Injury news on Dolphins OL Jamaree Salyer, WR Caleb Douglas; why is Wannstedt at minicamp?

MIAMI GARDENS — The injury news for Dolphins veteran guard Jamaree Salyer and rookie wide receiver Caleb Douglas is encouraging, as neither sustained a serious injury during Wednesday’s minicamp practice session, according to coach Jeff Hafley.

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Salyer, who figures to be a key backup but could push for a starting job, left practice on a cart Wednesday. He wasn’t expected to practice in Thursday’s final session of this week’s three-day minicamp.

“He’s doing OK,” Hafley said without specifying the injury, and adding, “I do not think it’ll be anything long term.”

Douglas, the lanky third-round pick from Texas Tech, was seen riding a stationary bicycle Wednesday. Douglas wasn’t expected to practice Thursday but could return next week during organized team activities.

“Caleb Douglas just tweaked something,” Hafley said. “I imagine he’ll be out today. Hopefully we’ll have him back next week.”

Reverence for Wannstedt

Dave Wannstedt, the ex-Dolphins coach (2000-04), has been at this week’s minicamp as Hafley’s guest. Wannstedt, who lives roughly two hours away in Naples, gave Hafley his start in coaching on his staff at Pitt in 2006.

“You guys know he’s one of my biggest mentors,” said Hafley, who spent the past two years as Green Bay’s defensive coordinator. “He really gave me my first kind of break into Division I football and spent five years with him. I’ve pretty much talked to him all throughout. Last year I talked to him probably once a week. I’d call him, sometimes I’d be texting him right before kickoff.”

Hafley treasures his relationship with Wannstedt greatly.

“I don’t take that for granted that a guy that kind of gave me my start, now he’s still supportive of me, and I’m in a role that he was in,” Hafley said. “A big part of why I’m here is because of everything he did, and he helped change my life and my family’s life. He’s in Naples, he wants to come around, and he’ll be around. So he’ll be here this week, but it’s great to see him out there.”

Hafley’s morning film sessions

Hafley, who is as intense and detail-oriented as any recent Dolphins coach, discussed how much effort means to him and the team when he said he meets with the team every morning and shows them 30 to 40 film clips that highlight effort, good and bad, by offensive and defensive players.

“That is the most important thing to me,” Hafley said of effort.

Hafley likes recognizing good stuff and telling players that’s what he wants to see.

“I’ll call guys out by name, I’ll call them out by number, and I’ll applaud them for that,” he said.

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He does the same thing for bad plays.

Hafley said he talks about ball security for the offense and stripping the ball for the defense during the film sessions.

“I talk about fundamentals and technique,” he said. “I pull out plays on both sides of the ball, and I show good execution, poor execution, why it happened. I try to show the offense how the defense made a mistake, and the defense how the offense took advantage of it. And I try to teach.”

Veteran advice for the youngsters

Right tackle Austin Jackson had some words of wisdom for two young offensive linemen who are changing positions. Rookie left guard Kadyn Proctor, the first-round pick, is moving over from left tackle, where he played in college, and right guard Jonah Savaiinaea, the 2024 second-round pick, moving from left guard, where he played last season as a rookie, to right guard, his college position.

Jackson, the 2020 first-round pick who played left tackle and left guard before settling in at right guard, said the key to changing positions is focus and practice.

“I know for me at first with the moving positions, I had a lot of turmoil in my head and uncertainty,” Jackson said, “but after training, that is just going to hinder you. You’ve just got to be confident in whatever you do out there.

“So I just tell those guys, you’re the same player that you were at that position but you’re at a new position, and you can do the same things still. It’s just a matter of practice, repetition and consistency. Are you going to consistently train yourself? And that’s how anyone gets better.”

Work ethic surfaces and pays off

Hafley says he wants a tough, rugged team, and tight end Greg Dulcich fits that mold. Dulcich, the 2020 third-round pick by Denver, started his college career as a walk-on at UCLA. That experience helped him stay patient last season, which resulted in him ending No. 3 on the team in receiving yards (355) and No. 4 in receptions (26) to go along with one touchdown.

“Something like that kind of helped out, especially last year starting on practice squad,” Dulcich said of being a walk-on in college.

“You’ve got to know the player that you are. You’ve got to keep that confidence, and when you get your opportunities you’ve just got to take them. So I’ve been very fortunate and certainly grateful for the opportunities that I’ve had.”

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