Tag: Storm Duck

Dolphins place Kendall Fuller on IR, ending veteran CB’s season

The Dolphins will turn to rookie cornerback Storm Duck to start the rest of the season.

The 2024 season is almost definitely over for Miami Dolphins cornerback Kendall Fuller, who was moved to the injured reserve Saturday.

Fuller, 29, missed four games earlier this season due to a pair of concussions, but suffered a knee injury last week against the San Francisco 49ers. While the team downplayed the significance of the injury, Miami is down to its last two games of the regular season.

“It’s kind of a week-to-week thing,” Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel told reporters earlier this week. “It doesn’t look like he’ll be able to play this game, but [we’ll] keep an open mind for the following [week].”

The move to injured reserve means Fuller is required to miss at least four games before he can return to action. That means that the earliest Fuller could get back into the Dolphins lineup is the AFC Championship — a highly unlikely outcome considering Miami needs plenty of help to even make the playoffs.

Fuller, who signed with the Dolphins in the offseason on a two-year, $15 million deal, received a 66.2 grade from Pro Football Focus this season — the lowest of his career since his 2016 rookie season. Still, that ranks sixth among Dolphins defenders who played at least 300 snaps this season.

The Dolphins will turn to undrafted rookie Storm Duck to take over in the starting lineup opposite Jalen Ramsey.

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Undrafted CB ‘played his way into’ top backup role with Dolphins

The Dolphins don’t expect to have Kendall Fuller on Sunday, but Anthony Weaver says rookie Storm Duck is ready to pick up the slack.

The Miami Dolphins expect to be without cornerback Kendall Fuller on Sunday against the Cleveland Browns after the veteran suffered a knee injury. According to defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver, undrafted rookie Storm Duck is ready to pick up the slack.

“He has continued to develop all throughout camp and throughout the season and he’s just a guy that I think his teammates and both teammates and coaches alike trust,” Weaver said of Duck.

“That’s not to take away from some of the other guys that are on the roster, too. I have a tremendous amount of faith in Ethan Bonner, if he’s out there and he’s on the field. When Siran Neal is in there, I have confidence in him, but in terms of the outside corner position, I think Storm [Duck] has played his way into that role.”

Duck, 24, already made two starts this season and was on the field for 13 snaps in relief of Fuller last week against the San Francisco 49ers.

The undrafted rookie saw snaps early in the year with 2023 second-round pick Cam Smith on injured reserve and Fuller briefly out of action due to a concussion. When Smith returned from IR in October, Duck dealt with an injury of his own that sidelined him for three games.

But when Duck returned to the lineup in Week 10, he quickly jumped Smith on the depth chart and was the team’s starting outside cornerback when Fuller suffered his second concussion of the year. During Fuller’s three-game absence, Duck played 134 snaps to Smith’s 36.  Smith is now on injured reserve for the second time in 2024.

According to Pro Football Focus, Duck has allowed 16 receptions for 164 yards on 22 targets over 154 coverage snaps this season.

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Mike McDaniel on benched veterans: ‘You’re entitled to nothing’

“The best players have to play and that’s my job to follow through with that.”

The Miami Dolphins haven’t been shy about mixing up their lineup amid a rough start to the 2024 season.

Running back Raheem Mostert has just three carries in the last two weeks, tight end Durham Smythe is averaging one target per game after finishing third on the team in targets last year, and David Long Jr. was waived just two months after he was named a defensive team captain.

“I think it’s been the same pattern each and every season,” Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel said Wednesday afternoon. “One thing that I’m very upfront with with the players, the second they get in the building, the second we start talking projected lineups or positions within a position group, I think it’s important people know you’re entitled to nothing in this world.

“Playing time is solved by players on the field and the best players have to play and that’s my job to follow through with that. I don’t look at someone lost something, I look at who earned the opportunities.”

Among the beneficiaries of that philosophy are De’Von Achane, who already has 168 touches this season after finishing his rookie year with 130. and linebacker Anthony Walker Jr., who has stepped into the starting lineup in the last three weeks.

“It’s something that I think is important to players, in general, is — not only for themselves — but teammates want the teammate next to them that best deserves that situation,” McDaniel said. “Quite frankly, everyone that roots for the Dolphins is counting on me to make the hard decisions, regardless of what the ifs, ands, or buts, you have to do what’s the best for the team.”

More recently, the Dolphins turned to undrafted rookie Storm Duck to play extensively against the Las Vegas Raiders with Kendall Fuller out of action rather than relying on 2023 second-round pick Cam Smith.

“Tomorrow if Cam Smith completely outplays Storm Duck and we feel comfortable with what we’re doing, he’ll absolutely play over Storm Duck,” McDaniel said. “Everybody’s very aware of that. I think it’s very important to get the most out of people that they realize that it’s about what they’re doing in unison with what they’ve done. They get to dictate the terms at the present and moving forward.”

