Cracraft Returning to Practice

The Miami Dolphins wide receiver was injured during the preseason
Miami Dolphins wide receiver River Cracraft (85) catches a touchdown over Washington Commanders cornerback Benjamin St-Juste (25) during the first quarter at Hard Rock Stadium.
Miami Dolphins wide receiver River Cracraft (85) catches a touchdown over Washington Commanders cornerback Benjamin St-Juste (25) during the first quarter at Hard Rock Stadium. / Jim Rassol-Imagn Images
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The Miami Dolphins offense will be getting wide receiver River Cracraft back soon.

Head coach Mike McDaniel said before practice Wednesday that Cracraft's three-week practice window would open on this day, meaning he could be back as soon as Sunday — or anytime within the next three weeks.

The Dolphins designated Cracraft to return when they placed him on injured reserve August 27, taking advantage of the new rule allowing teams to designated two players to return during the moves to the 53-player limit (all players had to be on the original 53 to be designated to return before this season).

This tells us the Dolphins knew Cracraft's shoulder injury wasn't season-ending and they valued him enough to use one of their eight return designations on him.

Cracraft was injured during the preseason when he caught a touchdown pass from Tua Tagovailoa against the Washington Commanders.

Cracraft is one of three players on which the Dolphins already have used the return designation, along with Tagovailoa and cornerback Cam Smith, who also was placed on IR on August.

The Dolphins have five other players on IR who are eligible to be designated to return — WR Braxton Berrios, WR Grant DuBose, QB Tyler Huntley, DB Pat McMorris and LB Jaelan Phillips, although Berrios and Phillips both have ACL injuries that will keep them out for the whole season. Additionally, long-snapper Blake Ferguson would count against the eight return designations if he's brought back from the Reserve/Non-Football Illness list.

The Dolphins also have three players still left on PUP, who do not count against the eight-designation limit: LB Bradley Chubb, OL Isaiah Wynn and LB Cameron Goode. McDaniel said Wednesday he had not timetable on Wynn but that he was progressing well, two days after his not-so-encouraging comments regarding Chubb.

WHAT NOW AT WIDE RECEIVER?

The Dolphins have five wide receivers on the roster after Dee Eskridge was signed from the practice squad, and the question here is whether they would go with six on the 53 when they activate Cracraft.

If the choice is to stay at five, it's not ridiculous to suggest that Odell Beckham Jr.'s spot could be in jeopardy considering he's played only 11 offensive snaps in each of his three games and has been targeted only three times total, none in the 28-27 loss against the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday.

We know that Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle aren't going anywhere, the Dolphins like rookie sixth-round pick Malik Washington and Eskridge brings value as the new kickoff returner.

Cracraft has caught only nine passes each of the past two seasons, but it would surprise no one if he became the third wide receiver upon his return.


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Alain Poupart
ALAIN POUPART

Alain Poupart is the publisher/editor of All Dolphins and co-host of the All Dolphins Podcast. Alain has covered the Miami Dolphins on a full-time basis since 1989 for various publications and media outlets, including Dolphin Digest, The Associated Press, the Dolphins team website, and the Fan Nation Network (part of Sports Illustrated). In addition to being a credentialed member of the Miami Dolphins press corps, Alain has covered three Super Bowls (for NFL.com, Football News and the Montreal Gazette), the annual NFL draft, the Senior Bowl, and the NFL Scouting Combine. During his almost 40 years in journalism, which began at the now-defunct Miami News, Alain has covered practically every sport at one time or another, from tennis to golf, baseball, basketball and everything in between. The career also included time as a copy editor, including work on several books such as "Still Perfect," an inside look at the Miami Dolphins' 1972 perfect season. A native of Montreal, Canada, whose first language is French, Alain grew up a huge hockey fan but soon developed a love for all sports, including NFL football. He has lived in South Florida since the 1980s.