Campbell liked what he saw from young players

Miami Dolphins interim coach Dan Campbell got a good look at his team's youngsters in a loss to the Indianapolis Colts Sunday.

Via MiamiDolphins.com:

Four rookies — DeVante Parker, Jamil Douglas, Zach Vigil and Jordan Phillips — were in the starting lineup, and running back Jay Ajayi and cornerback Tony Lippett and linebacker Neville Hewitt also got significant playing time on offense and defense.

“DeVante Parker continues to grow and make plays,” Campbell said. “I thought Lippett did a nice job yesterday. Certainly Jamil’s got to be better than he was, but there again he got really his first full start at center. He’ll learn from his mistakes and he’ll be better for it. Vigil, Hewitt, those two had a winning performance. They’re growing, they’re getting better. Phillips was a little bit better than he was last week. He’s got to be better. But there is growth and development out of our young guys. That’s always encouraging. Jay Ajayi was another one. I thought he ran hard. The holes weren’t always there, but he earned everything he got, I can tell you that.”

Parker picked up 93 yards on four receptions--the biggest a 48-yarder. He was, however, targeted 10 times and had a few drops.

Follow AFC East Daily @AFCEastDaily

Lazor says rookie wideout Parker is gaining confidence

Things are happening slowly but surely for Miami Dolphins receiver DeVante Parker, according to one of his coaches.

The rookie first-rounder saw just one snap in the season-opener against the Washington Redskins but was upgraded to a 17-play count against the Jacksonville Jaguars this past Sunday.

“He played more; he played better,” offensive coordinator Bill Lazor said, via Dolphins.com. “He’s gaining confidence and people are gaining confidence in him, so I think both of those things will improve. I would expect him to continue to earn more playing time and to keep playing better as he goes.” 

Parker recorded his first NFL catch on a 3-yarder in the second quarter but wasn't targeted again. The team is easing him into action as he bounces back from foot surgery in June, which sidelined him for the summer.

Follow AFC East Daily @AFCEastDaily

Dolphins WR Parker a month away from practicing

Last week, the Miami Dolphins placed wide receiver DeVante Parker on the PUP list following foot surgery in June.

Looks like he'll remain there until the end of the month.

According to Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald, the team's first-round pick has at least a few more weeks of rehab left before he can return to practice.

DeVante Parker still about 3-4 weeks away from being ready to practice.

— Armando Salguero (@ArmandoSalguero) August 4, 2015

In the meantime, the healthy members of the depth chart seem to be holding down the fort, with sophomore Jarvis Landry and newcomers Greg Jennings and Kenny Stills all putting in solid efforts so far this week.

UPDATE: Coach Joe Philbin added his thoughts on Parker Tuesday, via Salguero:

"We're not sure exactly when he's going to get back. I don't know if he's going to practice, how much he's going to practice, if he's going to play in the preseason."

READ MORE

Follow AFC East Daily @AFCEastDaily

DeVante Parker kicking off Dolphins camp on PUP list

The Miami Dolphins announced Wednesday they have placed wide receiver DeVante Parker on the active/physically unable to perform list, a day before training camp opens.

The first round rookie had foot surgery early last month, though just two weeks ago, his agent said he'd be good to go for the season with or without preseason action.

He can be activated from PUP any time between now and then.

Meanwhile, safety Don Jones also found his way to the PUP list, and the team placed tight end Gerell Robinson on the active/non-football injury list.

The Dolphins also signed defensive tackle Calvin Barnett, receiver Kai De La Cruz and tackle Chris Martin, waiving defensive tackle Ellis McCarthy in the process. Check out some info on the signed trio here.

Follow AFC East Daily @AFCEastDaily

Parker's camp confident, with or without preseason

It's still unclear whether receiver DeVante Parker will participate in the preseason. Regardless, the Miami Dolphins rookie will be good to go for the regular season.

According to Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald, Parker's agent, James Gould, said last week that “everything is perfect” in the wideout's recovery from foot surgery and that he's still on track to play in the season opener.

Parker had a procedure last month to replace a screw inserted during surgery last year. Gould insists "they got it right" this time and that doctors don't believe the problem will continue.

READ MORE

Follow AFC East Daily @AFCEastDaily

'Phins WR Parker undergoes 'successful' foot surgery

Foot issues are nothing new for Miami Dolphins wide receiver DeVante Parker.

The first-round pick underwent surgery last season while with Louisville after a mid-season break, a surgery that yielded the placement of a screw. Friday, following complaints of soreness in that same foot, the 22-year-old had another surgery, which the team announced was a success.

According to Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald, this most recent surgery was, in part, to correct some issues with his first surgery, including that screw. The setback will likely have the wideout on the sidelines for the rest of the summer though, and it'll put him in jeopardy of missing the team's first regular season game.

As Salguero pointed out, however, linebacker Jelani Jenkins had a similar injury last season and missed only one game, so Parker's absence is probably short-term.

READ MORE

Follow AFC East Daily @AFCEastDaily

Jennings: Rookie WR Parker full of upside, confidence

Greg Jennings has had a few catches in his career -- 552 to be exact -- and he's witnessed plenty of others. So he knows talent when he sees it.

With first-round selection DeVante Parker, he sees it.

Jennings was added to the Miami Dolphins wideout corps this offseason. He's the veteran of the group and, by default, the guy Parker, Kenny Stills and Jarvis Landry will be looking toward for guidance.

But so far it's been Jennings looking at Parker, and he shared some of his views on the rookie Wednesday with Brian Coyle of The Finsiders.

"As a receiver I always say this in the room, when a new receiver comes I think what every receiver does is watches the way he catches the ball," Jennings said. "If he catches the ball with confidence like he knows what he’s doing, we got something to work with, and that’s him."

READ MORE

Follow AFC East Daily @AFCEastDaily

Dolphins add offensive weapon with WR Parker

The makeover seems to be complete for the Dolphins' wide receiver corps.

Following the acquisitions of Kenny Stills and Greg Jennings, Miami completed the trifecta Thursday, selecting wideout DeVante Parker from Louisville with the 14th overall pick.

Parker, a sure-handed receiver with both size and speed, amassed 33 touchdowns in 43 games for the Cardinals. Despite a broken foot that kept him out seven games his senior year, Parker averaged nearly 20 yards per reception and had more than 850 receiving yards.

“When he was still there at No. 14, there were a lot of high fives," General Manager Dennis Hickey said via Andrew Abramson of the Palm Beach Post. “He has size, he’s athletic, he has length, excellent body control, very good in the red zone.

“He brings a lot of things as an outside receiver that we valued. A guy that loves football.”

Parker will make an immediate impact on the team's up-and-down offense from a season ago, with the 22-year-old likely fighting for the second or third starting wide receiver spot right out of the gate.

READ MORE

Here are some highlights:

Follow AFC East Daily @AFCEastDaily