Tag: Erik Ezukanma

Dolphins elevate WRs Erik Ezukanma, Dee Eksridge from practice squad

The Dolphins are bringing up two receivers to play Sunday due to injuries at the position.

The Miami Dolphins elevated wide receivers Erik Ezukanma and Dee Eskridge from the practice squad for a Week 3 game against the Seattle Seahawks, the team announced Saturday.

Ezukanma, a fourth-round pick in 2022, has played just three games in his career and has recorded only one reception. He was a healthy scratch for most of his rookie year and missed almost all of his second season due to a neck injury.

While he impressed in preseason with a couple big plays in a game against the Commanders, he missed the other two games as he dealt with a foot injury in August. Ezukanma was eventually waived and brought back as a member of the practice squad.

Eskridge, 27, spent the first three seasons of his NFL career with the Seahawks and joined the Dolphins after he was waived by Seattle at the end of training camp. He has 17 career receptions for 122 yards with a touchdown, and also contributed as a kick return.

The move to make the pair of receivers available for Sunday isn’t a surprise with rookie Malik Washington doubtful to play and Grant DuBose sent to injured reserve. The Dolphins previously elevated Robbie Chosen in Weeks 1 and 2, but released the veteran receiver earlier this week.

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Injuries at WR have given Dolphins coaches clarity in roster battles

Mike McDaniel says a silver lining of wide receiver injuries is that players lower on the depth chart have seen more reps.

The Miami Dolphins still haven’t seen Odell Beckham Jr. on the practice field and neither Tyreek Hill nor Jaylen Waddle have played in a preseason game yet. To make matters more challenging, River Cracraft went down with an injury Saturday and Willie Snead IV joined Tahj Washington on IR on Monday.

While there’s no reason to think Hill and Waddle won’t be available Week 1, the Dolphins have been forced to dig pretty deep into the depth chart in practices and preseason. Head coach Mike McDaniel hasn’t hated that, though.

“We’ve had a couple lineup changes — I think would be a conservative way to say it — but we’re also getting a very clear picture of some very strong battles and giving guys opportunities,” McDaniel said Monday. “How cool is it, from my vantage point, some of the opportunities that Erik Ezukanma was able to really showcase his talents?

“Some of the younger receivers got a lot of involvement, whether they were getting targeted or not, we got to see really who we’re working with. … There’s so many people to evaluate and this is such a tough roster to make. You do appreciate some clarity with some of those battles when you do have injuries in positions really.”

Ezukanma made the most of his reps Saturday night against the Washington Commanders, finishing with five receptions for 65 yards. No other player on either team finished with more than 34 receiving yards.

Sixth-round rookie Malik Washington is another player who has received additional reps due to the wave of wide receiver injuries. Through two preseason games, he has two receptions for nine yards, 21 rushing yards, and 122 return yards.

With cut day now just a week away, Dolphins coaches have all the info they need to whittle their receiver room down. While it’d probably be better to have the full complement of receivers working together in camp, there’s a silver lining, at least.

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Dolphins not giving up on WR Erik Ezukanma, says Mike McDaniel

The Dolphins are still “pouring into” Erik Ezukanma in hopes of helping him finally realize his potential, says Mike McDaniel.

It seems that time is running out for Erik Ezukanma to make an impact with the Miami Dolphins. The third-year wide receiver has appeared in just three games since getting picked in the fourth round of the 2022 NFL draft and has only one career reception.

With an influx of new receiver talent and an injury keeping Ezukanma out for a stretch in training camp, a spot on the roster seems to be an uphill climb. But Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel isn’t ready to give up on the receiver.

“As coaches, we’re trying to maximize the talent of every player in their recognized dream,” McDaniel said Thursday. “Erik [Ezukanma] had a great day yesterday. I think he was the fastest GPS player. I think guys are excited to be a part of his journey and absolutely, we are pouring into him to see what can come out.”

Ezukanma, 24, was a healthy scratch for most of his rookie year in Miami and then spent almost all of 2023 sidelined with a neck injury. Near the end of the year, the receiver expressed frustration that he still hadn’t been cleared to return to the field.

