Miami Dolphins vast receiver River Cracraft plans on retaining the soccer from his first profession regular-season landing, which sparked the crew’s fourth-quarter comeback in Baltimore, proper subsequent to his mattress.
“Something I’ll hold onto forever,” Cracraft stated of the 2-yard landing reception. “Definitely a highlight. Would like to keep those coming. It’s a starting point.”
If Cracraft goes to maintain these coming with the Dolphins, the crew could quickly should decide on signing him to the energetic roster full-time.
Cracraft has been elevated twice in two weeks from the observe squad. NFL guidelines in 2022 enable a crew to carry a practice-squad participant up 3 times. If they wish to promote the identical participant once more, they should signal him to the energetic roster. Should the crew then wish to ship him again to the observe squad, it must launch him first, making him eligible to be claimed by different golf equipment.
“You make these decisions every week for what’s the best thing for the football team that week in the given matchups,” coach Mike McDaniel stated on Friday. “If we get to that time the place he’s misplaced all that eligibility, then we have now to cross that bridge.
“I don’t get ahead of myself because that involves his play. That also involves other people’s play, so we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.”
Beyond his capability, Cracraft, the 6-foot, 198-pound slot receiver out of Washington State, is a fascinating participant to have out there on sport days due to his familiarity with McDaniel and vast receivers coach Wes Welker over the previous two seasons in San Francisco. He’s been up and down from the observe squad with the 49ers and thru three prior seasons with the Denver Broncos.
“I like to pride myself as someone who’s reliable,” he stated. “I like to bring that to the table, and we’ll see what happens going forward.”
Welker sees a piece ethic in Cracraft he can respect as a fellow undrafted receiver — one who made 5 Pro Bowls and is a Hall of Fame nominee.
“On his off days,” Welker stated, “he’s always up here, always doing extra after practice, even during the spring and all those different things. It all adds up.”
The Dolphins at present have an open spot on the energetic roster, solely utilizing 52 of 53, however that’s with cornerback Byron Jones on the reserve/physically-unable-to-perform checklist and proper deal with Austin Jackson on short-term injured reserve.
While Cracraft has been up, rookie fourth-round choose Erik Ezukanma, a coaching camp and preseason standout, has been a wholesome inactive the primary two video games.
“I think he’s responded really well,” stated Welker, including the Dolphins really feel they’ve high quality gamers forward of him on the place. “He’ll get there. He just needs to continue to put in the work and understand that it is a process and when he’s ready, we’ll know he’s ready.”
Phillips has ‘done some good things’
Dolphins second-year exterior linebacker Jaelan Phillips has been off to a sluggish begin statistically. He solely has two tackles via two video games, plus a key fumble restoration late towards the New England Patriots.
While he hasn’t been across the ball a lot between that win and final Sunday in Baltimore, superior metrics nonetheless say he’s enjoying nicely. ESPN has him at a 31 p.c pass-rush win price, which is increased via two video games than the 28-percent determine the Browns’ Myles Garrett led the league with final 12 months. Pro Football Focus had Phillips amongst Miami’s highest-graded defenders towards the Ravens.
“You never want to chase numbers and chase stats,” Phillips stated. “It’s all about just the effort and focusing on honing your craft. I’m just going to continue to try to improve and bring some pressure.”
If Phillips merely continues to win his matchups towards his blockers, it ought to end in higher exercise statistically, together with the pressures, quarterback hits and sacks he’s recognized for after a franchise rookie document 8 ½ sacks in 2021.
“He’s playing within this scheme, and I think it can get better,” Dolphins defensive coordinator Josh Boyer stated. “He’s done some good things. I think that’s like everybody. I mean, we’re Week 2 in the season. To sit here and say, ‘Hey, this is it. This is what it is. This is not this. This is good.’ I mean, I don’t think that’s the case. I think it’s an evolving thing that we’re all trying to get better. I think that he has done some good things. And I think you’ll continue to [see him] do some good things, and I think he’ll get better at some things.”
Crossman explains return TD
Dolphins particular groups coordinator Danny Crossman was expectedly displeased together with his unit permitting a Devin Duvernay return landing on the opening kickoff towards the Ravens final Sunday.
“There’s fit. Think of it as a run play — there’s guys that have certain fits and certain responsibilities,” Crossman stated. “Against a dynamic return guy, if everybody’s not where they’re supposed to be, there’s going to be an issue. And then we had compounded that with a second issue of a secondary player. So, it was a very poor play. I take the blame for it.”
Although Crossman was heard vociferously instructing his unit throughout the media viewing portion of Wednesday’s observe, he says nothing modifications with the best way he approaches the kick and punt protection groups.
“Whether it’s a good play or bad play, it’s a play and you’ve got to move on,” he stated. “As long as you’re coaching and teaching the same things and you don’t go and try and change things, you’re going to be fine. We’ve been, in my opinion, fairly successful at what we’ve been doing and how we cover kicks.”
Crossman additionally clarified McDaniel’s stat from earlier within the week, that he really hadn’t beforehand given up a gap kickoff landing return — not any kick return general.
“I’ve given up a couple others, sadly,” Crossman stated. “It’s been a while, though.”
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Source: www.bostonherald.com