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Dolphins place both starting safeties on IR
Miami Dolphins will spend this week searching for two starting safeties because of the season-ending shoulder injury Bobby McCain suffered in last Sunday’s 37-20 loss to the Buffalo Bills and the rib injury that has plagued Reshad Jones for the past month.
McCain, a nickel cornerback Miami converted to free safety this past offseason, had been playing all season with a separated right shoulder. Against the Bills he injured his left shoulder, and his ailments led to some tackling issues that allowed the Bills to score two touchdowns on him.
Jones, a two-time Pro Bowl pick, tried to come back from a rib injury that sidelined him for a month, and apparently there was a setback. Jones finishes the 2019 season, which was his 10th with the Dolphins, contributing 27 tackles in the four games he played.
McCain finishes his fifth season with the Dolphins contributing 25 tackles, three pass breakups and two interceptions. His status for next season appears to be safe considering he’s guaranteed $3.018 million of his $5.5 million salary if he suffers a serious injury.
Miami will spend this week’s practices auditioning possible replacements for McCain and Jones, and expect veteran cornerback Eric Rowe, Steven Parker, a secondyear player Miami claimed off the waiver wire in September, and Jomal Wiltz, Miami’s nickel cornerback, to be viewed as the likely replacements.
All three have already filled in for McCain and Jones, who had been sidelined six games this season because of ankle and rib injuries, playing safety in the first 10 games of this season. Walt Aikens, the Dolphins’ special teams captain, will likely get in the mix for playing time, but Miami views his contributions on special teams as critical to that unit’s success.
Wiltz, a former New England Patriots practice squad player who has contributed 36 tackles and one interception this season, had served as McCain’s primary backup during training camp, but he’s become the Dolphins’ primary nickel cornerback. However his role has constantly evolved this season, and Miami could use Chris Lammons as the team’s nickel cornerback.
“I think the world of Jomal. I think he’s one of the toughest players on the team. He plays tough. He’s productive,” defensive coordinator Patrick Graham said on Tuesday.
Parker, who has contributed 12 tackles and one interception in the nine games he’s played for the Dolphins, filled in for McCain in September, starting two games at free safety. However, his playing time has been inconsistent this season, and Miami’s coaches said that’s the result of his performances in practice.
Rowe would seem to be the most logical candidate to replace McCain at free safety because the former Patriots starter is the most familiar with coach Brian Flores’ defensive scheme, and the free safety is the leader and signal-caller for the secondary. However, the Dolphins would struggle to find a player to fill the rover role, which typically covers tight ends.
Rowe, who has contributed 53 tackles and six pass deflections this season, began 2019 as Miami’s boundary cornerback, but he’s been playing safety, and filling the rover role exclusively for the past month.
“I see us using his flexibility as a player and whether it’s a safety position [or] corner … [he’s] an interchangeable part whether you see it as a linebacker, an outside linebacker, a safety, a corner,” Graham said. “That’s really what the goal is, to have interchangeable parts [on defense].”
The Dolphins signed former Hurricanes defensive back Adrian Colbert off the Seattle Seahawks practice squad and promoted defensive tackle Gerald Willis up from the practice squad to take McCain and Jones’ spot.