Dolphins camp report: Highlights, notes and news on several players with injuries

News, notes and highlights from the Dolphins’ indoor training camp practice on Tuesday in Miami Gardens:

▪ The Dolphins welcomed four players back from injury on Tuesday, while 11 others remained out.

Cornerback Keion Crossen, who has been sidelined for weeks, was dressed and back at practice. So were offensive lineman Liam Eichenberg (missed team drills last week with an undisclosed injury), fullback Alec Ingold (who had missed a couple of weeks) and running back Myles Gaskin (who was sidelined in recent days after a strong first preseason game).

And tight end Tanner Conner, who had missed all of training camp with an undisclosed injury, was activated off the physically unable to perform list. The second-year tight end, who played sparingly last season, joins Elijah Higgins, Tyler Kroft, Julian Hill and injured Eric Saubert in the battle to join Durham Smythe on the roster.

Only Smythe has a job secured, tight ends coach John Embree said Tuesday.

Eleven players remained out on Tuesday due to medical issues or injuries. That group included running back De’Von Achane (shoulder/week to week, per Mike McDaniel), receiver Jaylen Waddle (mid-section injury/expected back by the opener), receiver Braylon Sanders (knee bruise, per source), Saubert (lower body/out at least two weeks), guard Rob Jones (on crutches and expected to miss four to six weeks with a sprained MCL; had a black wrap around his leg), guard Lester Cotton (McDaniel has said it’s not serious); tackle Terron Armstead (leg injury; Dolphins optimistic he will be ready for the Sept. 10 opener at the Chargers).

Those 11 absent from practice also include cornerbacks Nik Needham (still on PUP after last October’s Achilles injury), Jalen Ramsey (knee/expected back in November or December); and Justin Bethel (who’s wearing a big brace on his left leg).

Needham is the only Dolphins’ player on PUP after Conner was activated.

Quarterback Mike White, who’s in concussion protocol, stretched with the team but wasn’t wearing a helmet and didn’t practice.

Cornerback Cam Smith, who had been wearing a red non-contact jersey in the wake of a shoulder injury in the preseason opener, was no longer wearing that red jersey and has resumed competing with Eli Apple and Noah Igbinoghene in the battle for what is likely the third cornerback job during Ramsey’s absence.

Safety Brandon Jones was dressed for practice but did not participate in team drills. He has been out for the past week-plus, though McDaniel insisted he hasn’t had a setback following ACL surgery last October.

▪ Meanwhile, defensive lineman Christian Wilkins continues to sit out team drills while waiting for resolution on months of conversations between his agent (David Mulugheta) and the team on a contract extension.

Wilkins -- who is due to make $10.7 million this season in the final years of his contract -- has been attending meetings and participating in individual drills.

▪ After individual work, the Dolphins ran 7 on 7 red zone drills, and Tua Tagovailoa was sacked when he had nowhere to throw the ball. Short passes were completed to Erik Ezukanma, Raheem Mostert, Salvon Ahmed and Higgins, but all were short of the end zone.

▪ In 11 on 11 drills, Tagovailoa was intercepted by safety DeShon Elliott on a deep pass to Braxton Berrios. Verone McKinley was in coverage, as well, and rookie edge player Garrett Nelson got pressure on Tagovailoa.

Tua also couldn’t connect with Tyreek Hill on a deep pass, with rookie Keidron Smith in coverage. Rookie Randy Charlton applied pressure on that play.

In 11 on 11 red zone drills, a Tua fade to Hill was broken up by Apple. And another Tua fade was too high for Hill to catch; Xavien Howard had good coverage on the play. Also in 11 on 11 work, Tua overthrew Davis, who had a step on Eli Apple.

On the positive side, Tua completed a 20-yard pass to Tyreek Hill in the middle of the field, then hit Hill for a 25-yard gain, beating Ethan Bonner. A Tagovailoa screen to Braxton Berrios gained at least 10 yards.

And in red zone 11 on 11s late in practice, Tua hit a wide open Raheem Mostert, who walked into the end zone for a 10-yard gain.

