Dolphins Stock Report (Day 9): Aaron Brewer's cleared to practice
Aaron Brewer, who has been held out of Miami's first eight practices because of a lower leg issue, participated on Saturday, and did most of the team's 11-on-11 work.
Brewer, who is viewed as the leader of Miami's offensive line, wasn't placed on the Physically Unable to Perform list at the start of camp because Miami's coaches wanted him to continue participating in the team's walk-throughs, and to work on snapping with quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, which was an issue last camp.
Now that he's returned Andrew Meyer, who has been playing admirably as his replacement, can return to the second team offensive line, which had been struggling. Meyer's an undrafted player from UTEP who spent all of last season on the 53-man roster, but didn't get any offensive snaps.
He'll likely get the bulk of the center workload in Miami's three preseason games.
Brewer's return also opens the door for Daniel Brunskill, a seven-year veteran signed two weeks ago, to get more snaps at offensive guard, which has become a troublesome spot for the second and third-team offensive line during camp, especially with Liam Eichenberg on the PUP list while rehabbing an undisclosed injury.
However, not helping matters is the fact Austin Jackson, the Dolphins' starting right tackle, missed Saturday's practice and will likely be sidelined a month because of a lower extremity injury he suffered this week.
Larry Borom and Ryan Hayes, the two top backup offensive tackles, have struggled for most of camp, and now one must replace Jackson as the starting right tackle for all three exhibition games. The Dolphins have signed two offensive tackles since training camp opened and expect the tackle hunt to continue because that's been a troublesome spot in camp.
Here's a breakdown of what happened in Day 9 of Dolphins training camp.
Top Performers
▪ Linebacker Willie Gay Jr. continued his run of making an impact play every practice by pulling down an interception that would have been returned for a touchdown during Miami's first 11-on-11 period. Gay also dropped a possible interception from Zach Wilson, and that's the fourth time he's dropped a ball that has hit his hands since camp started. However, it's clear that Gay's coverage skills are top notch.
▪ Safety John Saunders Jr., an undrafted rookie free agent from Ole Miss, pulled down an interception of a Quinn Ewers pass that would have likely been a sack. Sanders read the eyes of the quarterback and hawked down the pass to Theo Wease Jr. Saunders also created a fumble by stripping the ball from Jaylen Wright at the end of a run. So far he's been the top playmaking safety in Miami's secondary.
▪ Offensive tackle Kion Smith, who plays both tackle and guard, had his best day of training camp after moving back to tackle. Smith, who missed all of last season because of an ACL injury he suffered in the 2024 preseason, had been working at guard for most of camp. But on Saturday he was exclusively working at left tackle, and delivered a decent performance. Smith's move should allow Larry Borom and Ryan Hayes to focus on the right tackle spot, which is critical now that Jackson is sidelined.
STOCK UP
▪ Alexander Mattison, a seven-year veteran the Dolphins added this offseason in free agency, continues to push for playing time with his forceful running since pads came on. Mattison, who has started 26 of the 89 games he's played in his career, produced a 35-yard run after bouncing the ball to the right side before being pushed out by a safety. If Mattison continues to churn out big runs he might unseat Jaylen Wright as the Dolphins' No. 2 back.
STOCK DOWN
▪ Jonah Savaiinaea, the Dolphins' 2025 second-round pick, has had a solid camp up to this point. But Saturday's practice hinted that his gas tank might be approaching empty. The rookie lost just about every rep during 1-on-1s Saturday, and he wasn't playing with the consistency the Dolphins need from a player expected to become the team's starting left guard as a rookie. It was just one day, but the standards are higher for the former University of Arizona standout, whom the Dolphins traded a treasure chest of draft picks to move up in the second-round to acquire.
Injury updates
▪ Right tackle Austin Jackson was held out of practice because of a lower extremity injury he seemingly suffered during Friday's session. Jackson, who missed the second half of the 2024 season with a knee injury, had previously been participating in practice without any limitations.
▪ Cornerback Jason Marshall Jr. was held out of 11-on-11 work because of an undisclosed injury.
▪ Pass rusher Cam Smith, who has been nursing a soft tissue leg injury, was held out of Saturday's practice.
▪ Pass rusher Jaelan Phillips left practice with a left leg bruise but insinuated on social media that the injury wasn't serious.
▪ Receiver Dee Eskridge suffered what appeared to be a right hamstring injury on the final snap of Saturday's practice and was carted off the field.
▪ Safety Ashtyn Davis showed up for Saturday's practice with his left leg in a boot and riding a scooter.
▪ Cornerback B.J. Adams, who suffered a concussion on Saturday, participated in his second straight practice with a red jersey on, which indicates he's still in the concussion protocol program.
▪ Safety Dante Trader Jr. continues nursing a soft tissue issue and will be held out of practice for a week, giving him time to heal for Miami's joint practices against the Chicago Bears next week.
▪ Tight end Jalin Conyers missed a fifth straight day of practice and has a boot on his left leg.
What they said
'It's a process. It's a day to day thing. It could be one week. It could be one year,' Dolphins safety Minkah Fitzpatrick said when asked about his journey to become a team leader, not just a leader of the secondary.
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