Rey Maualuga spent his first week as a Miami Dolphins player working with the team's trainers instead of on the field practicing with his teammates.
According to coach Adam Gase, there's no guarantee things will change for the Dolphins' newest inside linebacker, who the team signed last week even though he was 10 pounds overweight because of his eight-month layoff.
Gase wouldn't commit to Maualuga practicing this week, or playing in Thursday night's preseason finale against the Minnesota Vikings until trainers see what kind of shape Maualuga is in when the team begins practicing on Sunday.
According to Gase, the plan for Maualuga is to continue "getting (him) in shape and getting his body ready," and then the decision makers would gauge "where' he's at."
"(We're) just trying to figure out will he be ready for the first game, or do we have to wait another week after that?" Gase said, referring to the Sept. 10 season opener against Tampa Bay. "It's just going to be (based on) where he is physically. Mentally, he knows the defense already. It's very close to what he ran before, so that shouldn't be an issue with him."
Maualuga, who had 584 tackles, four sacks and seven interceptions in his eight seasons with the Bengals, has history with Dolphins defensive coordinator Matt Burke, who coached him for two seasons in Cincinnati.
Maualuga had a career-low 27 tackles last season, partly because he sustained a fibula injury in Cincinnati's game against Washington in London. He started just six games, also a career low, and played in 14.
The Dolphins are thin at linebacker because Koa Misi wasn't cleared to play because of a neck injury, and rookie linebacker Raekwon McMillan suffered a season-ending knee injury in the first preseason game on his very first NFL snap. Neville Hewitt (shoulder) and Brandon Watts (back) are also sidelined by injuries.
When cleared to practice, Maualuga will compete with Mike Hull to determine who serves as the starter paired with Kiko Alonso and Lawrence Timmons, manning the inside spot. Hull didn't record a tackle in Miami's 38-31 loss to the Eagles, but he has contributed six so far this preseason.
"My strengths are coming downhill and taking on blocks and stopping the run and leading by example," Maualuga said. "If I come in and do all of that and show what I can do on the field in that aspect, I think everyone will follow and I think we can be that much better on defense."
