Dolphins’ WRs managing injuries. Not optimal, but it opens door for a couple of surprises

It’s never good news when the number of injured players from a position group is greater than the number of days an NFL team has been in training camp.

And, yet, here we are.

The Miami Dolphins have been practicing at their new training facility in Miami Gardens for all of two days. The two-hour practices have not looked exceedingly taxing.

There’s no significant contact.

There’s certainly no tackling.

There’s still no pads.

The pace is measured.

And there are lulls in the work here and there.

But even in that welcoming scenario the Dolphins have three injured wide receivers. Already.

All three of them are projected as or have been starters for the Dolphins in the past.

No bueno.

Preston Williams is on the physically unable to perform list so not only is he not practicing, he hasn’t passed his physical. Presumably he is still trying to get to 100 percent from the foot injury he suffered last November and the surgery that came afterward to fix the issue.

DeVante Parker is on the physically unable to perform list so not only is he not practicing, he hasn’t passed his physical. The Dolphins are not saying what’s wrong with him but a club source confirmed Thursday it is a soft tissue injury suffered last week during a workout that, while not deemed serious, merits a bit more time so as to not become chronic.

“As far as a time frame on when he’ll be back, I think we’re just going to take it one day at a time and see how he progresses,” coach Brian Flores said Thursday. “He’s working and he’s going to try to get back as soon as he can. Really, honestly, that’s the case with all players who are dealing with anything.”

And then there is Will Fuller, who was perfectly fine when training camp opened but left the first practice before it was over with an apparent foot injury,

All Flores said Thursday is Fuller “is dealing with something. Again, we’ll see if he can get out there today. He’s just dealing with something.”

Fuller didn’t get out there Thursday, didn’t practice Friday and has had tests to gauge how significant that “something” is.

What’s the point?

The Miami Dolphins wide receiver corps, which has spent much of the past two seasons diminished by injuries and players not being available, has picked up this training camp right where it left off...

...With players injured or not being available.

And why is this important after only two days of training camp?

Because it doesn’t get easier from here, folks.

The grind gets harder. The physical demands on these players’ bodies becomes greater. The repetitions in training camp that lead to snap counts in the preseason and then the regular season begin to add up.

It takes a toll.

And the receiver corps general manager Chris Grier and Flores have put together comes with a history of past injuries. That was the case in 2019 and 2020 and we’re off and running again in 2021.

Speaking of running:

Jakeem Grant, who was inactive for two of last year’s final three games because of an injury and finished 2019 and 2018 on the injured reserve list, was looking very good returning punts and getting his practice repetitions most of the first two days.

But he curiously sat out some team drills Thursday. He worked full time on Friday.

(Peanut gallery: Oh, Mando, you are such a worrywart. The Dolphins have 13,324 wide receivers on their roster so a minor injury here or there the first week of camp is nothing.)

Thank you, gallery, for your first appearance of the 2021 season. You are correct that the Dolphins actually have 14 receivers on the roster — including the two on PUP — but I remind you availability is an ability.

And I further remind you the point of this season, and thus this training camp — aside from making the Dolphins into a playoff-caliber team — is to give quarterback Tua Tagovailoa a lot of confidence and opportunities to be great.

The offseason was about finding more weapons for Tagovailoa so he could be great.

So having some of those weapons sidelined now is detrimental to the receiver corps and the young quarterback’s chances of emerging.

Parker, for example, needs to practice. Yes, he’s going to eventually be starting he’s seventh NFL season so he’s a veteran who knows what he needs to do to be ready to play.

But the truth of Parker’s career has been that he’s most productive when he practices and works hard. He is best when he stacks good practices atop good practices.

That’s been the secret to his better seasons.

When he misses practices, he’s not quite the same player.

Fuller, meanwhile, is going to miss the regular-season opener as he serves the remainder of his NFL suspension for performance-enhancing drugs left over from last season.

The Dolphins are counting on Fuller to be a veteran deep threat for Tagovailoa. So the quarterback and receiver would be served by working together in practice as often as possible.

That’s not happening now, barring an immediate return to practice by Fuller.

The good news from all this is the Dolphins have gotten Albert Wilson back this year after he opted out a year ago because of COVID. And the first two days he has been the most explosive receiver on the team, catching deep passes during each session.

The other good news is the Dolphins have a lot of tight ends (seven) on the roster as well.

And Tagovailoa’s apparent go-to receiver so far in camp — aside from running backs on check downs — is Mike Gesicki. That’s important because those two need to find and at minimum match the chemistry Gesicki and former starter Ryan Fitzpatrick had the past two years.

But here’s the bottom line: If the Dolphins continue to struggle keeping their wide receivers on the field, it’s going to be hard having them and Tagovailoa perform in games.

The results are simply not possible to expect without the hard work in practice happening first.