Harris is close to making return
DAVIE – A calf injury has sidelined Miami Dolphins pass rusher Charles Harris for the past month, but it appears the team’s 2017 first-round pick is close to making his return.
Harris, who injured the muscle in his lower right leg during a practice leading up to Miami’s 31-28 overtime win over the Chicago Bears, participated in his first practice in weeks Thursday, and appears to have his explosive first step back, based on limited work he’s been doing.
Getting Harris back would provide reinforcement to Miami’s defensive line, which has been thinned out by injuries this season. His return would give Miami a pass-rushing specialist to pair with Cameron Wake on obvious passing downs.
Harris has contributed 11 tackles this season. Last year, he had 19 tackles and two sacks as a rookie.
The Dolphins have to apply pressure to struggled opposing quarterbacks this season, logging 15 sacks in nine games, which ranks Miami 29th in sack production.
The Dolphins also in sacks per pass play. rank 29th
Offensive tackles continue to practice: Laremy Tunsil and Ja’Wuan James, the Dolphins’ starting left and right tackle, continued to practice despite nursing knee injuries that limited their play last week.
Tunsil hurt his left knee and James hurt his right knee in Miami’s 13-6 win over the New York Jets. While both are limping round the facility, it’s possible that Miami would prefer to play them at less than 100 percent instead of using their backups, Zach Sterup and Sam Young, against the Packers in Sunday’s road game.
The last time Sterup and Young played, they each struggled. Sterup allowed three sacks against the Jets while playing for Tunsil and James, and Young allowed one sack while replacing Tunsil during Miami’s 27-17 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals.
Ted Larsen, the Dolphins’ starting left guard, also has been limited for the past two practices because of a neck issue.
Jakeem Grant, the Dolphins primary returner, has been nursing an Achilles injury that has limited his practice participation the past two days….
New kickoff for DolphinsColts: The Dolphins will have another game-time kickoff pushed into the late afternoon slot this season.
The Dolphins’ Week 12 road game against the Indianapolis Colts on Nov. 25 will now begin at 4:25 p.m. on CBS, the NFL announced on Thursday.
Earlier this season, the NFL moved this Sunday’s DolphinsPackers game at Lambeau Field from a 1 p.m. start to 4:25.
The Dolphins’ game against the Colts is slated to be Miami quarterback Ryan Tannehill’s return from a shoulder injury that he suffered in Week 5 against the Cincinnati Bengals.