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Dolphins have two starters in concussion protocol ahead of Patriots game
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- Dolphins have two starters in concussion protocol ahead of Patriots game
MIAMI GARDENS — The Miami Dolphins appeared to come away from the win over the New York Jets relatively healthy, but they now have two players in concussion protocol ahead of this Sunday's game against the New England Patriots.
Dolphins rookie offensive lineman Kadyn Proctor and cornerback JuJu Brents were symptomatic for concussions early in the week following the 28-25 win at MetLife Stadium .
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Proctor played all 65 offensive snaps against the Jets. He was particularly amped up following the first-down conversion on fourth-and-1 to seal the win in the final minutes. The rookie left guard even conducted a Monday afternoon podium interview back at team headquarters, appearing fine the whole time.
Brents was in and out with a stinger during the win in the Meadowlands. He returned to action after missing six defensive snaps.
Both players now must complete the five-step protocol in order to be cleared to play before Sunday's 4:25 p.m. kickoff against the Patriots (4-3).
At Wednesday's practice, neither player went through drills. Proctor was not spotted at all. Brents, who is also listed on the injury report for a neck injury, was doing light aerobic exercise on the side of practice, signaling he is in a more advanced stage of protocol than Proctor.
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Proctor, the top draft pick of the Dolphins last April and of the regime of general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan as a college left tackle, has been valuable in both pass protection and in run-blocking for Miami's seventh-ranked rushing attack.
Brents uses his long frame at 6 feet 3, with a wingspan of a whopping 82 5/8 inches, to be effective in both man and zone coverage, but he does have an extensive injury history that has kept him from consistently staying on the field.
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If Proctor can't play, it could be backup Jarrett Kingston who plays left guard. Kingston, in the Oct. 11 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, entered for right guard Jonah Savaiinaea when he left early with an ankle injury.
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If Brents misses the game, Jason Marshall Jr. will rise up to be the second cornerback, staying on the field with rookie Chris Johnson when in the base 4-3 defense. For nickel packages, options for the third cornerback on the active roster include Marcellas Dial Jr., Jaylin Simpson and Reese Taylor.
The Dolphins (1-5) also had safety Dante Trader Jr. exit and return to the game with a shoulder injury. He was listed on the injury report as limited Wednesday. Running back Jaylen Wright had a new quadriceps ailment surface Sunday as he was already protecting a foot, but he practiced in full.
Also limited for Miami was safety Michael Taaffe (neck/foot), wide receivers Malik Washington (knee) and Jared Wayne (knee), tight ends Greg Dulcich (ankle) and Will Kacmarek (hamstring), cornerback Reese Taylor (quadriceps) and long snapper Tucker Addington (shoulder).
Quarterback Malik Willis had a new groin ailment pop up on the injury report, but he practiced in full. Defensive end Rob Beal Jr. has also improved to full participation after missing four consecutive games with an ailing hamstring.
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For the Patriots, they had four players limited at their Wednesday practice: Wide receiver A.J. Brown (ankle), tackle Morgan Moses (foot), defensive tackle Daquan Jones (back) and offensive lineman Ben Brown (knee).
Heightened energy
Coming off their first win of the season, Hafley noted players were energetic, but it's something that had been building coming off the bye week before defeating the Jets.
"I told you that before we even played the game, right? So, that was the truth," he said. "I sense a lot of energy right now. I've never really felt a dip of energy. There's been a lot of focus. Guys want to get better, which is the most important thing.
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Football coaches always harp that it's important not to get too high or too low off the ebbs and flows of a season.
"The walkthrough that we just came from was outstanding," Hafley said. "The guys are locked in, they're focused just like they were last week. And I think that's part of this whole thing. Can we continue to do that regardless of the result? And I think, often, that can be hard, right? But that's really important that we come to work every day with the focus and with the one thing in mind is 'can I be better today than I was yesterday?' And it was great energy. So probably some more confidence with some guys, maybe."
Douglas' two touchdowns
Dolphins wide receiver Caleb Douglas said he kept both of the footballs from his first two NFL touchdowns scored last Sunday against the Jets.
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"They're already put up in a little container and everything," Douglas said.
The rookie wideout scored Miami's first touchdown at the Jets in his first game back after missing three due to an ankle injury. He also posted the final points when he took a short pass along the left side 63 yards down the sideline for a key fourth-quarter touchdown with 4:44 remaining.
"I'm happy I was able to go out there and contribute," he said.
Waiver claim
The Dolphins claimed guard Christian Haynes off waivers from the Seattle Seahawks on Wednesday.
Haynes, a 2024 third-round pick, made five starts this season, but the Seahawks pulled of a trade Tuesday for Indianapolis Colts perennial All-Pro guard Quenton Nelson. Haynes was the casualty in Seattle to make room on the roster.
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For Miami to make room for the former University of Connecticut standout, rookie sixth-round pick DJ Campbell was waived. The team can still bring him back on the practice squad if he clears waivers.
