The Miami Dolphins had hoped to fix their offensive line issues when they signed former Steelers guard James Daniels. They followed that signing with Larry Borom and then drafted Jonah Savaiinaea. So far, none of them has worked out.
Borom was supposed to be a depth piece. He has started quite a bit this year as Austin Jackson went on IR early. Savaiinaea is one of the worst-ranked draft picks in the entire league, not just on the Dolphins roster. Then there is Daniels.
The guard has the drive and physicality you want from a guard, one of the reasons the Dolphins pursued him. After missing a big chunk of time last year in Pittsburgh, he has missed most of this season as well. It doesn't look like he will be coming back soon.
Mike McDaniel doesn't know when or if James Daniels will come off injured reserve for the Dolphins
Ideally, you would hope he makes it back in time for the final stretch of games, but at this point, if he isn't in his 21-day return window, he may not be back. McDaniel voiced this concern.
"I don't really know if he will return or not."Mike McDaniel
It's bad news for a team that needs to be playing better in the trenches. Miami's been doing well on the boundary and off-tackle, but they haven't had as much success inside. Daniels would be one of the better run blockers on the team if he could get back on the field.
With Daniels still out, it is unlikely that a return will make much of a difference. If his window opened this week, and it doesn't sound like it will be, the best he could hope for would be to play against the Jets two Sundays from now. More likely, he would be available against the Steelers on December 15th.
McDaniel's comments are telling. Once Miami gets to Pittsburgh on that Monday night, there will only be three games left in the season. Miami may not be in the playoff picture by that time, and if that is the case, there is no reason to bring him back.