Dolphins’ Brandon Jones, Trill Williams return to practice for first time since knee injuries

On the first day of the Miami Dolphins training camp on Wednesday, some players who had missed a sizable portion of the previous season due to injury were present and ready to go. Safety Brandon Jones and cornerback Trill Williams were in uniform and back on the practice field.

The two experienced setbacks in their careers last year due to injuries that prevented them from playing for most of the season — Jones for the second half and Williams for the entire season.

Both participated in individual drills but neither were seen in team drills. Still, their return to the field marked milestones in their recoveries.

Jones, 25, made seven starts for the Dolphins before suffering an ACL tear in his left knee during the Week 7 game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, which forced him to miss the remainder of the year. He recorded 49 tackles (26 solo) in the 2022 season, along with two sacks, three passes defended, and one forced fumble.

There was no fixed timeframe for his return to play, but he just simply wanted to get back out there on the field while also understanding that healing from an ACL injury takes a great amount of time and effort.

“I’m just super hard headed and wanted to be back as fast as I could be,” Jones said after practice. “I just wanted instant improvement and instant progression, which with this, it takes a long time. So that’s kind of hard to see every single day. But my goal was to just, as soon as I got fully cleared from the doctor, that I was going to come out here and do the best of my abilities.”

Jones gained recognition during his college football career at the University of Texas where he was a three-year starter and had 233 tackles (175 solo), one sack, four interceptions and 11 passes defended before being selected in the third round as the 70th overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft by the Dolphins.

Prior to getting hurt, he had a team-high 49 tackles in 334 snaps and was tied for second on the team with two sacks. Over the previous two seasons, he accumulated seven sacks.

Jones said that having time was the most valuable asset he had while off the field. It was the first time he had ever had that much time to devote to other things like studying the new playbook, the defense, and the safety position itself.

“Not being on the field, you recognize and realize so much more things,” Jones said. “I’m always looking for an edge. I couldn’t run, I couldn’t back peddle, I couldn’t do any of that stuff. ... That’s one thing. No matter what is wrong with me, I’m always gonna figure out some type of edge, something that’s gonna help me strive and excel my game.”

Cornerback Xavien Howard spoke highly of Jones and his capabilities Tuesday.

“We call him ‘Blitz Boy,’ but he brings a lot to the table, man,” Howard said. “He does his thing. When he’s out there, he’s going 120 miles per hour every day.”

In the offseason, the Dolphins signed safety DeShon Elliott, who was a starter with the Detroit Lions and Baltimore Ravens. But Jones said he embraces competition with his former Texas teammate.

Williams made his NFL debut with Miami in 2021 – he originally signed with the New Orleans Saints as an undrafted free agent and joined Miami after being waived – and played in one game but was inactive for 12. He was one of camp’s most outstanding performers last season before sustaining an ACL injury in the closing minutes of the Dolphins’ preseason opener against Tampa Bay, which forced him to miss the remainder of the season.

The ability to return to the field and play alongside his teammates after a year off was, for Williams, the greatest feeling.

“It was pretty hard watching them go on and play,” Williams said. “Me being at home and rehabbing every day, it lit a fire in me to come back… The player I’m going to be going forward is a player that I’ve never been in my life. When I get the opportunity to showcase that, you guys will see firsthand.“

He was a three-year letterman (2018-20) at Syracuse and recorded 93 tackles (65 solo), four interceptions, 10 passes defended, three forced fumbles and one fumble recovery.

There is speculation that Williams might move to the safety position for the upcoming season. He has experience playing safety in college and said that, prior to his stint with the Dolphins, he hardly ever played cornerback.

But that would be of no concern to Williams if he were to switch positions.

“I’m versatile, I can play anywhere,” Williams said. “So wherever the coaches want to put me at, I want to be able to know the position and go play with no hesitations and go out there and compete at 100 percent. So wherever they see fit, that’s where I’m gonna play.”