Tuesday Notebook: Roster Cuts, Trade Twist, Rookies Return, More
The Miami Dolphins returned to practice Tuesday ahead of the joint practices with the Atlanta Falcons, and then had to take care of some business.
The Dolphins, like every team around the NFL, had to get down to 85 players on their active roster by 4 p.m. ET and they did so with a series of moves.
The team waived five players Tuesday, all of them expected moves based on the playing time in the preseason opener at Chicago — as we outlined in our breakdown of the snap counts against the Bears. The five players waived were CB Jaytlin Askew, DT Jerome Johnson, T Jonathan Hubbard, T Timon Parris and G Tyler Marz.
The Dolphins also placed wide receiver Allen Hurns on injured reserve following the news of a wrist surgery that will sideline him for approximately three months.
By putting Hurns on IR now (ahead of the cuts to 53), that means he's done for the season unless the Dolphins eventually release him off IR with an injury settlement.or release him after he's healed.
LITTLE TRADE TWIST
And it included an interesting angle.
Dolphins fans know by now the team gave up a 2022 seventh-round pick to get Little, but what may be news is that it's a conditional seventh-round pick — and it's the seventh-round pick the Dolphins from the Tennessee Titans in the ill-fated trade for fellow tackle Isaiah Wilson during the offseason.
The Dolphins, you may recall, acquired Wilson and that 2022 seventh-round pick in March for a 2021 seventh-round selection, but Wilson lasted only three days with his new team before Miami waived him.
So, technically, the Dolphins could wind up trading a 2021 seventh-round pick for Isaiah Wilson and Greg Little. The hope now is that the second new tackle pans out after the first one flopped.
PRACTICE REPORT
The Dolphins practice Tuesday consisted of a walk-through, so the takeaways of the day involved the players who did or did not participate.
The good news on this day was that rookies Liam Eichenberg and Jaelan Phillips both were back after missing the game against Chicago with injuries, Eichenberg dealing with a shoulder issue and Phillips dealing with a groin.
The list of players who did not participate in the walk-through included CB Javaris Davis, TE Cethan Carter, LB Vince Biegel, WR Isaiah Ford, TE Hunter Long, DB Brandon Jones and wide receivers DeVante Parker, Albert Wilson and Will Fuller V.
Tackle Jesse Davis was absent, but for a great reason, according to Palm Beach Post beat writer Joe Schad: His wife gave birth Tuesday.
CUTS AROUND THE LEAGUE
There were several moves around the NFL on Tuesday involving former Dolphins players, perhaps none more noteworthy than the 49ers waiving quarterback Josh Rosen.
The former first-round pick, who spent the 2019 season with the Dolphins, now has been let go by four organizations since being a first-round pick of the Arizona Cardinals in 2018 and one has to wonder how many more chances he'll get.
Other cuts of note:
-- RB Kerryon Johnson waived/injured by the Eagles. Remember that the Dolphins put in a claim for him after he was waived by Detroit, but Philadelphia had a higher claim priority.
-- WR Antonio Callaway waived/injured by the Chiefs. The former University of Florida standout who had a checkered career with the Browns had a brief stint with the Dolphins last season.
-- DB Maurice Smith waived/injured by the Titans. The former University of Georgia player showed promise early on in his NFL career with the Dolphins, but injuries always have seemed to stymie his progress.
