Veteran receivers return to practice
They can offer vision of what Miami’s offense can look like
MIAMI GARDENS — The Miami Dolphins got into their offensive formations at Tuesday’s walkthrough and, for the first time all training camp, it looked something like what everyone envisioned from their receiving corps when it came together in the offseason.
DeVante Parker and Will Fuller were out there. Albert Wilson was back to lining up in the slot, where he can work in with rookie Jaylen Waddle.
Three of the Dolphins’ top receivers in Fuller, Parker and Wilson, who have all missed at least the past two weeks of practice, are making progress in recovering from injuries as they head into the preseason’s final week. Albeit not a full-on practice, they were active in a walkthrough setting.
“Those guys are working hard to get back,” Dolphins coach Brian Flores said on Tuesday ahead of the walkthrough. “I wouldn’t say there’s any worry. I would say it’s more — they’re working to get back. They’ll be out there today. I know that they’re doing everything they can, and that’s really all we can ask of them.”
For Fuller, who still has to serve one regular-season game on a suspension from last season with the Houston Texans, it was his first on-field action since being sidelined in the opening practice of camp. He said he felt ready to return earlier, but the Dolphins were taking a cautious approach with him.
Parker went through the light day’s work in a red, no-contact jersey after starting camp on the physically-unable-to-perform list, getting activated and then going through an apparent setback. Wilson also did conditioning on a stationary bike to start Tuesday’s session.
As quarterback Tua Tagovailoa has impressed in the preseason leading into Year 2 for him, it’s vital that he gets reps with his top wideouts before the regular season begins.
“I want to be out here to gain that chemistry, but we still have some time before we break camp to work on those things,” Fuller said. “I’m excited to be back and work with Tua.”
His early impressions of Tagovailoa’s accuracy, after also working with him some over the summer: “You just know where that ball is going to be. It builds that trust with the quarterback that he’s going to put that ball where it needs to be.”
Parker appreciates the ability of Wilson and Waddle to get open out of the slot and on underneath routes, opening things up for him on the sideline.
“Having them out there,” he said, “those fast guys — not even for me, everyone else — just [helps] get wide open on the outside, just one-on-one coverage.”
And Fuller’s deep-threat abilities can also open things up with safeties consumed helping over the top.
“He has that amazing speed,” Parker said. “That’s going to be a big part of what we needed.”
Fuller, Parker and Wilson were also seen sprinting pregame on Saturday night ahead of the preseason exhibition at Hard Rock Stadium against the Falcons.
Would the trio participate in a regular practice that wasn’t a walkthrough?
“They’re getting closer,” Flores said. “We’ll have to find out [Wednesday].”
Waddle, who appeared to be in significant pain with an injury in Saturday’s preseason game but returned, was at practice on Tuesday.
“Jaylen’s a tough kid,” Flores said. “First training camp, dealing with some nicks and bruises. He’s in the training room, doing preventative work, getting treatment. He’ll be out there.”
While the team is getting its top wideouts back, new ones are popping up as dealing with injuries. Jakeem Grant was doing conditioning on a stationary bike Tuesday, and Lynn Bowden was placed on injured reserve after he went down in last week’s joint practices with Atlanta.
Teammates on defense were teasing the top-line receivers that returned Tuesday.
“We were making a joke, like, ‘Oh wow, here they come. Last week of camp, on a walkthrough day. Receivers, of course,’ ” said safety Eric Rowe, poking fun at the timing of their return. “It’s good.Ifthey’refinallyworking back in, it’s good to have them.”
He has witnessed talented receiving corps be ineffective if they don’t have that rapport together with their quarterback, so he’s glad they can get with Tagovailoa ahead of Week 1.
“I’ve seen good receivers on teams that don’t have that connection,” Rowe said. “They don’t end up doing nothing that year. However good Tua can form a bond with all of them, that’ll be great for all of us.”