While the Miami Dolphins have quarterback Mike White in concussion protocol, they got a somewhat optimistic injury outlook on running back De’Von Achane, who left Saturday’s preseason win over the Houston Texans with a shoulder injury.
“He’s good, and avoided anything severe,” Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel said in a Monday web conference with reporters before Miami resumes training camp practices Tuesday.
Nonetheless, the Dolphins are treating their rookie third-round pick’s ailment “week to week,” according to McDaniel, with the season-opener less than three weeks away, Sept. 10 at the Los Angeles Chargers. McDaniel said he is not yet looking into his availability for Week 1.
“He was playing hard and had a defensive lineman’s body weight fall on top of him,” McDaniel added of the injury that then saw Achane leave the NRG Stadium field in a cart.
The Dolphins have veterans Raheem Mostert and Jeff Wilson Jr. to lead the running back unit while Achane is out for at least Saturday’s preseason finale at the Jacksonville Jaguars. Salvon Ahmed, coming off his 99-yard rushing performance in Houston, and Myles Gaskin are also there, and undrafted rookie tailback Chris Brooks is expected to see ample work in Jacksonville.
Gaskin missed the game against the Texans, as did fullback Alec Ingold. McDaniel said both are close to returning to practice participation.
Also leaving Saturday’s game were guard Robert Jones and tight end Eric Saubert.
“I think Robert Jones should be a little longer, I would say,” McDaniel said Monday, “but both of them are pretty much in the midst of beginning a rehabilitation process that could take more than a week or two.”
According to Jones’ agent, Drew Rosenhaus, on WSVN Sunday night, the lineman suffered an MCL sprain that is expected to keep him out four to six weeks but will not require surgery.
“Both those guys were having an excellent camp,” McDaniel said of Jones and Saubert. “I think they put their best foot forward. It’s always rough when guys come down with injuries during a game.”
Left guard competition
Dolphins offensive lineman Isaiah Wynn seemed to gain a leg up in the team’s competition for starting left guard Saturday.
He played effectively in 46 offensive snaps, which accounted for 63 percent of the team’s total, all while third-year lineman Liam Eichenberg sat out after he was injured the previous week against the Atlanta Falcons.
“We had to kind of hold Liam back,” McDaniel said. “He was determined, but didn’t think it was fair from an evaluation standpoint to put him out there, to try to protect him from himself.
“He’ll be chomping at the bit this week to get reps, as he should, and we’ll just make sure that we don’t do anything, on our side, that we can prevent without him having any further issues.”
McDaniel likes what he has seen out of Wynn since the tackle of the past four years in New England signed with Miami in May.
“I thought Isaiah got his feet wet in our system to a degree,” McDaniel said. “I thought he did a good job trying to attack our techniques, and there’s stuff that he’s trying to improve upon.”
Evaluation from coaches will continue on Wynn, signifying competition at the position is not over.
“Just like the game doesn’t end after the third quarter,” McDaniel said. “It was an important piece, but I can’t emphasize ‘piece’ enough. Good games were had by many players, and you want to see what they do with that moving forward.”
Fellow guard Lester Cotton was also held out Saturday, as McDaniel said postgame was a similar situation to Eichenberg, not feeling it would be fair to evaluate him while playing hurt.
Wilkins situation
McDaniel said he’s not currently worried about whether defensive tackle Christian Wilkins sitting out team drills in practice could spill into the regular season amid his contract dispute.
“I really haven’t even concerned myself with that,” McDaniel said. “It’s something that, when Christian tells me he’s ready to go, he’ll be ready to go. I’m not worried about anything other than the guys on the practice field each and every day and very hopeful that things work themselves out.”
—The Dolphins are signing undrafted rookie quarterback James Blackman back onto the training camp roster, in the wake of White entering concussion protocol. Blackman, a Glades Central High grad out of Arkansas State, was previously with Miami but waived in the week leading up to the preseason opener against the Falcons.