Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Jarvis Landry questionable for Sunday.
OXNARD, CALIF. — Miami Dolphins receiver Jarvis Landry had his practice participation limited on Friday by a knee injury that surfaced this week.
Landry, the Dolphins’ leading receiver the past two seasons, participated in Friday’s practice, but sat out individual drills the Dolphins allowed the media to watch.
He is listed as questionable for Sunday’s game against the Los Angeles Chargers, and it’s highly likely that he’ll play in Miami’s season opener.
If Landry isn’t cleared to play, the Dolphins would find themselves in a tough spot finding a receiver to play inside. Drew Morgan, an undrafted rookie from Arkansas, spent all of training camp and the exhibition season as Miami’s backup slot receiver. Problem is, Morgan is on the practice squad and would have to be signed to the 53-man roster to play on Sunday.
If Landry can’t play, or his performance is impacted by his troublesome knee, the Dolphins would likely move Kenny Stills, a team captain, inside to the slot. Stills is the receiver with the best grasp of Miami’s offense, and he played the slot during his tenure with the New Orleans Saints.
If Stills were to move inside, the Dolphins would likely have Leonte Carroo and Jakeem Grant, two second-year receivers, fill in at flanker. Grant had a breakout performance in the preseason, catching four passes for 144 yards and one touchdown.
Carroo had been nursing a hamstring injury the past few weeks, but hasn’t been on the injury report this week.
Meanwhile, Dolphins linebacker Rey Maualuga has been ruled out for Sunday’s game because of his hamstring injury, which has kept him from practicing all week. Mike Hull will serve as the first-team inside linebacker, and rookie linebacker Chase Allen will serve as his backup.
Cornerback Walt Aikens (back) and center Mike Pouncey (hip) are expected to play. Pouncey participated in Friday’s practice, which was his second of the week.
No press box
Matt Burke wants to be able to reach out and touch his players, look them directly in the eye.
That’s why Burke, the Miami Dolphins’ new defensive coordinator, will begin the season calling plays from the field level.
Vance Joseph, the coordinator Burke replaced after Joseph was named the Denver Broncos’ head coach last season, coached his unit from the field as well.
Dolphins head coach Adam Gase, who also serves as Miami’s offensive playcaller, prefers to call plays from the field as well, and gives his assistants the opportunity to choose where they work from.
Burke, who is beginning his 14th season as an NFL assistant but first as a defensive coordinator, said he’s coached from both the sideline and the coach’s booth. While he admits the booth gives him a better viewpoint of what the opposition is doing, he’d rather not have to rely on a headset to communicate with his players.
“Just making a correction, sometimes you’re upstairs and you’re on a phone and you’re trying to say ‘Hey, make sure you do this or this,’ and they’re going ‘Yes, yes, yes coach,’ and they hang up and you’re like, ‘I don’t know if he got that or not,’ ” Burke said. “Whereas [when I’m on the field] I can grab a guy and look him in the eye and say ‘Hey man, this is what we’re doing,’ and I can get a better feel for that and kind of get a pulse of the sideline, the team.”
Chargers’ CB Verrett out
Los Angeles Chargers starting cornerback Jason
Verrett, who made the Pro Bowl after the 2015 season, was listed on the weekly injury report as out with a knee injury, as was the seventh overall pick in the 2017 draft, receiver Mike
Williams (back).