The other day we did an article about three key members of the Miami Dolphins that were recovering from injuries, Branden Albert, DeVante Parker, and Caleb Sturgis. We mentioned that the biggest worry of this group was Albert since he protected Tannehill’s blindside, and also because he is the cornerstone of the offensive line, and that unit is arguably the weakest on the team.
Well any one following Miami Dolphins News should be very happy to hear that the Dolphins have just announced that Albert will not be placed on the the physically unable to perform list (PUP) at the start of training camp. These is great for two reasons, one is that staying off PUP list allows him to participate and do limited work in walk through’s during training camp. The other reason is that this development actually shows that Albert is not behind in his recovery schedule, because if he were then the Dolphins would have put him on the PUP list and would have saved the roster spot for someone else.
As we said before, Albert is the Dolphins best offensive lineman, and he is the glue that keeps the entire offensive line together. Many fans are aware of Miami’s lack of talent at the Guard position, however I would say it is more important to have Albert in the starting lineup, than to have an upgrade at one of the two Guard positions. If we are stuck with Thomas, Turner or Douglas as our starting Guards, then at the very least we need Albert to be healthy for 16 games. With Albert, Pouncey, and James in the starting lineup on the offensive line, they can mask a lot of the deficiencies in the two Guard positions. However if Albert is not in the lineup, then the offensive line is poised for a repeat of the 2013 season.
It is kind of scary to think about how important Albert is to this team, but the fact is he might be one of, or even the most important players on the entire team. Yes I know the QB is very important, and Suh is going to be a monster, but without Albert playing Left Tackle, Miami’s passing and running game will suffer. You only need to look back to last year, and see that when Albert was in the lineup, the amount of sacks allowed was way down, and the running game was more effective, compared to after when he was forced from the starting lineup due to injury.
Lastly one other interesting development is that the Dolphins placed DeVante Parker and Don Jones on the active PUP list. In regards to Parker, that is a bit concerning because this means he is not ahead of schedule in his recovery process. This could be an ominous sign that Parker may have to be placed on the PUP list when the season starts, and that would mean he would be forced to miss the first 6 games of the season. Clearly it is never a good thing when a Rookie misses time in the beginning of the season, because it slows down their development and learning curve. However it is important to make sure Parker is 100% healthy before he steps on the field, and make sure this foot injury does not turn into a recurring injury. In addition Miami is stacked at the wide receiver position, so there is no reason to rush him back. What are the rest of your thoughts and feelings on whether Albert and Parker will be ready to start the season?
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