Details, news on several injured Miami Dolphins players and where they stand
The Dolphins are privately optimistic that first-team receivers DeVante Parker and Will Fuller will be healthy enough for the start of the regular season, though Fuller would not be available until Week 2 because of a 2020 NFL suspension.
But there’s less certainty regarding several other players.
Receiver Lynn Bowden Jr. sustained a strained hamstring during Thursday’s practice, and that type of injury could sideline a player for a few weeks, depending on how quickly he heals. An MRI revealed no structural damage or tear, according to a source.
Receiver Isaiah Ford, a perpetual bubble player who has had a good camp, is nursing what an associate identified as a leg injury. He hasn’t been on the field this week.
Tight end/H-back Cethan Carter, Miami’s first free agent signing in March, has been sidelined with a sprained knee sustained in the preseason game against Chicago. He’s expected back in a week or two, according to a source.
Safety Brandon Jones is working his way back from an ankle injury, and though he hasn’t had a severe limp, the team is being cautious.
Linebacker Vince Biegel — after tearing his left Achilles tendon last summer — is now nursing a foot injury on his right leg. He ditched his walking boot this week but remains out indefinitely.
Bowden, Carter, Ford, Jones and Biegel could become options to start the regular season on injured reserve if they don’t get back to 100 percent in the next two weeks, though there’s hope at least a couple will.
The NFL last season began permitting teams to place an unlimited number of players on IR after preseason ends and to remove an unlimited number of players after missing a minimum of only three games.
That rule will continue this season, and it could help the Dolphins manage their roster, with difficult decisions looming at several positions before teams must cut to 53 players on Aug. 31.
For example, if Bowden isn’t ready to start the season on time, that could compel the Dolphins to keep Jakeem Grant instead of possibly trading him.
But keep in mind that only players on the 53-player roster after 4 p.m. on Sept. 1 are eligible to be designated for return from IR or the non-football injury list, which is designed to prevent “stashing” players on IR.
So any injured players must start the year on the 53 and then be moved to IR, allowing the Dolphins to re-sign other players to fill empty spots on the 53, but then bring the player on IR back after three weeks.
Previously, a team had only two IR-return designations it could use in a season and a player was required to miss a minimum of eight weeks.
There is some good news on the injury front:
Fuller’s lower-body injury, which has sidelined him for three weeks, is not serious, a source reiterated. He has been seen walking on the field — and riding the exercise bike — without apparent discomfort. The Dolphins expect him to play in Week 2 after serving an NFL suspension in Week 1.
Parker, who has a history of soft tissue issues, should be fine for the opener barring any sort of health setback, according to a team official. The Dolphins have always been careful with Parker.
Though receiver Albert Wilson has missed more than a week of camp, he was walking around the field Thursday, throwing the football in the air and catching it. His issue is not at all serious, according to a source.
The Dolphins have cleared receiver Preston Williams to do individual drills, and soon he will be permitted to do team drills. He said there’s no discomfort at all in his surgically-repaired foot.
Cornerback Nik Needham, who was carted off Thursday before walking into the facility under his own power, is OK. His issue on Thursday was cramping, according to a source.
Cornerback Noah Igbinoghene — who missed practice for part of the week — had been in concussion protocol, according to a source, but is back now. He practiced Thursday against Atlanta.
Tight end Hunter Long resumed practicing with a brace on his left knee and caught several passes. The fact Long is back so quickly after being carted off Aug. 3 is really encouraging.
Linebacker Sam Eguavoen, battling for a roster spot, came off the COVID list on Friday.
So the injury situation - alarming at times throughout camp - appears manageable.
THIS AND THAT
▪ How left guard plays out should be fascinating. Solomon Kindley had a very good practice as a starter Thursday after Liam Eichenberg played left guard for most of the past two weeks, aside from a few days missed (including the Bears game) because of a shoulder injury.
But if Kindley wins the left guard job, Eichenberg likely would not be a starter, because Jesse Davis appears secure at right tackle. Eichenberg was the backup right tackle Thursday and had one key breakdown in pass protection.
▪ No surprise: Jason Sanders has been automatic all camp. He had two 55-yard field goals on Thursday.
▪ It was interesting that the Dolphins inserted undrafted rookie cornerback Trill Williams with mostly starters in a late two-minute drill against the Falcons first team offense on Thursday.
Williams allowed two catches but has had a good camp overall. He’s more likely to be on the practice squad than the 53, but the 53 isn’t out of the question.
Veteran cornerback Cre’Von LeBlanc had an interception and a pass breakup against the Falcons this week and remains in the mix for a spot at the end of the roster. Second-year cornerback Javaris Davis was in the mix, too, but he’s injured now.
This story was originally published August 20, 2021 at 12:01 PM.
