McDaniel addresses Williams, Hunt, other Dolphins injuries. And Eichenberg on what changed
Dolphins center Connor Williams won’t be able to practice this week after experiencing more groin pain and his status is very much in doubt for Sunday’s home game against Carolina (1 p.m., CBS).
“We expected [the groin] to be hurting him and it has,” coach Mike McDaniel said Friday. “We knew there would be residual effects” with his groin after he missed the Buffalo game on Oct. 1 but played against the Giants on Oct. 8.
“He won’t practice [Friday],” McDaniel said. “We need to find out more information. We will assess that and make the call on his game day status.”
But McDaniel cautioned that Williams didn’t tear his groin or “do something more significant” to worsen his groin. “It’s maintenance of something” as opposed to the injury getting worse. “We want to do best and not have it linger all season.”
McDaniel said he would be comfortable playing Williams without practicing all week, something that might not have been the case last season.
The good news for Miami: Right guard Robert Hunt, who was limited in Thursday’s practice with a knee injury, is fine and expected to play Sunday, McDaniel said.
Also, running back Jeff Wilson Jr. is healthy enough to come off injured reserve and play Sunday if the Dolphins choose to activate him, McDaniel said. If Wilson plays, 25 snaps would be realistic for him on Sunday, McDaniel indicated.
“There’s one available roster spot and a lot of things going on with the entire roster so we’re going to let Friday play out,” McDaniel said. “If we went that direction [Wilson], he would be ready to go.”
As for linebacker Jaelan Phillips, he’s a question for Sunday after missing two weeks with an oblique injury. He said this week that he’s feeling better, but McDaniel was non-committal about whether he would play.
“Jaelan is the most dangerous player to himself; we have a lot of them,” McDaniel said. “He’s not used to being injured. He wanted to play this [past] week.”
Cornerback Nik Needham and guard Robert Jones “have looked outstanding since their window opened” but McDaniel said it hasn’t been determined when they will be moved to the 53-man roster. The Dolphins have 10 days to make that decision with both.
The Dolphins have as many as seven players who could come off injured reserve and play this season. A team can bring back only eight players off injured reserve all season.
That conundrum “is definitely on our radar,” McDaniel said. “That’s a huge part of the decision making process that we’re very aware of. That’s on the front end of those discussions.”
Terron Armstead, Jalen Ramsey, De’Von Achane, Wilson and Jones will be five of the eight who have been or will be designated to return. River Cracraft and Eriz Ezukanma could grow that list to seven. Needham doesn’t count toward the eight because he’s on PUP.
Players designated to return off IR must miss four games.
EICHENBERG’S VIEWS
Liam Eichenberg would start if Williams cannot play. Eichenberg said he feels more comfortable at center than he did two weeks ago, when he allowed two sacks against Buffalo in his first NFL start at the position.
Eichenberg said he studied his snaps from the Bills game on his own and noticed some nuances that will help. He also has been studying tape of veteran Lions center Frank Ragnow because of their similar body type.
“It starts with my stance,” Eichenberg said. “Starting to feel more comfortable in my stance. Stepping, trying to come off the ball faster. When I first started, I was false stepping all the time, popping up, not getting in a good stance. My stance has improved. It’s still a new position for me, so I’m trying to learn as fast as I can.”
Eichenberg said he’s preparing as if he will play.
“Every week with Connor having issues with previous weeks, I’m always preparing, putting myself in position where if he’s not out there, if he goes down, I’m able to run the offense and point everything correctly,” he said.
What don’t people realize about playing center?
“You’ve got to deal with all your guys on the o-line,” Eichenberg said. “Center is calling everything, running the whole show for five guys. That’s the biggest thing people don’t realize, that the center kind of runs the show.”
▪ McDaniel said receiver Chase Claypool, acquired from Chicago last Friday, has done an “impressive job” in practice. “He’s hungry and ready to contribute. There are a lot of things in play in terms of the specific defense and what we actually need in this particular game. It’s evaluating that and what he offers to the team.”
▪ At one point, not so long ago, simply making the playoffs would have been enough to please the Dolphins and fans. The goals now are bigger than that, with Miami sitting atop the AFC East at 4-1.
“I think it’s very important” to win the division, linebacker Bradley Chubb said. “Taking care of the division, that’s a step closer to how you achieve the ultimate goal. People are not happy with making the playoffs anymore. We’ve got a different mindset.”
This story was originally published October 13, 2023 at 12:25 PM.
