Laird placed on IR, opening roster spot
The Miami Dolphins placed reserve tailback Patrick Laird on injured reserve Wednesday because of the knee injury he suffered in last Sunday’s 20-9 win over the New York Giants.
Laird, who has contributed three receptions for 17 yards and gained 4 yards on his one carry this season, is eligible to be removed from injured reserve after missing three weeks. That includes this week’s bye, so Laird could be eligible to return in time for Miami’s Jan. 2 game against the Tennessee Titans unless his injury is serious enough that it ends his season.
The Dolphins would have to possess an available roster spot on the 53-man roster to make room for Laird to return. His injury creates an opening for one of three players — center Greg Mancz , tailback Malcolm Brown and receiver Will Fuller — who are eligible to return from injured reserve.
Mancz, who went on injured reserve on Nov. 10 because of an ankle injury he suffered the previous week, practiced last week with the team. This is the second week he’s eligible to be removed from injured reserve. Teams are only allowed three weeks to designate a player to return. After the third week that player must remain on injured reserve for the rest of the season, so the Dolphins have a decision to make on Mancz’s status next week.
Brown, whose roster spot Laird ultimately inherited when the seven-year veteran suffered a knee injury in Miami’s 30-28 loss to the Atlanta Falcons in late October, hasn’t been designated for a return yet. But Brown has been ramping up his rehab, and could get the green light to begin practicing next week.
“He’s working hard. He’s running. He’s starting to run a little bit,” Flores said of Brown. “Getting closer and doing everything he can to can to get back.”
The Dolphins have been missing the type of physical runs Brown is known for. He’s gained 125 rushing yards and scored one touchdown on his 33 carries this season. But even without Laird the Dolphins have three capable tailbacks in Myles Gaskin, Ahmed Salvon and Phillip Lindsay on the active roster, and Duke Johnson on the practice squad. Johnson is eligible to be elevated from the practice squad to the active roster one more time due to new NFL rules before Miami would have to make a decision on whether to keep him on the 53-man roster.
Another player eligible to return from injured reserve in the coming weeks is receiver Will Fuller, the Dolphins’ big-ticket free-agent addition this past offseason.
Fuller, who signed a one-year deal worth $10.6 million, has played in two games this season for various reasons. He was placed on injured reserve after breaking multiple bones in one of his hands during Miami’s 27-17 loss to the Indianapolis Colts. On Sunday he’ll have missed 10 weeks because of his hand injury, but the Dolphins are hopeful that he’ll be cleared to practice and play at some point in December.
“He’s working hard to get back,” Flores said of Fuller, who has turned four receptions into 26 yards in the two games he’s played for the Dolphins.