Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
Ajayi checked for possible concussion
DAVIE, FLA. » Miami Dolphins coach Adam Gase decided to risk heavy contact by allowing tackling at practice Monday, and the hitting was so fierce that running back Jay Ajayi suffered a possible concussion.
Ajayi walked off the field accompanied by trainers after several jarring collisions, including one that dislodged linebacker Lawrence Timmons’ helmet.
Gase declined to secondguess his decision — at least not with the media.
“If we don’t go live, you guys write that we don’t work on tackling,” he said. “If we do go live and somebody gets hurt, then you say we shouldn’t. You’re going to be wrong either way. We feel like that’s best for our football team. We needed to go live and tackle, and it’s football.”
Gase said the Dolphins didn’t tackle in a training camp practice during his first year as coach in 2016 — and also didn’t tackle well at the start of the season. He ran the idea of a fullcontact drill past the team.
“When you talk to some of your veteran players, and you can’t even finish the sentence and they’re saying, ‘Absolutely,’ that’s when you know it’s a good thing,” he said.
Ajayi had a breakout year for the Dolphins last season, when he ran for 1,272 yards and had consecutive 200-yard games.
Shoulder injury sidelines Conner
LATROBE » Pittsburgh Steelers rookie running back James Conner’s first NFL training camp is off to a rough start.
Conner missed practice on Monday while undergoing tests on a shoulder injury sustained on Sunday during the team’s first padded workout.
Conner, a third-round pick out of Pittsburgh, also missed time during organized team activities and minicamp with a hamstring problem.
Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said Conner was sent back to Pittsburgh for tests, but did not have an update on Conner’s condition. The players have a day off on Tuesday.
Conner’s setback is testing Pittsburgh’s running back depth behind Pro Bowler Le’Veon Bell. Bell has yet to sign his franchise tender and is not at camp.