Dolphins’ Wynn getting a big chance, addresses situation. And injury, personnel notes

Isaiah Wynn has played all 43 of his NFL games at tackle, including 40 as a starter for the Patriots.

But he was a very good guard at the University of Georgia, and Wynn on Saturday confirmed what many people at practice had noticed since he came off the PUP list last week: The Dolphins have been giving him work at guard. And he said he’s comfortable there.

“It’s a lot like tackle,” Wynn said. “At guard, everything happens quicker. Tackle, you have more space.”

He said he feels “no rust” playing guard but “can always get better for sure.” In general, “I’m not where I feel like I need to be.”

Wynn started 12 games at left guard for Georgia in 2016 before moving to left tackle. His missed his NFL rookie season in 2018 with a ruptured Achilles.

Asked if he came here hoping to win a starting job, Wynn said: “I came here to help, whatever way I can help.”

Left guard Liam Eichenberg, the incumbent starter, has had an uneven camp. So there’s an opportunity for Wynn to compete. Lester Cotton and Rob Jones are among other guards on the roster with starting experience.

Wynn, of course, also could end up at tackle - either backing up Terron Armstead or Austin Jackson or potentially competing with Jackson at some point.

Wynn was a pretty good left tackle for the Patriots for parts of three seasons before struggling somewhat at right tackle for New England during an injury-shortened 2022 season.

SCRIMMAGE REACTION

Tua Tagovailoa threw two interceptions (one to Noah Igbinoghene and another to Eli Apple near the end zone to end the day) but also made some very good throws during a scrimmage at Hard Rock Stadium, which was stopped and restarted after 40 minutes because of lightning.

Tagovailoa’s best throw was a 58-yard pass to Tyreek Hill, beating Keidron Smith.

Elijah Campbell picked off Skylar Thompson. Mike White didn’t throw a pick.

“Today it was clearly advantage defense,” Mike McDaniel said. “There were some guys that weren’t they’re normal selves.”

Among the standouts on Saturday: Xavien Howard, Jaylen Twyman, Igbinoghene, Elijah Campbell, Zach Sieler, Christian Wilkins, Jevon Holland, Jaylen Waddle, Hill, Bryce Thompson, Eli Apple and Randy Charlton.

THIS AND THAT

▪ Rookie running back De’Von Achane missed Saturday’s scrimmage and walked gingerly on the sideline, getting in some cardiovascular work. “He shouldn’t be out for too long,” McDaniel said.

Achane has looked good since pads came on, both in the run game and pass game.

“He’s going to be great,” running back Jeff Wilson Jr. said. “He already knows anything he ever needs [but] he can call on me and he can ask me. It’s not a thing where I won’t give him every tool that he needs to be great.

“Even though we’re in competition, that’s not the state here, because at the same time, I remember when I was a rookie and I had a guy, Jerick McKinnon, Raheem Mostert, Matt Breida, those guys did the same thing for me. So I feel like it’s only right for me to do the same thing for anybody else that comes in, for him and [undrafted BYU rookie Chris Brooks].

▪ Rookie cornerback Cam Smith scrimmaged with the team, a day after an injury scare when he slipped on a sidewalk near the end zone early in Friday’s practice, after defending a receiver in a 1-on-1 drill.

“From what I’m seeing from Cam Smith, he’s doing a tremendous job,” Tyreek Hill said. “He’s making plays and he’s going to continue to make plays.”

▪ The Dolphins have remained not particularly aggressive with free agent running back Dalvin Cook, even while expressing interest.

Jeff Wilson Jr., who left Saturday’s scrimmage with a hand injury before returning, said he’s never tempted to ask general manager Chris Grier or coach Mike McDaniel about Cook because “our job is to work here. Their job is to make decisions on that aspect. So I feel like … that’s almost disrespectful.”

Wilson and Mostert have said they would welcome Cook, who continues to wait patiently for the type of contract he covets.

“Shoot, he’s a great player,” Wilson said. “If he comes, we’d love to have him. It’d just makes our room that much more competitive, and it makes everybody step up to another level, even though we’re already at another level.

“Still, competition always breeds greatness in players, so to have him come and be the tremendous player that he is, that’s just another addition to a Super Bowl run.”

▪ Safety DeShon Elliott, who had an offseason shoulder injury, sat out the scrimmage after working in 11 on 11 drills during training camp. So did left tackle Terron Armstead, who had offseason knee surgery but also has begun working in 11 on 11 drills.

Defensive backs Trill Williams and Brandon Jones, off 2022 ACL injuries, remained limited.

Cornerback Keion Crossen, who hadn’t been seen recently with undisclosed injury, attended the scrimmage, but did not participate, and wore compression sleeves on both legs. Also sidelined: Erik Ezukanma, Duke Riley and Malik Reid.

▪ One good point raised by Hill this week: “We have to fix our pre-snap penalties for us to be better at anything. I believe us having referees out here is going to help us get better from that. I believe we were like 31st last year in pre-snap penalties.

“If we clean those up and we do what we’ve been doing out here in practice each and every day, I can see us being another top five offense in this NFL. It definitely can get scary when you think about all the weapons that the Dolphins have.”

▪ Andrew Van Ginkel said he has been splitting his time about evenly between inside and outside linebacker. What’s the difference between the two?

“Outside you’re just more one-on-one combat,” he said. “You got to read everything right in front of you, kind of just you read more of the tip of the pad of the guy you’re on.”

▪ McDaniel, asked about defensive coordinator Vic Fangio’s candor in interviews, including saying no No. 2 or No. 3 safety has emerged: “I didn’t enter the marriage [with Fangio], ‘Oh there’s a guy exactly like me.’

“Vic isn’t being negative. He’s being bottom line of you have to earn jobs. Guys understand it’s a bottom line business and he will say what is fact to him.”

▪ McDaniel said Igbinoghene continues “to progress and make more plays.”