Dolphins remain in somewhat precarious position at running back. And personnel notes
A six-pack of Dolphins notes on a Tuesday:
▪ Dolphins running backs Raheem Mostert and De’Von Achane continue to nurse injuries, leaving their availability in question for Thursday’s game against visiting Buffalo (8:20 p.m., CBS 4, Amazon).
The Dolphins held only a walk-through on Tuesday, but in their required injury report, the Dolphins said that Mostert (chest injury), Achane (ankle injury) and receiver Malik Washington (quadriceps) would not have practiced even if the team had.
Achane limped off after catching a 10-yard pass, with 1:18 left, on the Dolphins’ game-winning drive. Mostert appeared in discomfort earlier in the game.
If Mostert or Achane cannot play, rookie Jaylen Wright very likely would play.
Three Dolphins would have been limited participants in a normal practice Tuesday, according to the team: right guard Liam Eichenberg (shoulder), cornerback Jalen Ramsey (hamstring) and linebacker Jaelan Phillips (Achilles).
▪ Wright said being inactive for the opener was “really not a surprise. I understand why.”
He pointed out that Achane was a healthy scratch for his first NFL game.
Does he expect to play Thursday?
“I’m expecting to be ready,” he said Tuesday.
▪ According to overthecap.com’s Jason Fitzgerald, Ramsey’s three-year contract extension keeps his cap number for 2024 unchanged (at $7.95 million) but lowers his 2025 cap hit by $9.58 million, to $16.7 million.
Ramsey’s cap hits are $25 million in 2026, $26.8 million in 2027 and $36.2 million in 2028.
He will have a $12.3 million ‘void year’ cap hit in 2029, when he’s no longer under contract.
Per Fitzgerald, Ramsey’s three-year, $72.1 million extension has $29.2 million guaranteed, far less than what was widely reported.
Even with the extra cap space, the Dolphins are still $15.4 million above the 2025 salary cap, per overthecap.com.
But the NFL players union said the Dolphins have $23.6 million in current cap space, a significant increase over where they stood in late August.
▪ Tua Tagovailoa, during his weekly segment for G.O.A.T. Farm Sports, discussed some of what he said during his animated halftime speech:
“I took accountability for myself. I got on coaches to take accountability for the communication of what personnel is in there and getting the plays in…
“We had been lackadaisical in the huddle. We’re breaking it late, have nine seconds to operate. You can’t operate in this league like that.”
Braxton Berrios said Tagovailoa’s halftime speech was “game-changing.”
▪ The Dolphins allowed quarterback pressures on a league-low 14.6 percent of their passing plays in Week 1, per The 33rd Team website.
Pro Football Focus gave very good grades to Terron Armstead, Austin Jackson and Liam Eichenberg and average grades to center Aaron Brewer, who received higher marks from other evaluators.
▪ Quick stuff: The Dolphins used presnap motion on 91 percent of their plays in week 1, highest in the league, per Next Gen Stats… The Dolphins had two tailbacks on the field on 52 percent of their snaps, per NFL writer Gregg Rosenthal. That led the league in Week 1. Achane took 15 snaps at receiver…
After leading the league in passing yardage last season, Tagovailoa finished Week 1 leading the league in passing yardage (338)... Al Michaels and Kirk Herbstreit will call Thursday’s game for Amazon, with CBS-4 televising in South Florida.