Armstead says he will play. More Dolphins’ injury news and personnel notes

A six-pack of Dolphins notes on a Thursday:

▪ Several shoulder injuries have left questions on two Dolphins units heading into Sunday’s game at Seattle (4:05 p.m., CBS).

The good news: Left tackle Terron Armstead said Thursday that he intends to play on Sunday despite dealing with a shoulder injury sustained last Thursday against Buffalo. He said he’s wearing a harness/brace on the shoulder.

He tried to play through it in the second half against Buffalo but “I had an issue with my rotator cuff. I couldn’t lift my arm. I wouldn’t have been effective [if he had continued playing]. It’s tough. If I can, I always will try to play.”

Armstead said the injury has improved. Mike McDaniel has said he’s not “overly concerned with anything at all long-term” with Armstead’s injury.

Guard Robert Jones also has been limited with a shoulder injury this week but said he will play Sunday.

Guard Liam Eichenberg also has a shoulder injury but has been practicing fully.

Meanwhile, a shoulder injury is limiting receiver Grant DuBose, who played 26 snaps on offense against Buffalo. DuBose has caught one of three targets for 13 yards and one of those throws was intercepted.

Receiver Robbie Chosen played 17 offensive snaps against Buffalo and then was released from the practice squad days later.

So if DuBose cannot play Sunday, the Dolphins will need to replace receivers who accounted for 45 snaps on offense against Buffalo.

Options for an increased workload include tight end Jonnu Smith, receiver Braxton Berrios (who played 34 of 74 offensive snaps), rookie Malik Washington (who has been limited with a quadriceps injury and missed the first two games) and practice squad receivers Dee Eskridge and Erik Ezukanma.

Running back De’Von Achane also has received significant work at receiver.

▪ The Dolphins’ decision to keep rookie Storm Duck active for games, and Ethan Bonner inactive, has been notable.

Defensive backs coach Ryan Slowik, who was Miami’s outside linebackers coach last season, listed several qualities that the Dolphins like about Duck:

“Storm has done a good job. The moment hasn’t been too big for him. He’s a physical guy, has good size [6-0], plays with good speed, is disruptive when playing man coverage and zone coverage. Those skills we are impressed with that we would like to keep developing.”

As for Bonner, “we have great confidence in Ethan,” Slowik said. “I’m excited for him when his opportunity comes. [Bonner being inactive for the first two games is] not anything Ethan hasn’t been doing well.”

▪ On the newcomers in the secondary, Slowik said safety Jordan Poyer does “everything. He has been great for the room. He understands a lot of concepts. He is physical.

“Kendall Fuller has been a good addition for us,” noting his impressive “understanding of overall football and routes and different concepts and” his willingness to “give that knowledge to the young guys.”

Slowik said of Jevon Holland: “There’s not really anything inside the job description of a safety that he can’t really do. His skill set is so broad, so dynamic. Punching the ball out, he does that multiple times in practice. We are happy he has been able to take those plays in practice and take them into the game.”

Through two weeks, Pro Football Focus rates Fuller 26th, Jalen Ramsey 78th and Kader Kohou 98th and last among NFL cornerbacks.

PFF rates Holland 38th and Poyer 71st among 78 safeties.

▪ Achane had 29 touches against Buffalo (22 runs, seven receptions).

Can he hold up physically if the Dolphins continue giving him as heavy a workload?

“Nobody will know until we put him through that workload,” running backs coach Eric Studesville said. “Whatever we give him, he’s taking to it. He’s never come to me and said ‘that’s too much or I want to do less.’ We keep heaping more and more on him and he runs with it.”

▪ Rookie running back Jaylen Wright had only 4 yards on five carries in his Dolphins debut Thursday. Asked if that was more a reflection of shortcomings with blocking on those plays, Studesville said: “Jaylen is doing everything we’re asking him to do. What the outcome is of plays, sometimes it’s better than other plays. What we are asking him to do is on an upward trend. He had a good run that we had a holding on.”

▪ Former Chargers team doctor David Chao, who now contributes medical assessments for NFL coverage on Fox Radio and Sirius XM, noted that many fans in polls are calling for Tua Tagovailoa to retire after his fourth confirmed (and potentially fifth) concussion.

“I would say maybe he should, but let the doctors and Tua gather all the facts and information first is what I would say,” Chao said.

“If you ask me this question: What’s the best thing for Tua to do for his health, for the health of his brain and perhaps his future kids and family, zero question in my mind: Quit playing football period, quit playing the collision sports of football. But I would also say that goes for his 52 teammates, including those who have never had a concussion.”

Tagovailoa has no plans to retire, according to NFL Network.

Miami Herald sportswriter Isaiah Smalls contributed to this report.