Injury is a concern during Training Camp
By Jack Scharr
It is the second week of Training Camp and the Miami Dolphins have a problem with injuries. Adam Gase and Vance Joseph are trying to put the best roster together but are being slowed by injuries on both sides of the ball.
The Miami Dolphins are facing a major issue so far in Training Camp dealing with injuries. Training Camp is an opportunity to get a good look at players and see how competition plays out, but that has been difficult with so many players dealing with injury. Multiple positions on both sides of the ball have been affected by the injury bug. If this continues, we will see a weak camp and a thin team take the field in September.
According to Chris Perkins of the Sun Sentinel
"Dolphins running back Kenyan Drake and cornerback Chimdi Chekwa both sustained injuries during Friday’s practice and neither returned"
Other Injured players that were held out of practice were cornerback Xavien Howard (knee), wide receiver DeVante Parker (hamstring), defensive end Farrington Huguenin (ankle), and running back Isaiah Pead (hamstring). Not to mention the veterans that sat out of practice for rest as well as health.
More from Dolphins News
- 4 offensive tackles Miami Dolphins could draft at 51
- Miami Dolphins don’t need CB help but these 5 could be available at 51
- 4 players that could replace Wilkins if Miami Dolphins don’t re-sign him
- Miami Dolphins have a starting point with Wilkins after Simmons deal
- The Miami Dolphins should not take a running back in the draft
The Miami Dolphins are having an open competition at both the cornerback and running back positions, both of which have been plagued with injuries this offseason. The starting left cornerback and nickel corner spots are both open competitions but the Dolphins have seen Bobby McCain, Xavien Howard, Jordan Lucas, and now Chimdi Chekwa deal with injuries and miss practice time. It’s hard to evaluate talent and give players reps when they are circling in and out of rehabbing injuries. Xavien Howard was a second round pick and was expected to battle for one of the starting cornerback spots during Training Camp, but had his knee scoped prior to the start of camp.
With the play of Tony Lippett not living up to what was expected early in camp, Chekwa took first team reps from him. Now that Chekwa is injured Lippett will get another shot with the starters. With all that being said, Howard still has a chance to start based on the level of play so far from the corners. The Dolphins still don’t know what they have in Howard, so it is crucial for him to get healthy and show the team what he is made of.
Running back is another position that is hard to evaluate with so many issues. Jay Ajayi, Kenyan Drake, and Arian Foster all have a history of dealing with injuries and have all spent some time on the sideline this offseason because of them. Foster has been rehabbing from the achilles injury he got during last season and is finally back on the field and looking good while he is out there. Ajayi has dealt with a bruised bone in his knee and now Drake goes off the field for the second time this offseason. The reason for Drake’s absence time has not yet been reported but he left during minicamp with a hamstring issue.
With the Dolphins looking to see who can step up and grab the reigns as the leading rusher with Lamar Miller leaving in the offseason, it’s been difficult to see who is rising to the top when most of the leading candidates are on and off the field. Damien Williams is another running back that is fighting for a job that just returned from an injury. Miami needs two starting caliber running backs in Adam Gase’s system, but right now there is no-one who can prove that they will be healthy enough to be that guy.
If the Dolphins have any hopes of being a better team then they need players to avoid injuries and get healthy fast. It’s not enough to be ready for week one of the regular season, players need reps in order to develop chemistry with the starting unit. They also need to get comfortable with the scheme and the plays that are being run. The coaches need to have a good idea about what a player can do and can’t. They need to know how to call the plays based on who is on the field and their individual strengths and weaknesses.
The best scenario right now would be for players to be healthy before the first preseason game. They need them to start contributing early in camp and help the team grow and the coaches know what positions still need to be addressed or have competition added to them. Other wise it will be another long season for the Dolphins plagued with injury and losses.