While he’s been absent more often than not, in his time on the practice field, Ezukanma has managed to impress coaches.

“Erik is a freak,” Dolphins wide receivers coach Wes Welker said in August 2023. “I mean, he’s got a lot of ability, and you see the flashes everywhere. He’s definitely doing some great things out there. It’s just the consistency of everything that we’re talking about and being able to do it exactly how we’re saying and continuing to work on that.”

Still, the Dolphins don’t have many roster spots open at the receiver position after signing Odell Beckham Jr. in free agency, re-signing returner Braxton Berrios, and drafting a pair of receivers late in the 2024 NFL draft.

A year ago, Miami kept six wide receivers on cut day for its initial 53-man roster. That could mean Berrios, Ezukanma, River Cracraft, Willie Snead, and Anthony Schwartz are all competing for just a couple spots.

Ezukanma has his work cut out for him. But it doesn’t yet seem that he’s lost the coaches’ faith.

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Dolphins WR Erik Ezukanma cleared to play after neck injury

Miami’s 2022 fourth-round pick has been cleared to return to action.

The Miami Dolphins are in serious need of depth at wide receiver this offseason, as Cedrick Wilson Jr., Braxton Berrios, Robbie Chosen and Chase Claypool are all set to be unrestricted free agents when the new league year starts.

Luckily for Miami, they’ll be getting back one of their wideouts who missed most of last season – Erik Ezukanma.

Ezukanma, 24, was a fourth-round pick of the Dolphins back in 2022 following a collegiate career at Texas Tech that included one Second-team All-Big 12 season (2021) and one First-team All-Big 12 season (2020).

Just two games into Ezukanma’s second year in the league, he was placed on the non-football injury list due to a neck injury that the receiver had actually suffered in college.

The last update we heard was from Ezukanma’s positional coach Wes Welker, who had said back in November that he still hadn’t been cleared after the wideout shared his desires to play on social media.

That was until the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson reported on Thursday that Ezukanma’s injuries were not considered career-threatening and that he had been cleared to return to football action.

The former Red Raiders hasn’t made a huge impact yet in his NFL career (one reception for three yards), but he seemed to be carving out a role as a hybrid running back/wide receiver last year before being placed on the NFI list.

With many of the roster spots up in the air, 2024 might be his best opportunity to carve out a role for himself in South Florida.

Grading the Dolphins wide receivers after their 2023 season

A look at Miami’s wideouts, and the year they had in 2023.

The Miami Dolphins finished their 2023 campaign with an 11-6 record and made the postseason for the second time in as many years under head coach Mike McDaniel. Unfortunately, it came to an end with a loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in the wild-card round.

While other teams are in the midst of their playoff run, it’s time to do some reflecting on the team in South Florida.

Over the next couple of weeks, we’ll be reviewing and evaluating different positions for the Dolphins in 2023. Today, we’ll look at the wide receivers.

Dolphins WR Erik Ezukanma says he ‘wants to play football’

The wideout wants to return to action.

Before the Miami Dolphins Week 4 battle with the Buffalo Bills, the team surprisingly placed wide receiver Erik Ezukanma on the non-football injury list.

At the time, Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel mentioned that they were checking on an injury that Ezukanma had in college during his time at Texas Tech which resulted in his placement on the list.

It’s been two months since then, and there hasn’t been much talk about the former Red Raider’s status. McDaniel’s last update came in October when he said the process was still going.

UPDATE: On Thursday, wide receivers coach Wes Welker said he still hasn’t been cleared to get on the field.

Ezukanma shared his feelings on the situation on social media this week.

When his teammate, Tyreek Hill, responded, Ezukanma shared a little video from Miami’s game against the Los Angeles Chargers.

The Dolphins have a lot of depth at the position, so they don’t necessarily need Ezukanma right now, but it would be nice to see what the 2022 fourth-round pick can do.

Hopefully, he’ll be back on the field soon making plays in aqua and orange, but Miami only has one designation to return to use after they used their seventh on running back Chris Brooks on Wednesday.

Dolphins place River Cracraft on IR, Erik Ezukanma on NFI

Both players will miss at least four games.

