DOLPHINS
games.
“It’s rough,” quarterback Ryan Tannehill said when asked about possibly playing without Stills. “He’s a heck of a player for us.”
The injuries to Parker and Stills could lead to the elevation of Griff Whalen and rookie receivers Leonte Carroo and Jakeem Grant. All three were expected to receive a ton of playing time against the Titans.
Carroo has spent training camp as Parker’s understudy. Whalen knows how to play all three receiver spots. Grant, Miami’s return specialist, is being groomed to be a slot receiver.
“It’s one of those things where when we get in the classroom, they’re good. But then when you start having to make some adjustments, sometimes [they] just draw a blank – whether it is a signal or a codeword,” Gase said of the Dolphins’ rookie receivers. “That’s when it becomes tough because it’s happening fast.”
Stills and Parker will have 13 days to recover before the Dolphins play the Seahawks in Seattle in their Sept. 11 season opener.
McCain traded to Saints
Dolphins traded pass rusher Chris McCain to the New Orleans Saints for a
conditional seventh-round pick.
No deal has not been finalized yet because McCain must pass a physical to consummate the trade. It is unclear if the Saints were the only team to bid for McCain, who will be best utilized moving forward, as either a 4-3 defensive end and 3-4 outside linebacker.
McCain, a former University of California standout the Dolphins signed as an undrafted rookie in 2014, has struggled to earn playing time during his tenure in Miami for various reasons.
McCain, who has contributed seven tackles,
two sacks, a forced fumble, and a punt block during the 18 games he’s played the past two seasons, has bounced back and forth from defensive end to linebacker throughout his NFL career.
This season, he’s been playing defensive end for his third defensive coordinator. However, McCain’s struggles learning Miami’s defense have often stood in his way of being on team’s active game day roster.
McCain had three tackles, a sack and forced a fumble in Miami’s 27-10 preseason win over the New York Giants in the Dolphins’ exhibition opener, but he’s
played sparingly the past two preseason games because of a shoulder injury.
The Dolphins have a surplus of defensive ends in Cameron Wake, Mario Williams, Jason Jones and Andrew Branch, who are all expected to make it onto the 53-man regular-season roster. Terrence Fede, a 2014 seventh-round pick, and McCain were both on the roster bubble….
Laremy Tunsil, the Dolphins’ 2016 first-round pick, participated in individual drills but left the practice bubble before the team portion of practice. Tunsil has held the starting left guard spot for twoweeks.