A six-pack of Dolphins notes on a Friday, heading into Sunday’s home game against the Chargers (1 p.m., CBS 4):
▪ Training camp began with the expectation that running back Jaylen Wright could challenge for more carries. Instead, he’s getting none at all, having been bypassed by rookie Ollie Gordon II in the pecking order behind starter De’von Achane.
On Sunday, for the third time in his career, Wright was a healthy scratch against Carolina.That decision triggered the expected emotions.
“Surprised, disappointed,” he said at his locker Thursday. “You already know [my reaction]. It’s obvious.”
But it also left him determined.
“i’m doing what I’ve got to do; stay ready,” he said. “No matter what the situation is, I know God has got me at the end of the day. I’m just waiting, patient, cheering my teammates on. When I get my opportunity, make the best of it.”
McDaniel said Wright was inactive against Carolina because “we felt we needed the body for the two other phases, so we went heavy on defense and special teams and it wasn’t an indictment on Jaylen. I has a great conversation with him [last Sunday morning] about the whys and what-fors. So, I’m expecting him to… be involved against the Chargers.
In the 2024 Draft, the Dolphins 2025 third-round pick to the Eagles for the 120th pick that was used on Wright after an outstanding career at Tennessee when he averaged 6.2 yards on 368 carries through three seasons.
He averaged 3.7 yards on 68 carries as a Dolphins rookie last season, then sustained a knee injury in late August. He missed the first three weeks of the season after surgery and suited up for the Jets’ Monday night game but did not get a snap. He indicated his knee is fine.
“I feel good,” he said.
He played just seven snaps on special teams last season but said he can handle more if asked.
Asked if he has an understanding of what coaches want from him, he said: “Yeah. Keep being me. Keep working hard.”
▪ Cornerback Jack Jones committed two costly fourth-quarter penalties against Carolina, and defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver said “he’s got to trust his change of direction. There’s no need for Jack to be handsy.
“He’s an emotional player. When that emotion becomes too high, it starts to become uncontrollable. We had that conversation this morning. When a bad play happens, it’s important he doesn’t let it snowball.”
▪ Weaver said the Dolphins will use “primarily” safeties as nickel cornerbacks on Sunday against the visiting Chargers.
The five cornerbacks on the Dolphins’ 53-man roster are boundary cornerbacks by trade: Jones, Rasul Douglas, Ethan Bonner, Storm Duck and Juju Brents.
Weaver said “we have cross training going on” with some of those cornerbacks getting snaps at nickel.
The Dolphins have lost four nickel cornerbacks to injuries: Kader Kohou, Artie Burns, Jason Marshall Jr. and Cornell Armstrong, who was placed on injured reserve with a hamstring injury sustained against Carolina. Kohou and Burns are out for the year.
▪ Ryan Slowik, the Dolphins’ defensive backs/pass game specialist, said the team has liked what it has seen from the 6-3 Brents and the 6-1 Bonner, who are behind Jones and Douglas on the depth chart.
Brents hasn’t played a defensive snap this season; Bonner has played one.
Slowik said of Brents: “We like what we see. He has size, has length, looks like a point guard playing corner. Every day, we see improvement.”
He said if Bonner “can stay healthy and keep improving, we’re excited about him. We like the size, we like the speed.”
▪ Tight end Darren Waller’s offensive snap count jumped from 16 to 32 last week, and tight ends coach Jon Embree wouldn’t rule out another uptick.
“It will come naturally as we continue to keep him going and keep ramping him up,” Embree said.
Waller caught five passes for 78 yards and a touchdown in the first half against Carolina but wasn’t targeted in the second half. Why did that happen?
“It’s how the game was going,” Embree said. “Our first four possessions were three-and-out. Darren, on a short week, you don’t have a ton of stuff in there like you would in a normal situation. [Carolina] was like ‘we’ve got to lock this guy down. Kudos to them.’”
▪ Special teams tidbits: It was notable that the Dolphins used their open spot on the 53-man roster on a safety (Jordan Colbert) instead of a slot cornerback.
Special teams was a factor in that; the Dolphins believe he can be a core special teams player.
“He has got great size, he’s athletic, can move, can burst a little bit in short areas,” special teams coordinator Craig Aukerman said. “His instincts of just finding the football [are good]. That’s one of the biggest things we’re looking for [on coverage teams]: Do they have the instincts to make plays?”…
Punter Jake Bailey is second in the league in net average at 46.8 yards per punt. “You can see the laser focus he has,” Aukerman said.