Dolphins Bring Back Scarlett, and Other Notes
Veteran Brennan Scarlett is back with the Miami Dolphins, a little than three months after being placed on injured reserve.
The Dolphins signed the linebacker to the practice squad Thursday, filling the opening created when defensive lineman Ben Stille was poached by the Cleveland Browns and signed to their active roster.
This is an interesting signing for the Dolphins because Scarlett has physical dimensions suitable for him to play the defensive end role that Emmanuel Ogbah played before he landed on injured reserve this week with torn triceps.
Scarlett is listed at 6-4, 263; Ogbah is listed at 6-4,278. It's also important to note that Scarlett told The Miami Herald in the spring that he had spent a lot of time working at defensive end during OTAs.
The Dolphins currently have four players listed as defensive linemen on their active roster, but Christian Wilkins, Zach Sieler, Raekwon Davis and John Jenkins fit the mold of interior linemen in four-man alignments, whereas Ogbah is more of a traditional 4-3 defensive end.
So it could be that Scarlett fills that role, either through practice squad elevation or being signed to the 53-man roster.
The Dolphins also have option of using a 3-4 look on more snaps with their great depth at the edge defender spot with Jaelan Phillips, newcomer Bradley Chubb, Melvin Ingram and Andrew Van Ginkel.
Scarlett was placed on injured reserve Aug. 30 and subsequently released off IR. NFL rules permit a player to return to a team putting him on IR, but only after sitting out at least three weeks, plus the game equivalent of any injury settlement.
After signing as a UFA from the Houston Texans in the spring of 2021, Scarlett proceeded to play 13 games with four starts for Miami last season and had 19 tackles on defense. Of his 436 total snaps on the season, 270 came on special teams.
THE UPDATED PRACTICE SQUAD
With the moves this week, here's how the practice squad looks after the Scarlett signing:
FB Jake Bargas
CB Kalon Barnes
DT Josiah Bronson
CB Tino Ellis
OL James Empey
OL Lamont Gaillard
LB Cameron Goode
OL Grant Hermanns
WR Calvin Jackson
RB La'Mical Perine
DB Jamal Perry
WR Braylon Sanders
LB Brennan Scarlett
T Kion Smith
DT Jaylen Twyman
LB Porter Gustin, who also could fill the Ogbah role, and WR Freddie Swain both are on the practice squad injured list.
As a reminder, Smith has used up his three practice squad elevations and therefore can't be in uniform for another regular season game for the Dolphins in 2022 unless he's signed to the active roster.
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BUFFALO GAME ON THE MOVE
The NFL made it official Thursday that the Bills game against the Cleveland Browns has been moved to Ford Field in Detroit because of the expected snow storms in Buffalo.
From a Dolphins perspective, yes, it's a lost home game for the Bills, but the reality is that playing in a blizzard often neutralizes a team's superiority over another and if wind became a major factor and affected the passing game, Cleveland has a much superior running attack — even though the Dolphins shut it down pretty well last season.
With the perfect conditions of indoors at Ford Field, the Browns' potential advantages get eliminated.
Interestingly, it will be the first of two games in five days at Ford Field for the Bills, who face the Lions on Thanksgiving Day.
SUH RESURFACES IN PHILLY
Finally, former Dolphins DT (and high-priced) free agent acquisition Ndamukong Suh is back in the NFL, signing a one-year deal with the Philadelphia Eagles.
The Eagles are coming off their first loss of the season Monday night against the Washington Commanders and gave up 152 rushing yards without the services of injured first-round pick run-stuffer Jordan Davis.
Suh started every game for the Dolphins from 2015-17 and was selected to the Pro Bowl in the 2016 season when he helped the team reach the playoffs as an AFC wild card.
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