The high-flying offense of the Miami Dolphins was kept at bay in the first preseason game of the season as injuries continue to run their way through the roster. The Dolphins only had the first-team offense on the field for a short period of time. The first drive was impressive from the team as Ryan Tannehill connected with Jarvis Landry, but will injuries to the wide receiver and running back positions force the team to make some moves before the start of the year?
The Dolphins completely re-tooled their offense for the 2015 season. They dropped Brian Hartline, Brandon Gibson, Mike Wallace and Charles Clay along with Knowshon Moreno as their intentions were to get younger and more athletic. Landry takes over as the No.1 receiver and is very fitting for the role, but outside of him there is a lot of concerns.
According to the Miami Herald, the Dolphins are uncertain when first-round pick DeVante Parker will make his season debut. Parker went down in OTAs with a foot injury and underwent surgery that could cause him to miss upwards of 11 weeks or more. The injury was similar to what Julio Jones suffered which caused him to miss 11 games in 2013. The other issue for the Dolphins is newly acquired Kenny Stills is also out with injury. The Miami Sun-Sentinel is reporting the receiver is out with a calf injury that leaves Tannehill with Greg Jennings and an inconsistent Jordan Cameron.
With Parker out for the foreseeable future, the Palm Beach Post makes the case to bring in one more veteran receiver to at least help at the start of the year. Wes Welker and Reggie Wayne remain available for the Dolphins. Welker came in for a workout earlier in the offseason, but left without a contract. If the depth behind the starters becomes questionable, they could make the move.
Will running back depth also be needed? The Dolphins have a guaranteed threat in Lamar Miller, but behind him are a lot of raised eyebrows. Jay Ajayi is struggling with blocking and LaMichael James is not consistent enough for a heavy workload. In the first preseason game, it was Damien Williams impressing for the Dolphins with seven carries for 20 yards. He was second in rushing behind Miller. Williams could end up being a hidden gem for the team if Ajayi and James do not cut it.
