Miami Dolphins WR River Cracraft returns to practice

The Miami Dolphins will soon return to wide receiver River Cracraft.

Head coach Mike McDaniel said before Wednesday’s practice that Cracraft’s three-week practice window would open that day, meaning he could return Sunday or any time over the next three weeks.

The Dolphins designated Cracraft to return when they placed him on injured reserve (IR) on Aug. 27, taking advantage of a new rule that allows teams to designate two players to return when moving to the 53-man limit (all players had to be on the original 53 will be assigned to return before this season).

This tells us that the Dolphins knew Cracraft’s shoulder injury was not season-ending and valued him enough to apply one of their eight re-designations to him.

Cracraft was injured during the preseason when he caught Tua Tagovailoa’s touchdown pass against the Washington Commanders.

Cracraft is one of three players the Dolphins have already used the return designation on, along with Tagovailoa and cornerback Cam Smith, who was also placed on IR in August.

The Dolphins have five more players on IR who are eligible to be designated for return: WR Braxton Berrios, WR Grant DuBose, KB Tyler Huntley, DB Pat McMorris and L B. Jelan Phillips. However, Berrios and Phillips both have ACL injuries that will keep them out for the entire season. Long snapper Blake Ferguson will also count among the eight return designations if he is returned from the reserve/non-football illness list.

The Dolphins also have three players still on PUP who don’t count against the eight-designation limit: LB Bradley Chubb, OL Isaiah Wynn and LB Cameron Hood. McDaniel said Wednesday that he doesn’t have a timetable for Wynn, but that he is making good progress two days after his less-than-encouraging comments about Chubb.

After Dee Eskridge was signed off the practice squad, the Dolphins have five wide receivers on the roster, and the question is whether they’ll go six-for-53 when they activate Cracraft.

Let’s say the choice is to stay at five. Then it’s not ridiculous to suggest that Odell Beckham Jr.’s spot could be in jeopardyconsidering he’s only played 11 snaps in each of his three games and has been targeted just three times overall, none in Sunday’s 28-27 loss to the Arizona Cardinals.

We know Tyreek Hill and Jalen Weddle aren’t going anywhere. The Dolphins like sixth-round rookie Malik Washington, and Eskridge brings value as a freshman returner.

Kraft has caught just nine passes in each of the last two seasons, but it wouldn’t surprise anyone if he becomes the third wide receiver when he returns.