseason, receiver River Cracraft made an impact in his first three minutes back on the field on Monday, delivering a key block on Malik Washington’s 18-yard touchdown run on the Dolphins’ first possession in the 23-15 win at the Rams.
Cracraft played only four snaps on offense in his season debut on Monday but was heartened to be back on the field after a preseason shoulder injury that required surgery.
“It was something we kind of knew off the bat it would take surgery unfortunately,” Cracraft said. “It was a tough pill to swallow. It took longer than I expected, but that’s the way any injury goes. You get hurt, you are always trying to beat timelines. Sometimes it does, sometimes it doesn’t.”
With a strong preseason performance, Cracraft removed any doubts about whether he would be on the team for a third consecutive year.
“The biggest reason I’ve had eight years in the NFL is I’m a guy people can trust, rely on,” Cracraft said. “Knowing your role is very important. If your role is three snaps and run block, you better execute. It felt awesome to get back out there.”
Cracraft, who said fans sometimes mistake him for injured Dolphins receiver Braxton Berrios, has 18 catches in his Dolphins career and 16 of those 18 have gone for first downs. Three have been touchdowns.
“There are a lot of aspects Riv brings to our team,” receivers coach Wes Welker said. “The way he blocks. When the opportunities come in the pass game, he makes the most of them.”
He delivered the final key block on the Washington TD run and said he was “excited for Malik to get his first touchdown. He’s a similar guy. He’s smart, he’s sharp, he’s a guy the Dolphins can count on for a long time. The fan base should be very excited about him and his future.”
