If the Miami Dolphins' first preseason game showed anything, it's that they have a clear problem when it comes to depth across the board. Of course, that should come as no surprise when you're paying nearly $180 million to players who are no longer here.
Unfortunately, those depth concerns only got worse on Sunday when the Dolphins officially announced that they put offensive guard Jamaree Salyer on season-ending injured reserve. Salyer had been listed behind both Jonah Savaiinaea and rookie Kadyn Proctor on the depth chart prior to being placed on IR, but was viewed as a valuable swing option who could step in for either when called upon.
Salyer had been held out of Miami's 20-7 preseason loss to the Washington Commanders this past Friday night, and it was clear that the second-stringers and those behind them mightily struggled. Without him, the Dolphins will need to lean even heavier on their starting line.
Miami Dolphins' Jamaree Salyer lost for season following undisclosed injury
In early June, Salyer was carted off with an injury scare, but was quickly deemed minor and not a long-term issue for the former Los Angeles Chargers OL. At the end of July, however, he was held out of training camp practices due to what is still being called an undisclosed injury at the time of writing.
Just over two weeks later, the Dolphins elected to place Salyer on IR, ending his season. In corresponding moves, Miami also waived injured cornerback Ethan Robinson. In their places, the Dolphins signed linebacker Cam Riley and re-signed quarterback Mark Gronowski, who was previously released from the team just over a week ago.
Following Miami's loss to Washington, head coach Jeff Hafley surprisingly singled out Savaiinaea in a positive light. Now, the pressure will be on the second-year guard even more to prove his worth on a consistent basis.
The Dolphins have consistently had offensive line troubles for the better part of two decades. But Savaiinaea was worse than bad as a rookie. So much so that general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan made Salyer one of the team's first free agent signings when the new year began. Under the new coaching regime, Savaiinaea was placed back on the right side, where he was comfortable in college, and was given the opportunity to prove himself as the starter.
Thus far, he's delivered, with Salyer waiting in the wings if things went sideways. Savaiinaea was even a bright spot in the loss to the Commanders. But now, Miami's insurance policy at guard is lost. We'll have to wait and see if the Dolphins look to bring in someone else in the meantime. But if their corresponding moves are any indication, they'll look to see if anyone in-house steps up first, or possibly wait for league-wide releases towards the end of the month.
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