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Dolphins ‘pessimistic’ about starting CB’s chances of Week 12 return

The Dolphins will probably have to rely on Storm Duck and Kader Kohou to pick up the slack again in Week 11.

The Miami Dolphins expect they’ll likely be without starting cornerback Kendall Fuller for another week.

“He was sweating on the bike a little bit, but it’s hard to say. I would be pessimistic about this week, but we’ll see,” Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel said of Fuller on Wednesday.

Fuller, 29, missed the Dolphins’ Week 11 victory against the Las Vegas Raiders due to a concussion suffered the week prior. It’s the second concussion of the season for the cornerback, who previously missed a Week 4 game against the Tennessee Titans before returning in Week 5.

With Fuller out of action last week, the team relied on veteran Kader Kohou and undrafted rookie Storm Duck to pick up the slack. Second-year cornerback Cam Smith was on the field for seven snaps.

Presumably, it’ll be a similar formula against the New England Patriots if Fuller remains in the NFL’s concussion protocol.

Fuller signed a two-year deal with the Dolphins in the offseason after playing the last four seasons with the Washington Commanders. In eight games, his 69.5 grade on Pro Football Focus ranks sixth among Dolphins defensive players and fourth among defensive starters behind only Jalen Ramsey, Calais Campbell, and Zach Sieler.

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Dolphins list 7 as inactive vs. Bills in Week 9

The Dolphins ruled out Jevon Holland, Storm Duck, and five others for Sunday.

The Miami Dolphins will be without starting safety Jevón Holland for the second time this season. After returning from a hand injury to play last week, Holland was listed as doubtful this week due to a knee injury suffered in the Dolphins’ Week 8 loss.

Holland was one of seven players ruled out by the Dolphins on Sunday:

Dolphins inactives

  • CB Kader Kohou
  • S Jevón Holland
  • RB Jeff Wilson Jr.
  • CB Storm Duck
  • OL Andrew Meyer
  • TE Julian Hill
  • DT Zach Sieler

Bills inactives

  • WR Amari Cooper
  • S Mike Edwards
  • LB Nick Morrow
  • FB Reggie Gilliam
  • CB Christian Benford
  • G/C Will Clapp
  • DE Zion Logue

Dolphins wide receiver River Cracraft was also ruled out Saturday, but because he’s still a member of the team’s injured reserve, he didn’t need to be listed as an inactive Sunday. Active for Miami is fullback Alec Ingold, who entered the weekend as questionable.

The significant loss for the Bills is Cooper, who they acquired in a trade in October.

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Tyreek Hill active, Storm Duck ruled out vs. Cardinals

The Dolphins ruled out seven players Sunday, but WR Tyreek Hill is good to go against the Cardinals.

The Miami Dolphins released their list of inactives before kickoff Sunday and it did not include wide receiver Tyreek Hill, who will play against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 8.

Hill was the only Dolphins player listed as questionable on the team’s injury report after Tua Tagovailoa was removed from the list altogether Saturday.

The only other question mark was undrafted rookie Storm Duck, who was listed as doubtful Friday, and is inactive against the Cardinals.

Dolphins inactives:

  • CB Kader Kohou
  • RB Jeff Wilson Jr.
  • CB Storm Duck
  • LB Mohamed Kamara
  • OL Andrew Meyer
  • TE Tanner Conner
  • DT Zach Sieler

Cardinals inactives:

  • CB Kei’Trel Clark
  • CB Sean Murphy-Bunting
  • OL Christian Jones
  • TE Travis Vokolek
  • WR Xavier Weaver
  • DL Roy Lopez

With both Duck and Kohou sidelined, the Dolphins will likely rely on 2023 second-round pick Cam Smith in his first snaps of the 2024 season after sitting on injured reserve for the first seven weeks of the season. Special teamer Siran Neal may also get work in the slot.

Perhaps the most surprising inactive for the Dolphins is Kamara, who made his NFL debut in Week 7 against the Indianapolis Colts and did relatively well. Earlier this week, defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver said the team would work Kamara into the mix more and “live through some of those rookie mistakes.”

Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET at Hard Rock Stadium.

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Tyreek Hill, Zach Sieler added to Dolphins’ Thursday injury report

The Dolphins added two key players to their injury report Thursday.

Tyreek Hill and Zach Sieler were limited in the Miami Dolphins’ practice Thursday after neither appeared on the team’s injury report Wednesday.

Hill was listed with a foot issue, while Sieler had an eye problem that limited him.

The only other change for the Dolphins from their Wednesday report was Tua Tagovailoa’s participation switched from limited to full. Miami is working the quarterback back into the mix and expects him to start Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals, but for now, he’s still on the Dolphins’ injured reserve and is working his way through the concussion protocol.

