Jermon Bushrod Ready For Fresh Start With Dolphins
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DAVIE (CBSMiami) – It's been a rough couple of years for new Miami Dolphins offensive lineman Jermon Bushrod.
The two-time Pro Bowler is coming off a season in which he started just four games while dealing with a shoulder injury.
He has surgery on the shoulder in February and was still in recovery-mode when he signed with Miami in early March.
Following a difficult rehab period in which he considered retiring from the game he loved, Bushrod finally had a breakthrough.
"[It was] when I got out of the sling," he said. "When I got out of the sling, I just felt a lot better about myself. It was still tough. The range wasn't there, but every week I got a little better. The range got a little better. I got a little bit stronger. The light at the end of the tunnel was a little closer, but it's not anywhere where I need to be. But we're close. We're close."
Bushrod was wearing the sling when he signed with the Dolphins. It came off a week later.
When he was asked whether he considered retirement following the 2015 season, it took a few moments to come up with the right way to say yes.
"I mean, you know, yeah, I did," Bushrod said. "But Coach Gase gave me an opportunity. He helped me out along the way. Like I said, last year, mentally, it was tough for me. But the fact that I was able to contribute, I got hungry again after things didn't really go my way. Mentally and physically, I had the urge to keep going."
Bushrod finally returned to the practice field on Monday, a sign that he's on track to be a big part of the Dolphins offensive line when the season rolls around in September.
Coach Gase said as much when asked about Bushrod's status following Monday's OTA practice.
"I think this is where we're hoping it would end up, to where he could kind of get going here at the end of OTAs [and] minicamp," said Gase. "So we'll see how it plays out. We want to be smart with what's going on. We don't want any setbacks with him and every day is going to be 'How do we feel the next day?' And then see where we go from there."
Bushrod's first practice wasn't necessarily a full one.
He joined his teammates for the walk-through portion of practice and did some individual drills as well.
It remains to be seen if Bushrod will participate in any team drills during OTAs or Minicamps, but Monday was sign that things are going in the right direction.
"I feel good physically. I'm in a good place," Bushrod said. "Whatever happens, happens. I want to win. That's the only reason I'm here. I'm going into my 10th year (and) I'm just trying to win again."
If all goes well and Bushrod is game-ready come September, he could join an offensive line that features four first round picks in Branden Albert, Laremy Tunsil, Mike Pouncey and Ja'Wuan James.
Albert, Pouncey and James are locked in as starters at the two tackle positions and center.
Tunsil is expected to start at one of the guard spots, probably on the left side, but nothing is guaranteed for the rookie.
That would leave one guard spot for Bushrod to battle with Billy Turner, Dallas Thomas, Jamil Douglas and Kraig Urbik.
So far during OTAs the offensive line coaches have been rotating each one of them in and out of the first team snaps, and that will likely continue until training camp arrives in late July.
"Every day they're creating a different [depth chart]," said Gase. "They have a different rotation every day and we're just trying to give guys reps. The thing that they're doing a great job of, between [Offensive Line Coach] Chris [Foerster], [Assistant Offensive Line Coach] Jeremiah [Washburn] and [Offensive Quality Control Coach Chris] Kuper is, they have an idea of what we've run. So going into practice, they look at the scripts and kind of see, 'Okay, so and so hasn't had this run or this protection before.' So they kind of script it out that way off of what we're scripting in practice."
Gase was quick to point out that Bushrod, a ten-year NFL veteran and former Super Bowl champion, was a valuable commodity to have on the field.
"When you have a guy that can play multiple positions and obviously, being around him for a year last year helps me kind of know where his mind frame is and his intelligence level," said Gase, who worked with Bushrod last season in Chicago. "Obviously he knows the offense very well, being in it for a year, but just having a guy that can play multiple spots is, like we've been talking about all this time, it's critical."