Options aplenty if Jones is out

Rookie Fitzpatrick figures in choices

DAVIE — The Miami Dolphins’ safety situation heading into Sunday’s game against the Oakland Raiders epitomizes what it’s like to prepare for a worst-case scenario when your team’s top defender is nursing a serious injury.

Reshad Jones’ shoulder injury has been serious enough for the team’s Pro Bowl safety to have his practice participation limited this week, which raises concern about his availability for Sunday’s game.

While Jones’ presence at Thursday’s practice hints there’s a chance he’ll play with the right shoulder injury he suffered in last week’s 20-12 win, playing with the injury could raise the possibility Jones’ shoulder injury worsens, and could force him to undergo a season-ending procedure like he did in 2016.

“Him going out there, that’s a positive step for us. We’ll go through the rest of the week. This is one day at a time for him,” coach Adam Gase said referring to Jones, who has contributed 10 tackles and two interceptions this season. “I know how he feels about making sure that he’s there every Sunday. We just want him to take the proper steps and listen to the trainers.”

T.J. McDonald was finally getting comfortable playing next to Jones, and now it’s possible that he’ll be breaking in a new safety partner if Jones, who has started 98 games in his nine-year career with the Dolphins, isn’t cleared to play.

The options to replace Jones are either first-round pick Minkah Fitzpatrick, who is being groomed to be a starting safety, or with promising youngster Maurice Smith, who was called up from the practice squad this week.

“We got to pick up where we left off. You definitely have to step up communication,” McDonald said. “We have to have the next-man-up mentality, but we’ll be fine. We just have to make sure we keep our eyes on the huddle on offense and make sure we have good pre-snap communication.”

Fitzpatrick has contributed nine tackles and one pass deflection in the two games he’s served as Miami’s nickel cornerback. Even though Fitzpatrick works with the first-team defense, he hasn’t started an NFL game yet.

“The thing about [Fitzpatrick] is he’s a quick study so he’s able to take limited reps in multiple spots and really absorb that,” Gase said. “He’s always ready to go at whatever we ask him to do. He’s built a little different.”

If Fitzpatrick does serve as Miami’s free safety then Bobby McCain, who has been paired with Xavien Howard as a Dolphins boundary cornerback so far this season, would be asked to return to the nickel spot. If that happens Torry McTyer or Cordrea Tankersley would likely be his replacement on the boundary.

However, the Dolphins could use Fitzpatrick as the safety in the base defense, and then have him man the nickel spot in three-receiver sets, with Smith being paired with McDonald as the back-end safety.

Smith joined the Dolphins as a promising undrafted rookie from Georgia and impressed Miami’s coaches so much he was preparing to start a game last December the week his appendix ruptured and he was placed on injury reserve.

Smith played well during training camp and the preseason, leading the team with 17 tackles and recording an interception and half a sack. But he was one of the final players released the week before the season opener.

“One week you think you’re there, you got it, and the next week something happens and you take a step back,” Smith said, explaining his NFL journey. “It’s a very humbling process that opens your eyes to see that nothing is given, and nothing is 100 percent. You have to keep staying in your book and make sure you’re ready.”

The last time Jones missed an NFL game was the 2016 season when a left shoulder injury forced him to miss the final 10 games of that 10-6 season.

Defensive coordinator Matt Burke is confident Miami’s secondary won’t have a dropoff playing without Jones because the coaches have been crosstraining the defensive backs for situations just like this.

“You’re never going to go through a season 100 percent healthy. There are always going to be bumps, and nicks,” Burke said. “We’ll take a look at how we have to play certain guys, the safeties and nickels. All those options are available to us, and that helps.”