Dolphins lose Erik Ezukanma to a mysterious injury

Miami Dolphins have two open roster spots because of injuries to veteran receivers

The Miami Dolphins lost two of the team's contributing receivers to serious injuries this week, and there's uncertainty about when they might return to the team.

Miami placed River Cracraft on injured reserve because of the shoulder injury he suffered in Sunday's 70-20 win over the Denver Broncos, and second-year receiver Erik Ezukanma was placed on the reserve/non-football injury list because of a neck injury that flared up last week.

"We’ll be able to have a better idea of a timeline in the next few days or weeks," Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel said about the two veteran receivers, who will not be available for at least the next four games. "They’re on their own journeys."

The Dolphins claim Ezukanma, who Miami was using in a Deebo Samuel-like role as a receiver carrying the football on gadget plays, had a pre-existing neck injury from his time at Texas Tech that got re-aggravated recently.

"We’re just kind of trying to get information on that. Don’t really have the specific instance," McDaniel said when asked for clarity. "It’s more of cautiously looking through that lens because it was something with his neck that he’s had in college, so we’re just kind of going through that which is why it’s kind of a vague timeline and kind of snuck up on us.”

When will Ezukanma return?

The NFI list isn't like being on injured reserve or the physically unable to perform (PUP) list. Teams aren't obligated to pay a player's base salary if he sustains an injury/ailment outside the team's watch, though the player will remain under contract. A team can opt to pay a player if it chooses, though.

Players on the reserve/non-football injury or reserve/non-football illness lists are ineligible to practice or play in games for four weeks, after being placed on the list.

After the four weeks, a player can begin practicing with their team, but cannot be moved to the active roster until after the team has played its first eight games of the season. When a player starts practicing, a three-week window begins in which the player can be moved to the active roster. 

If a player does not get activated after the three-week window ends, they must remain on the reserve/NFI list for the rest of the season. Only up to two players from the NFI lists are eligible to return to the active roster for each NFL team

Neither Ezukanma or Cracraft practiced all week, but the return of Jaylen Waddle, the starting flanker who missed last Sunday's game because of a concussion he suffered in Miami's win over New England the previous week, should help the Dolphins' No. 1-ranked offense.

Expect Braxton Berrios and Cedrick Wilson Jr. to have an elevated role in the game plan for Sunday's contest against the Bills. And don't be surprised if the Dolphins elevate Robbie Chosen this week, either calling him up from the practice squad for the second straight game, or signing him to the 53-man roster.

Chosen played more snaps than any other receiver in last Sunday's game and scored a 68-yard touchdown on a fourth-quarter pass from Mike White, beating Pro Bowl cornerback Patrick Surtain II on a double move before catching a deep pass and outsprinting Surtain to the end zone.

Chosen impresses Dolphins coaches

The Dolphins used Chosen as Waddle's replacement last week because the speed he possesses allowed Miami's coaches to keep the game plan status quo.

"His speed is something that you have to account for and makes it a little more difficult for defenses to just hone in on Tyreek (Hill), especially when Jaylen is not out there," said McDaniel, who claimed the plays Chosen made in the run game made the coaches abandon their initial plan of having the receivers rotate in and out of the game. "He is able to execute tasks that seem menial, that are huge, that allows you to be on the field to make plays.

"[Chosen's] playmaking ability is very intriguing to us, and one of the reasons why he’s here. But it’s his immersion into the offense that allows him to actually do something with it on Sundays.”

Two roster spots open

The Dolphins have two open spots on the 53-man roster because of Cracraft and Ezukanma's injuries, but Miami might need to use one of those spots to elevate edge defender Cameron Goode, who can't be called up from the practice squad for a fourth time this season because of NFL rules.

The Dolphins also have receivers Raleigh Webb and Braylon Sanders on the practice squad, and it’s possible they could be elevated from the practice squad for game day.

Sanders spent last season on Miami’s practice squad and was elevated for three games, where he caught two of the three passes thrown his way for 17 yards.

Webb, a former standout at The Citadel, spent last season with the Baltimore Ravens and the New England Patriots. He joined the Dolphins practice squad after not making New England’s final cut last month.

He played in 12 games last season, but took only one offensive snap.