The Miami Dolphins got a mostly clean bill of health as training camp opened, and that matters because the injury questions hanging over the spring finally started to get some answers.
New head coach Jeff Hafley said before answering questions from reporters on veterans reporting day that every player passed the conditioning test. That means the Dolphins should have everyone available for their first training camp practice Wednesday except the three players already placed on NFI or PUP last week: rookie wide receiver Chris Bell, and veteran cornerbacks Storm Duck and Darrell Baker Jr.
Bell’s situation came with the most encouraging update. He landed on the Non-Football Injury list while working back from the torn ACL he suffered last November at Louisville, and he spent the offseason program rehabbing away from team drills. Hafley didn’t give a timetable, but he made it clear the rookie is moving in the right direction.
"I think he's in a really good place right now, and we'll see," Hafley said. "But I don't think it's like way off in the distance.
I am excited where he's at. I can get a smirk on my face and have some optimism there.
He's worked really hard. Our training staff have done a great job with him.
I think he's had a great summer, and he's in a good spot. You're gonna see him run around out there.
Did the conditioning test today with the team, so we'll see where it goes. As much as there's optimism and I get excited about where he's at, I think we also have to be careful, so we'll continue to work throughit."
Bell’s knee injury was a major reason the Dolphins were able to get him with their third of three third-round picks, so his recovery has been one of the more closely watched storylines heading into camp.
Duck and Baker, though, are in a different spot. Duck is still coming back from the torn ACL he suffered in the Week 8 win over the Atlanta Falcons last season, while Baker is dealing with an undisclosed issue. Hafley’s read on both suggested they’re further away than Bell.
"They'll be further off down the road at some point this season. I see them coming back."
That sounds like both cornerbacks could begin the regular season on Reserve/PUP, with the team sorting out the rest once they’re healthy enough to return. Even then, nothing is guaranteed for either player. The Dolphins have a crowded cornerback room, and there are plenty of bodies competing for spots.
Right now, Chris Johnson, JuJu Brents and Jason Marshall Jr. look like the safest bets, with Ethan Bonner, newcomers Marco Wilson and Alex Austin, A.J. Green III and Ethan Robinson in the mix behind them.
The positive injury news didn’t stop there. Hafley also said key players De'Von Achane and Austin Jackson are cleared, along with newcomers Jamaree Salyer and Robert Beal Jr., all of whom missed some or all of the spring practices that were open to the media.
Achane had offseason shoulder surgery and didn’t practice in the spring, while Jackson was working through the effects of the foot injury that cost him 11 games last season. Jackson’s return is especially important for an offensive line that features four former first- or second-round picks around second-team All-Pro selection Aaron Brewer.
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Willis also put in work with his wideouts away from the team this offseason, a sign the Dolphins are trying to speed up the chemistry process before the games start counting. He had some uneven moments early in the offseason program before settling in later, and with Miamis season outlook already carrying plenty of skepticism, how quickly Willis turns that improvement into steady play may end up mattering as much as anything else on the roster. [Read more 🡒]
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Colts Just Landed On One Brutal List After Daniel Jones Bet
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It is the kind of market that can make a splash look smart in March and reckless by November. Jones is coming off a serious injury, Willis has only a handful of starts behind him, and the Steelers even added Aaron Rodgers on a short-term deal built around one last run. For teams like the Dolphins, the lesson is obvious enough: when the quarterback market gets this thin, the price of chasing a fix can be steep, and the real verdict usually takes a while to arrive. [Read more 🡒]