Dolphins camp
RB checked out for possible concussion
RB Jay Ajayi leaves practice with possible concussion.
DAVIE — Miami Dolphins running back Jay Ajayi is being evaluated for a concussion after being escorted from the practice field by team personnel Monday, the team’s first day in full pads.
Ajayi, a Pro Bowl selection last season after rushing for 1,272 yards and eight touchdowns, appeared to be injured after taking a big hit from safety T.J. McDonald.
“I was trying to do my job,” McDonald said.
Coach Adam Gase said he doesn’t regret the decision to have tackling to the ground on the first day in full pads. Many teams keep full contact and tackling to the ground at a bare minimum in training camp to avoid injuries.
Regardless, hits such as the one on Ajayi are unsettling. After all, Ajayi with his aggressive running style might be the most important player on the offense. Others at that level include quarterback Ryan Tannehill, center Mike Pouncey, wide receiver Jarvis Landry and perhaps left tackle Laremy Tunsil.
Ajayi seemed to take big hits from defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh and linebacker Lawrence Timmons in addition to McDonald on Monday.
Whatever the case, Gase, aware he could be scrutinized for his decision, said tackling is a necessity.
“You’re not going to win either way,” Gase said. “If we don’t go live, you guys write we’re not going to work on tackling. If we do go live and somebody gets hurt, then you say
we shouldn’t have done that.
“You’re going to be wrong either way. We feel like that’s best for our football team. We need to go live and tackle. It’s football.”
Gase also said there’s little difference between being in half pads (shoulder pads and helmet), which the Dolphins were Sunday, and full pads, which they were Monday.
“You’re getting the same thud, wrap up, all those type of things,” he said. “It’s just full pads you can say, ‘Hey, we’re going live, we’re going to the ground.’
“So once we throw the shoulder pads on whether we’ve got the leggings on, we’re getting the same work. It’s just today we were able to go the ground.”
Ajayi, who led the NFL in yards after contact (3.5 yards) last season, was fairly durable in 2016 after recording 260 carries and 27 receptions.
Gase was questioned during the offseason about increasing Ajayi’s role in the offense but he was noncommittal on whether Ajayi’s touches would increase and whether it would come through carries or receptions.
Running back Kenyan Drake took Ajayi’s starting spot for the 11-on-11 drills in Ajayi’s absence. Damien Williams, the third-down specialist, is the No. 3 running back. Behind him are a number of unproven running backs including Senorise Perry, De’Veon Smith and Storm Johnson, who is sidelined with a foot injury.
Ajayi seemed to get the ball frequently in the first few plays of 11-on-11 Monday whether on purpose or just circumstance. For example, he might have been the checkdown receiver on a couple of receptions. Regardless, Ajayi was active.
“He was taking hits left and right,” Drake said. “That’s just the game.”
Curiously, defensive end Cameron Wake wasn’t even aware Ajayi left practice.
“Didn’t even notice,” he said.
But Wake, without citing Ajayi specifically, seemed to say it’s no surprise someone got dinged Monday.
“It’s football,” Wake said. “You play it in pads. There’s collisions, there’s violence.”
Emotions were running hot all day. The offense and defense had a small scuffle (the primary combatants are unclear) late in practice and Gase decided it best to sit Landry, who has drawn a few flags for unsportsmanlike
conduct during his career.
“We were having some scuffles and stuff,” Gase said, adding they thought it smart to allow Landry to “just cool down.”
“He gets out there and you get full pads and everybody gets going a little bit,” Gase said. “He’ll be fine, he’ll be alright. He’ll be back not [Tuesday] (the team’s off day), the next day, and we’ll get rolling again.”
The Dolphins hope things go that smoothly with Ajayi, who doesn’t have a known history of concussions. But if not, the running backs think they’re prepared.
“If somebody goes down,” Drake said, “I feel like any one of us is ready to come up for that role.”