Miami Dolphins TC: Foster, Culliver out and other news

The Miami Dolphins are just hours away – less than 48 to be exact – from hitting the field for the first time this preseason.  And we’re all less than 24 hours from our first dose of football for the 2016-17 season.

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The big news from today?  RB Arian Foster won’t be participating in Friday nights preseason opener against the New York Giants.  Foster had a storied career with the Houston Texans and injury history or not you can’t help but be excited to have that type of talent suiting up in the teal and orange this upcoming season.

The best course of action for Gase and company is to bring Foster back slowly.  He may be the expected starter come week one against the Seattle Seahawks but he did suffer a gruesome achilles tear last year.

So we’ll wait to see Foster back in action until week two, or later.  That’ll give us a look at Jay Ajayi, someone I fully expect Gase to limit as far as snaps go this week as well.  I fully expect Damian Williams to get the most snaps at running back Friday night.

Also released today was the timeline for newly signed CB Chris Culliver.  He’s two weeks away from returning to practice, roughly the same time rookie CB Xavien Howard will return.  That’ll make for an extremely interesting battle for, what we all expect to be, the CB2 spot.

Other news:

• Speaking of Williams he got work in at fullback today.

• Miami released LB Danny Lansanah and CB Jacques McClendon.  Neither moves are surprising; Lansanah makes room for Dion Jordan and McClendon for Culliver.
• S Walt Aikens had a phenomenal day which gets me extremely excited.  I love his swagger and I think he can be a great player but he certainly struggled last year.  I hope he can break out of his shell and show his potential as he enters his third season in the NFL.
• The offense might’ve had their best day of camp today by the sound of it.  QB Matt Moore played lights out, Ryan Tannehill was good according to reports from Omar Kelly.  RB Isaiah Pead, Williams and Ajayi all had a solid days work.
• Possibly the biggest camp surprise for everybody is what G Dallas Thomas has showcased thus far.  He’s running with the one’s consistently and may be in line to start week one.  That’s great news but we’ll see once game time comes if we’re getting fooled.

I also want to take the time to send condolences to the family and friends of ESPN commentator John Saunders as he passed away this morning at the age of 61.  A familiar voice we all have come to known and love across college football and multiple other mediums throughout the ESPN platform.

*All news and notes courtesy of Omar Kelly and Chris Perkins of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.