On another set of late practice 11 on 11 red zone drills, Tua threw incomplete to Ezukanma in the back of the end zone and to Mostert on a short pass. Tua completed a pass to Berrios that was short of the end zone, but then found Myles Gaskin in the flat for a TD.

▪ Skylar Thompson had some good moments but then ran into problems. He threw on the run to Daewood Davis, who made a sliding catch in the end zone, beating Eli Apple. Thompson then threw a TD pass to Braxton Berrios on a crossing route, beating Xavien Howard. Both of those TDs came in 7 on 7 red zone drills.

Also in those red zone 7 on 7 drills, Apple broke up a Thompson pass to Keke Coutee in the back of the end zone. Then Thompson threw incomplete to Davis in the end zone and threw another pass out of the back of the end zone.

Minutes later, Thompson threw an interception to Jevon Holland in 11 on 11 drills. The pass was intended for Cedrick Wilson Jr., but Howard deflected it and Holland caught the ricochet. Thompson also threw a short pass to Hill for a 10-yard gain.

Later in 11 on 11 work, Thompson completed 10-yard passes to Mostert and Higgins.

Thompson completed a 15-yard pass to Hill, and Chris Brooks gained 10 yards on a short pass from Thompson. A Thompson pass to Ezukanma gained at least five yards. But Josiah Bronson and Jaylen Twyman then deflected passes thrown by Thompson.

▪ The Dolphins’ front seven often suffocated the running game and limited a handful of short throws to losses or small gains.

In full 11 on 11 drills, Jaelen Phillips - who has had an exceptional training camp - had a tackle for loss on a Tagovailoa screen to Raheem Mostert.

Elliott limited a short pass to Myles Gaskin for a short gain. And Holland had a tackle for loss on a bubble pass to Erik Ezukanma.

Rookie defensive lineman Randy Charlton had a tackle for loss on a Tua screen to Ezukanma.

Emmanuel Ogbah had a tackle for loss on a pass to Ahmed behind the line of scrimmage.

Defensive lineman Da’Shawn Hand had a tackle for loss on a Gaskin screen pass reception from James Blackman.

The defense also dominated against the Dolphins’ run game.

Defensive lineman Raekwon Davis and cornerback Kader Kohou stuffed an inside run by Mostert, and Davis then stood up Ahmed on another inside run.

Linebacker Duke Riley had a tackle for loss on a Gaskin run.

Linebacker Jerome Baker had a tackle for loss on another Gaskin run.

Edge player Cameron Goode had a tackle for loss on a Mostert run.

Defensive lineman Zach Sieler had a tackle for loss on an inside run by Brooks and later had a sack on Thompson and a sack on Tagovailoa.

A Mostert run in red zone 11 on 11s gained only two yards; Phillips and David Long had the tackle.

Besides Kohou, other defensive backs also flashed against the run. Jamal Perry, back again with the Dolphins, had a run stuff on Brooks.

▪ Also in those 11 on 11 team drills, defensive end/outside linebacker Emmanuel Ogbah had a sack on James Blackman, who’s back on the team while White progresses threw concussion protocol.

Meanwhile, Bradley Chubb had a sack on Tagovailoa.

▪ As you can tell, good runs against this stacked Dolphins front seven were rare on Tuesday. Ahmed had one of them, scampering through to the second level of the defense.

▪ Nelson, the Nebraska rookie, not only applied pressure on one aforementioned play, but also sacked Thompson on another case. Nelson has had a solid camp and seems likely to be kept on the practice squad, at the very least.

▪ Jason Sanders connected on field goals from 30, 35, 38, 48, 52 and 54 yards.

▪ Noah Igbinoghnene had a pass breakup on a Blackman pass to Ingold. Chubb applied pressure.

▪ Andrew Van Ginkel had a sack on Thompson. Van Ginkel has impressed coaches with his transition to a duel inside/outside linebacker role.

▪ Elijah Campbell - who has had a very good camp - dropped a potential interception on a pass from James Blackman. And then Gaskin dropped a pass from Blackman near the goal line.

▪ Geron Christian, who hasn’t been able to gain a foothold in the battle for a backup tackle job, was called for a false start.