"What promises to be one of the more intriguing matchups of the Dolphins' game at St. Louis on Sunday could be shelved by injury.

Miami offensive tackle Jake Long, the top pick in this year's NFL draft, and Rams defensive end Chris Long, the second overall selection, could go toe-to-toe, but only if Jake Long's ailing ankle responds to treatment in time for him to play.

"He's doing a little bit better today," coach Tony Sparano said of Long, who missed Wednesday's workout. "Good day (Tuesday), good day today. There were signs that were encouraging."

When asked how close the Dolphins came to choosing Chris over Jake, Sparano said that was no longer relevant.

"At the end of the day Jake was our guy," Sparano said. "Thank God we have him."

He did add that the Dolphins went to Virginia to work out Chris Long and "got a chance to know him, what makes him tick.

"He's one heck of a guy. He's going to be a heck of a player in this league for a long time ... This guy is fundamentally very, very good.""