As the Miami Dolphins prepare for their Week 4 matchup with the Buffalo Bills, they have lost two players for some significant time.

The team announced on Friday that they’ve placed wide receiver River Cracraft on injured reserve and wide receiver Erik Ezukanma on the non-football injury list.

Cracraft went down with a shoulder injury during last week’s win over the Denver Broncos, and McDaniel had mentioned this outcome was a possibility after they got more information, so it’s not a total surprise.

The Ezukanma situation is a bit stranger, as McDaniel mentioned that they were checking on an injury that he had in college during his time at Texas Tech. He’s been on the injury report this week with a neck injury.

Both players will now be forced to miss at least four weeks.

Mike McDaniel announced three Dolphins are OUT vs. Bills

Two wideouts and a linebacker will sit this one out.

The Miami Dolphins are preparing to take on the Buffalo Bills on Sunday at Highmark Stadium, but they’ll be without three solid contributors.

Speaking to the media on Friday, Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel revealed that linebacker Jaelan Phillips and wide receivers Erik Ezukanma and River Cracraft will not play this weekend.

Phillips is dealing with an oblique injury, and he’ll likely be replaced by Andrew Van Ginkel, who previously filled in for the former first-round pick against the New England Patriots.

Ezukanma and Cracraft are two of Miami’s depth options behind Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle. Their absence means Braxton Berrios will be more involved, and there’s a strong possibility that Robbie Chosen is elevated from the practice squad, as he was last week.

This game was already going to be difficult for the Dolphins, and things have gotten even tougher.

Dolphins WR Erik Ezukanma compares himself to an All-Pro wideout in his new role

Those are large cleats to fill.

After a disappointing rookie season, Miami Dolphins wide receiver Erik Ezukanma has carved out a role for himself in Mike McDaniel’s offense in 2023.

Last year, after being selected in the fourth round out of Texas Tech, Ezukanma found himself buried in a deep position room, resulting in just 10 offensive snaps for the former Red Raider.

Now, following a full season and two offseasons of work, Ezukanma has taken on an apparent hybrid role as a wide receiver and a running back.

In the preseason, the 23-year-old rushed twice for 52 yards, and in the season opener against the Los Angeles Chargers, he recorded another two carries for 17 yards.

While his two preseason carriers had come on end-arounds, one of Ezukanma’s carries against the Chargers came from out of the backfield, which have some, including the wide receiver himself, thinking of San Francisco’s Deebo Samuel.

“I’ve watched Deebo since I was in college, the way he plays, breaking tackles,” Ezukanma told the Miami Herald. “I feel we play similar. With me adding [running the ball] to my arsenal, I feel it will definitely be a help to watch more of his tape and highlights.”

In 2021, with now-Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel as his offensive coordinator, Samuel had a career-high 59 rushing attempts, which was a drastic jump from his previous high of just 14.

The versatile weapon rushed for 365 yards (6.2 yards per attempt) and found the end zone eight times on his way to his lone All-Pro season. Samuel followed that year up by rushing for 232 yards and three touchdowns on 5.5 yards per attempt in 13 games.

While some may have an issue playing out of position, Ezukanma just wants to be on the field and help out his team.

“It’s awesome always to touch the rock,” he said. “I feel with the ball in my hands, I’m able to give the team one of the best chances to make plays and score touchdowns.”

If Ezukanma can produce the way Samuel has, which would be a tremendous ask, it would be hard for any team to stop this offense when healthy.

For now, it’s just nice to see the fourth-round pick make an impact when he’s on the field.

Dolphins’ 2023 training camp preview: WR Erik Ezukanma

Miami needs to see some improvement from the second-year wideout.

The Miami Dolphins have wrapped up their rookie minicamp, organized team activities and mandatory minicamps and will return to the Baptist Health Training Complex near the end of July to prepare for the 2023 regular season.

Before that, we’ll be going through the majority of Miami’s roster to preview their background, projected role and bottom line with the team entering training camp.

After looking at some quarterbacks, running backs and five receivers, we’ll move on to a second-year wideout who will be trying to earn playing time before the start of the regular season – Erik Ezukanma.