The Miami Dolphins received a scare this week when Pro Bowl left tackle Jake Long injured his right knee during Monday's practice.
Long was determined to have a sprained medial collateral ligament, but was expected to be fine for the Dolphins' regular-season opener against the Houston Texans on Sept. 9.
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On Friday, both Long and coach Joe Philbin reiterated that the franchise left tackle should be healthy when the team begins preparations for that game Monday.
"Like I said, the only thing I would reiterate would be our anticipation is we're going to have 53 healthy guys come (when) we start to prepare for Houston," Philbin said when asked about Long's status. "Whether that's the case, time will tell, but that's the anticipation we have."
The Dolphins are thin at tackle after placing restricted free agent Lydon Murtha on waivers as part of their cuts down to a preliminary 53-man roster Friday.
Currently, Will Yeatman, a converted tight end who joined the Dolphins as a waiver claim last September, is the only backup tackle on Miami's roster. The Dolphins are expected to beef up the position this weekend.
"It's getting better every day," Long said of his injury, via Shandel Richardson of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. "I'm doing a lot of rehab and treatment and just working to get back."
Follow Brian McIntyre on Twitter _@brianmcintyre_.
