The Miami Dolphins took another hit to their offensive line depth Sunday, and this time it came with a roster move that may matter well beyond the preseason.
The team placed veteran guard/tackle Jamaree Salyer on injured reserve as part of a four-move shuffle made two days after the preseason opener. Miami also waived/injured cornerback Ethan Robinson, then filled those openings by signing linebacker Cam Riley and bringing back quarterback Mark Gronowski.
Salyer is the one that stings most for the Dolphins’ regular-season plans. He arrived in the offseason as a free agent and was supposed to give Miami a reliable backup option at guard and tackle in 2026, but instead his summer has been defined by injuries.
He missed the final week and a half of the offseason program after being carted off the field with an injury that head coach Jeff Hafley said at the time didn’t seem serious at the time. Salyer did get on the field at the start of training camp, but he’s been out since the first week with an undisclosed injury.
Now he’s out for the season and will spend 2026 on IR unless he’s released with an injury settlement.
That leaves Miami in a spot that has been a problem all summer. The offensive line depth was already thin, and the preseason opener didn’t do anything to ease the concern.
With Salyer gone, the most established backup up front is tackle Charlie Heck, with third-year center Andrew Meyer next in line. Heck has looked better over the past week after a rough start to camp, while Meyer struggled at center after replacing starter Aaron Brewer.
The Dolphins did make one move last week to help the room, trading for former New England guard/tackle Caedan Wallace. Even so, it would be no surprise if more help arrives before the Sept. 13 season opener against the Las Vegas Raiders.
Riley is the kind of addition Miami seems to keep making: a young player trying to carve out a place in the league. He signed with the New England Patriots as an undrafted free agent in 2025 and has yet to appear in an NFL regular-season game. Late last season, he spent a few weeks on the Tennessee Titans practice squad, then signed a future contract in January before being waived in late April.
At 6-4 and 228 pounds, Riley brings the size of an oversized off-the-ball linebacker. He played college ball at Auburn and Florida State and finished with 12 combined college starts.
He now joins an already crowded linebacker group, becoming the eighth player at the position on the roster. That group includes Jordyn Brooks, Tyrel Dodson, Willie Gay Jr., Ronnie Harrison Jr., Jacob Rodriguez, Kyle Louis, and rookie Trey Moore, who also works as an edge defender.
Gronowski’s return was the other notable wrinkle. Miami waived him nine days ago, and he had a tryout with the Indianapolis Colts just two days ago before landing back with the Dolphins. The quick turnaround suggests something may have happened to one of the other quarterbacks - Malik Willis, Quinn Ewers or Cam Miller - during the Washington game, creating the need for another arm in practice.
Miller, in particular, absorbed a heavy hit on both of his interceptions in the second half of Miami’s 20-7 loss at Washington.
Hafley has mostly kept injury updates close to the vest early in his tenure, usually addressing them only when asked about a specific player rather than volunteering details. The Dolphins’ first practice since the preseason opener is Monday morning, when there should be a clearer picture of any quarterback issues.
Robinson’s move was less surprising on its face, since he played 16 defensive snaps and 10 more on special teams against Washington, making it clear the injury happened in the game.
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