Breaking Down the Final Dolphins-Patriots Week 1 Injury Report
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Wide receiver Jaylen Waddle indeed will be in the lineup, barring unforeseen circumstances, for the Miami Dolphins in their season opener against the New England Patriots at Hard Rock Stadium on Sunday.
Waddle was among the players who were limited in practice Wednesday and Thursday who did not get a game status designation on the final injury report of Week 1, the others being cornerback Nik Needham, fullback Alec Ingold, running back Chase Edmonds and running back Myles Gaskin.
Technically, Melvin Ingram and Terron Armstead also fell under that category, but their being limited was related to veteran rest.
Neither Waddle nor Ingold played in any of the three preseason games, which means the Dolphins finally will be able to get their full complement of players under new head coach Mike McDaniel.
Needham being available obviously is big given that starting cornerback Byron Jones is spending at least the first four games of the regular season on the Reserve/PUP list. Whether Needham takes his usual place at the slot corner or moves outside to start in place of Jones remains to be determined (or, maybe we should say, revealed).
The Dolphins did have five players listed as questionable — RB Salvon Ahmed (heel), TE Tanner Conner (knee), DT Raekwon Davis (knee), S Eric Rowe (pectoral) and LB Andrew Van Ginkel (illness).
Davis, who is slated to started at nose tackle, surfaced on the injury report Thursday and was limited for a second consecutive day Friday.
Head coach Mike McDaniel addressed his status before practice.
"There was a little something that we're taking a look at and we would really think that ... we have enough good players on the team, so we don't want to put a player out there that might not be able to do right, wouldn't be doing right by him if you wouldn't be able to be full go," McDaniel said. "So we'll see how he reacts today and make that decision then. But yeah, it was something that kind of popped up yesterday. And we'll see really how much the ramifications are after he gets moving today."
If Davis can't play against the Patriots, John Jenkins is listed as the second-team nose tackle on the team's depth chart, but the Dolphins also could use Zach Sieler to start alongside Christian Wilkins and Emmanuel Ogbah on the defensive line.
Starting center Connor Williams popped up on the injury report Friday with a knee issue, but he was listed as a full participant and did not receive a game status designation, meaning he'll be available.
NEW ENGLAND'S FINAL INJURY REPORT
The Patriots injury report also included nothing but players listed as questionable , and there were five of them.
The new name on the injury was cornerback Shaun Wade, who was added Friday because of an ankle issue.
The other four players on the injury report are S Joshuah Bledsoe (groin), WR Jakobi Meyers (knee), WR Ty Montgomery (knee) and T Isaiah Wynn (back).
With the receivers, another reminder that Meyers is one of the starters based on their depth chart along with Nelson Agholor, and one of the second-team wide receivers is former Dolphins first-round pick DeVante Parker.
