The Miami Dolphins are hoping to have DeVante Parker back for Week 1 of the season along with Branden Albert and this comes as Damien Williams is playing into the running back mix with Jay Ajayi and Lamar Miller, while the guard and safety situations are still being worked out after injuries and other issues for the Fins.
Parker has been out for the Dolphins all training camp after having foot surgery and the team is hopeful that he can return for Week 1 of the season. According to NFL.com, Parker has been making steady progress and he was taken off of the PUP list last week. The Miami Herald reports that both Parker and Albert will do "more work this week" in practice, but neither player is ready for game action yet. Albert had surgery last year after tearing his ACL and MCL and he could be ready for the start of the season as well.
The team has had interest in Evan Mathis on the free agent market, as the offensive line has been inconsistent at the guard position. Having Albert back would be huge for the offensive line, even if the team doesn't add Mathis. The running game should be better for the Dolphins this season, as Miller, who rushed for over 1000 yards last year, has some solid support with Damien Williams and rookie Jay Ajayi behind him. According to MiamiDolphins.com, Williams has been playing well and may have "solidified" his spot as the backup for Miller.
Daniel Thomas was not signed back as a free agent and while LaMichael James and Mike Gillislee are also on the roster, Williams has proven to be a more consistent option behind Miller. Williams backed up Miller in the preseason game and he scored a rushing and receiving touchdown in the preseason game against the Carolina Panthers. Williams had just 122 yards last season on 36 carries and he should get much more this season.
In other updates for the Dolphins, the Miami Herald reports that the team dealt with a couple injuries at cornerback with Jamar Taylor and Bobby McCain, but that the issues are not serious. Miami cannot afford to lose more players in the secondary, as that unit is weak to begin with and the team has already lost Louis Delmas at safety for the season. Olivier Vernon was out Saturday with a groin issue and the injury is not a serious one, according to Armando Salguero.
The Dolphins made a move at the wide receiver position and this could play into Parker coming back, as the Herald reports that Michael Preston was released. The team is cutting things down slowly and more moves will be coming, as the team has to be down to 75 players by the start of September. The 53-man roster cuts will be coming a few days after that. The Dolphins have depth at receiver even with Parker injured and that is why Preston was let go. The Dolphins have high expectations for this season and they want to be in playoff contention.
Check here for more on the Miami Dolphins roster and more on the returns of Parker and Albert.