The Miami Dolphins today announced that Pro Bowl Center Mike Pouncey and running back Knowshon Moreno will undergo surgery.
First, Mike Pouncey sat out a day during last week’s minicamp with pain in the labrum area of his hip. His surgery is expected to take him out of play for at least three months. Pouncey is a jauggernaut and leader on the Dolphins offensive line. A line that has been beleaguered by bad press, 58 sacks given up, and lastly a bounty scandal involving two players no longer in Miami.
The Pouncey injury means this for the Dolphins: they must find someone to sign or ride or die with Center Sam Brenner, second year man out of Utah. Complicating matters with the Pouncey announcement is the mere fact that Brenner is not a Pouncey type player. While Brenner is physical, he surely isn’t fleet of foot. Not to mention, his lovely PFF grade of a -9.5 was the worst on the team resulting in a sack, two hits, and several knockdowns of Ryan Tannehill.
Even though Brenner is there at the right time to take over the job for the time being, the Dolphins must look for a stop gap performer. Players that are fast, mobile, and smart fit the mold of a Bill Lazor offense. Brenner, does not fit this mold and seems more of a run blocker than a pass blocker. It’s flat out scary with Sam Brenner in there!
On the other hand, more bad news sometimes comes in bunches in Miami. Knowshon Moreno will have arthroscopic knee surgery in the coming days. His surgery will set hime farther away from starting initially. Moreno, has the chance to be a starter if he can get into football playing shape before camp. That idea will have to wait.
Should the Dolphins just cut him loose and not wait to see what Moreno can do? Is it safe to say that Moreno was that eye-popping or spectacular during OTAs and minicamp?
At this point, the Dolphins are hurting physically in areas that they can ill-afford injury. Both the losses, for the time being, of Mike Pouncey and Knowshon Moreno place a dent into GM Dennis Hickey’s plans to conquer the AFC East.
For Dolphins fans, these two injuries might be what keeps them from enjoying winning during week one-four!
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