OT Little hopes to rebound from his time in Carolina
MIAMI GARDENS — However good Greg Little could possibly become for the Miami Dolphins, he’ll likely have to settle for being the second-best offensive lineman named Little in franchise history.
Little, joining the Dolphins last week in a trade with the Carolina Panthers, has big shoes to fill in that regard, as the other one that comes to mind, of course, is Hall of Famer Larry Little, who was on the Dolphins’ two Super Bowl-winning teams in the 1970s.
“I know of him,” said Greg Little, adding he’s not related to Larry Little. “He’s a great lineman here. I hope I can come in and reach some qualities like he did.”
Before Greg Little can reach Larry Little aspirations, he must put his first two underwhelming NFL seasons behind him after the Panthers used an early second-round pick on him in the 2019 draft.
Little, a 6-foot-5, 310-pound offensive tackle, started three games at left tackle each of the past two seasons, with both ending with him placed on injured reserve by December.
“A lot of fun, ups and downs,” Little said of those two years. “Just really, ‘What’s next?’ Just kind of one snap and clear. That’s the biggest thing I learned — just to not hold on to the past and keep living in the moment.”
He quickly had to learn to live in that moment when he was surprised by the news on Aug. 17 that he was being traded while in team meetings.
“It was kind of shocking,” Little said, “but that’s life. You got to adjust and just keep moving.”
Little said he felt like he’s back in school the way he has had to “cram” to study the playbook quickly and implement what he’s learned about the Dolphins offense in one week.
“Once you figure out what the terminology is, it’s just football, and you go from there,” he said. “It’s been kind of hard, been kind of tough, at the same time, but it hasn’t been bad. It’s just football.”
Little added he wants to bring energy to the team and be a good teammate.
“Just be one of the guys, help the team win some games and just contribute. Just do what I do,” he said.
Little was brought to Miami for a seventhround pick in 2022 after the Dolphins’ offensive line, specifically left tackle Austin Jackson, struggled in the preseason opener at the Chicago Bears.
Injury report: In addition to the wide receiver injury updates Tuesday, All-Pro cornerback Xavien Howard didn’t practice because of a non-COVID-related illness.
Players seen on stationary bikes on Tuesday were safety Jevon Holland, tight end Cethan Carter, offensive tackle Adam Pankey, outside linebacker Vince Biegel, cornerback Javaris Davis, running back Jordan Scarlett and receiver Allen Hurns, who is on injured reserve.
Holland watched walkthrough off to the side of practice, along with outside linebacker Brennan Scarlett, who did not participate in Tuesday’s practice.
The Dolphins also placed Lynn Bowden on injured
reserve, in addition to cuts made on Tuesday.
Veteran receiver Isaiah Ford was released Tuesday afternoon in a roster trimming move required by the NFL, and Robert Foster, a free agent added this offseason, was waived injured, which means the receiver will likely receive an injury settlement.
Offensive lineman Jermaine Eluemunor, a fifth-year veteran who was signed in the summer, was also waived, getting the team to 80 players by the league’s 4 p.m. deadline. Miami only had to cut four players because linebacker Kylan Johnson doesn’t count against the training camp roster while he’s on the COVID-19 reserve list.
Cause close to McCourty: The Miami Dolphins hosted an event on Tuesday afternoon for a cause that’s close to veteran safety Jason McCourty’s heart, food allergy awareness.
“For me, a father of a young daughter who has severe food allergies — I mean, you name it, she’s allergic to it,” McCourty said, “it’s just something that’s very important to my wife and myself.”
The Dolphins held Allergy Awareness Day in partnership with FARE (Food Allergy Research & Education) outside the training facility. It featured a photo booth, fan giveaways and an on-site allergist.