Although the Miami Dolphins were able to end their two-game losing streak by defeating the Pittsburgh Steelers at Week 6, their celebrations were cut short due to an injury suffered by Reshad Jones. Since his injury could put him out for the rest of the 2016 NFL season, the team could resort to re-signing free agent Louis Delmas back to the active roster.
During the Dolphins' 30 to 15 victory over the Steelers on Sunday, Jones, who displayed tremendous speed and tackling abilities attack the game, walked away from the field with what could be a torn rotator cuff.
Although tests will still have to confirm his current condition, the Dolphins are already starting to worry that they might not be able to use their best defensive player for the upcoming games. And, if things don't go well for the team, they might not be able to see Jones for the rest of the season.
This certainly puts the Miami franchise in a very tight spot since the team is hoping to improve their record. The absence of Jones certainly exposes the vulnerability of their defense.
Without Jones, the team has no other choice but to rely on Walt Aikens, Michael Thomas and Isa Abdul-Quddus to carry the team's defensive line.
Currently, the team doesn't have a safety who it could promote from the practice squad. This means that if the team wants to bring someone in to replace Jones for the rest of the year, it will have to turn to the free agency market.
One likely candidate is Delmas, who played for Miami in 2014. Although his season with the Dolphins ended a bit early due to a torn ACL, he has managed to bounce back now that he's a free agent.
Although Delmas may not be on the same playing level as Jones, he displayed great skill back when he was with the Detroit Lions, which began in 2009. During his rookie year, he was even able to return a fumble for a touchdown at Week 1.
Depending on Jones' medical tests, adding Delmas to the Dolphins roster will ultimately be good for the team since aside from improving the lineup's depth, Miami will also get a veteran safety who can boost the team's defense.