Thursday participation

DNP

  • CB Storm Duck (ankle)
  • QB Tyler Huntley (right shoulder)
  • CB Kader Kohou (neck)

Limited

  • OL Liam Eichenberg (shoulders)
  • WR Tyreek Hill (foot)
  • S Jevón Holland (hand)
  • LB Emmanuel Ogbah (bicep)
  • DT Zach Sieler (eye)
  • WR Jaylen Waddle (quad)

Full

  • QB Tua Tagovailoa (concussion)

Another missed practice for both Duck and Kohou means it’s unlikely that either cornerback will be available Sunday against the Cardinals. According to Dolphins defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver, there are several players, including Jalen Ramsey, Jevón Holland, Siran Neal, and Cam Smith, who could play in the slot if both Duck and Kohou are unavailable.

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Tyler Huntley, 2 Dolphins CBs sit out Wednesday practice

Five Dolphins were absent from practice Wednesday and another five were limited.

Five Miami Dolphins players sat out practice Wednesday and another five were limited, the team announced.

Veterans Terron Armstead and Calais Campbell were among the group that sat out Wednesday, although both were given rest days.The other three were quarterback Tyler Huntley, and cornerbacks Kader Kohou and Storm Duck, who sat out with shoulder, neck, and ankle injuries, respectively.

But the biggest name on the Wednesday report was quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, who returned to practice for the first time since suffering a concussion in Week 2.

Wednesday participation

DNP

  • OT Terron Armstead (rest)
  • DT Calais Campbell (rest)
  • CB Storm Duck (ankle)
  • QB Tyler Huntley (right shoulder)
  • CB Kader Kohou (neck)

Limited

  • OL Liam Eichenberg (shoulders)
  • S Jevón Holland (hand)
  • LB Emmanuel Ogbah (bicep)
  • QB Tua Tagovailoa (concussion)
  • WR Jaylen Waddle (quad)

While Tagovailoa is still in the concussion protocol and on the Dolphins’ injured reserve, it’d be a surprise if he was unavailable to play Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals.

The bigger question marks are the Dolphins’ pair of cornerbacks, although the return of 2023 second-round pick Cam Smith would mitigate the blow if Kader and/or Duck are out.

Arizona’s injury report has not yet been released and this post will be updated when it’s available.

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Dolphins rule out CB Kendall Fuller with concussion in Week 3

The Dolphins were forced to turn to undrafted rookie Storm Duck after Kendall Fuller suffered a concussion Sunday.

Miami Dolphins cornerback Kendall Fuller suffered a concussion in the first half and will not return for the remainder of a Week 3 game against the Seattle Seahawks.

Fuller, 29, had three first quarter tackles and a pass breakup that he nearly intercepted before exiting to the locker room early in the second quarter. With Fuller out of action, undrafted rookie Storm Duck took his place in the defensive lineup.

The Dolphins signed Fuller, a former Washington Commanders and Kansas City Chiefs cornerback to a two-year, $15 million contract. In the first two weeks of the year, Fuller was credited by PFF with allowing two receptions for 40 yards on five targets in his direction.

In addition to Jalen Ramsey and Duck, the Dolphins also have Siran Neal and Kader Kohou at cornerback. Second-year defensive back Ethan Bonner, who earned praise from coaches and teammates in August, has been a healthy scratch in each of the first three weeks of the 2024 season.

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2024 has potential to be Penn State’s largest draft class this century

Could this be the best NFL draft class from Penn State this century?

Penn State has been a strong NFL pipeline for the league’s entire history, but this year’s class could be one of their most prominent.

According to NFL Mock Draft Database, there are currently nine Nittany Lions who are projected to be selected. That would be their most this century as well as their most since the 1996 draft. Only four players are being mocked in the first three rounds however, with tackle [autotag]Olu Fashanu[/autotag], edge rusher [autotag]Chop Robinson[/autotag], defensive back [autotag]Kalen King[/autotag], and edge rusher [autotag]Adisa Isaac[/autotag] headlining the group.

Penn State’s class has its fair share of mid-to-late round options as well, with linebacker [autotag]Curtis Jacobs[/autotag], defensive back [autotag]Johnny Dixon[/autotag], tight end [autotag]Theo Johnson[/autotag], defensive back [autotag]Storm Duck[/autotag], and defensive back [autotag]Daequan Hardy[/autotag] all being likely selections. For good reason, Fashanu and Robinson have gotten most of the hype, but this class overall has plenty to offer to NFL teams.

Kalen King and Adisa Isaac especially have an opportunity to raise their stock as the draft process plays out, and one of them seems to be doing just that. Isaac has been having a great showing at the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama, showing the burst and power he displayed as a senior this season in Happy Valley. Just look up his name on Twitter and you will see just how much he is dominating.

King, however, had a brutal showing at the Senior Bowl through two days, although reports from day 3 of practice were more promising. He still has plenty of time to improve his stock, but not the best start to his draft process. Regardless of how well this class performs at the next level, Penn State fans should be happy with how much talent continues to come through the program every season.