Injury Report: Three Fins players will not play this week versus …..
Following a bye, the extra week of recuperation was insufficient for important Dolphins players to return to action and begin the second half of the season. According to Miami’s Week 9 Injury Report, three Fins players will miss this week’s game against the New York Jets, with the remaining four categorized as “questionable.”
Another NFL week passes, and tight end Jordan Cameron will miss another game due to a concussion suffered on September 25 against the Cleveland Browns. Cameron will miss his fifth game in a row, and many are beginning to question if he will ever play again in the NFL.
According to multiple sources, Cameron is still in the early phases of the NFL’s concussion protocol procedure. Cameron has seen multiple doctors about his history of concussions and subsequent migraines, but has made no progress.
What’s most concerning about that is that he hasn’t even reached the point where he’s allowed to practice, meaning it’s not unlikely that he could miss the remainder of the 2016 NFL season.
Dion Sims Suddenly Ruled Out
In the case of Dion Sims, the week got off to a promising start and then took a turn for the worst. After missing Miami’s Week 7 win over the Bills due to a concussion, Sims was cleared to practice with the team without any limitations during the bye.
The former Spartan would do just that, as he participated in full team practices on Wednesday and Thursday of this week. However, Sims failed to pass the NFL’s concussion protocol and was only able to partake in Friday’s practice on a limited basis before being ruled out.
“I do think by Sunday, and then certainly past Sunday, he should be back to full speed,” said Dolphins offensive coordinator, Clyde Christensen regarding Sims return. “(We’re) hoping again, obviously, that we wouldn’t have a setback of any kind, and he hasn’t had one.”
With Cameron’s future uncertain and Sims unavailable for a second straight game, the Dolphins have had to get creative in order to fill the void at the tight end position. In Week 7 against Buffalo, offensive tackle Sam Young was asked to line up at tight end in order to help out with blocking as a third-string tight end.
There have also been talks about potentially promoting former seventh-round draft pick (tight end) Thomas Duarte from the practice squad. Nevertheless, until Sims can return from injury, Dolphins coach Adam Gase will have no choice but to depend on tight ends MarQueis Gray and Dominique Jones. Even though either one of them recorded a single catch in Miami’s victory over the Bills, they contributed with solid blocking, which enabled running back Jay Ajayi rush for 214 yards.
“You usually have a guy that either does one or the other,” Dolphins coach Adam Gase explained the difference between blocking tight ends and those that are biggest threats as receivers. “[Dion Sims] does have the ability in the passing game, probably to do more than what we’ve really given him the opportunity to do. Anytime his number has been called, he’s made plays.”