NFL/Miami Dolphins Transactions Tracker: Dolphins Announce Their Moves
The process of shaping the 2020 53-man roster has been ongoing since the start of the calendar year, though it has intensified after the start of training camp.
We have been tracking the Dolphins transactions since late July, but things are going to intensify as the deadline to reach the roster limit approaches.
Saturday, Sept. 5, 5 p.m.
The Miami Dolphins made all their transactions official late Saturday afternoon, and those included very few surprises.
In addition to the trade acquisition of WR Lynn Bowden and a 6th-round pick from the Las Vegas Raiders in exchange for a 2021 4th-round pick, the Dolphins announced the following moves:
Waived:
RB Salvon Ahmed
CB Breon Borders
DT Brandin Bryant
G Shaq Calhoun
WR Matt Cole
LB Trent Harris
CB Tae Hayes
S Nate Holley
T Jonathan Hubbard
G Danny Isidora
WR Gary Jennings
LB Kylan Johnson
WR Andy Jones
DT Benito Jones
WR Kirk Merritt
TE Chris Myarick
DT Durval Queiroz Neto
DE Tyshun Render
QB Josh Rosen
C/G Keaton Sutherland
CB Ken Webster
TE Nate Wieting
Waived/injured
DB Nate Brooks
Waived/injury settlement
RB Kalen Ballage
Saturday, Sept. 5, 4 p.m.
The Dolphins have added another all-purpose back with the acquisition of rookie Lynn Bowden Jr. from the Las Vegas Raiders, according to NFL Network report Ian Rappoport.
The trade reportedly involves the Dolphins sending a fourth-round pick to the Raiders, and it's the same one the Dolphins acquired from them last weekend in the trade involving linebacker Raekwon McMillan.
So, in essence, the Dolphins ended up acquiring Bowden and a sixth-round pick from the Raiders for McMillan and a fifth-round selection.
Bowden, a rookie third-round pick from the University of Kentucky, has a similar skill set to that of Dolphins rookie seventh-round pick Malcolm Perry and will provide even more options for offensive coordinator Chan Gailey.
Bowden started the final eight games of his junior season at Kentucky at quarterback, and his versatility earned him the Paul Hornung Award as the nation's most outstanding all-purpose player, as well as first-team Associated Press All-American all-purpose recognition.
Bowden rushed for 1,468 yards (185 carries, 7.9 per) and 13 touchdowns while also leading the Wildcats in receiving (30-348-11.6, one TD in five starts to begin the year) and contributing as a returner (4-53-13.2 on punts, 9-220-24.4 on kickoffs) to finish in the top five nationally in all-purpose yards.
Before the draft, NFL.com analyst Lance Zierlein compared him to longtime NFL receiver Randall Cobb (who also played at Kentucky) and offered this scouting report: "In a rare twist, Bowden is both versatile and a little bit limited. He might require a plan to maximize his value. While he's a slot receiver by position, creative play-callers can use him as a zone-read quarterback and as a gadget receiver for jet sweeps and a variety of short catch-and-run screens. He's not overly sudden or explosive and some teams may want him to prove he can be more than a glorified running back. He's instinctive, highly competitive and makes big plays. His development as a receiver was slowed due to his move to quarterback in 2019, but his return talent and versatility gives him a chance to contribute immediately as he waits to become a starting slot."
Saturday, Sept. 5 a.m.
The Miami Dolphins did not announce any roster transactions Friday, but they apparently still were very busy.
They made big news Friday night when multiple reports indicated they were releasing quarterback Josh Rosen, the 2018 first-round pick from the Arizona Cardinals they acquired during the 2019 draft.
But they also released 15 other players, according to Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald, though not one of those reported moves could be considered overly surprising.
The players released, according to Jackson, are running back Salvon Ahmed; wide receivers Matt Cole and Kirk Merritt; tight ends Chris Myarick and Nate Wieting; offensive linemen Shaq Calhoun, Danny Isidora, Jonathan Hubbard and Keaton Sutherland; defensive linemen Tyshun Render and Brandin Bryant; and defensive backs Nate Holley, Nate Brooks, Ken Webster and Breon Borders.
Those moves would leave 59 players on the roster, meaning the Dolphins would have to waive, release or place on injured reserve six of them.
The roster numbers by position heading into Saturday would be two quarterbacks, six running backs, seven wide receivers, three tight ends, nine offensive linemen, nine defensive linemen, nine linebackers, 11 defensive backs, and three specialists.
Some notes there, though:
-- Malcolm Perry is listed as a running back, though he's really a wide receiver.
-- Chandler Cox has spent a lot of practice time at tight end.
-- Durval Queiroz Neto is listed as a defensive lineman, though he's really an offensive lineman. He's been on the roster with an exception throughout training camp because he's a Brazilian import, but that exception doesn't carry to the 53-man roster.
Of the rookie free agents the Dolphins signed after the 2020 draft, only defensive tackle Benito Jones and linebacker Kylan Johnson remain.
Before the Dolphins have to get their roster down to 53 by 4 p.m. ET, they will practice at the Baptist Health Training Facility at Nova Southeastern University.
Friday, Sept. 4
The Miami Dolphins have given up on one of their first-round quarterbacks.
The team will be releasing Josh Rosen, the 10th overall selection in the 2018 NFL draft, according to multiple reports.
The move came after a report suggesting the Dolphins had fielded inquiries from other teams about Rosen.
Two years removed from being the 10th pick in the 2018 draft and with modest contractual obligations, Rosen seemed to have some value as a third quarterback, something that might be needed in 2020 because of possible COVID-related complications.
Rosen was getting ready to start his second season with the Dolphins after being acquired in a trade with the Arizona Cardinals in April 2019 for a second-round pick in the 2019 draft and a fifth-round selection in 2020.
That trade came after the Cardinals selected quarterback Kyler Murray with the first overall pick in 2019 following a disappointing rookie season by Rosen.
But Rosen didn't fare any better in Miami.
Rosen first lost a quarterback battle with Ryan Fitzpatrick training camp, but was given the chance to start after the Dolphins lost their first two games by a combined score of 102-10.
Rosen made three consecutive starts — against Dallas, the Chargers and Washington — but was pulled late in the third quarter of the Week 6 matchup against Washington with Miami trailing 17-3.
After Fitzpatrick almost brought the Dolphins back, he stayed in the starting lineup and Rosen's only other appearance all season came against Indianapolis when Fitzpatrick was being evaluated for a concussion.
Miami was in field goal position after the defense had a takeaway, but the Dolphins had Rosen hand off three straight times before kicking a field goal.
Rosen ended the season completing 58 of 109 passes (53.2 percent) for 567 with one touchdown and five interceptions and a dismal passer rating of 53.2.
With the Dolphins' selection of Tua Tagovailoa with the fifth overall selection in the 2020 draft, Rosen's long-term outlook in Miami became bleak in the offseason.
But his outright release does have to classify as something of a surprise, particularly given the price the Dolphins paid to get him just some 17 months ago.
Tuesday, Sept. 1
A couple of hours after multiple reports indicated the Dolphins were cutting wide receivers Ricardo Louis and Chester Rogers, the team officially announced four roster cuts. But Rogers wasn't one of them.
Along with releasing Louis, the Dolphins officially waived defensive end Avery Moss, safety Jeremiah Dinson and cornerback Deatrick Nichols.
None of those moves are particularly shocking.
Dinson and Nichols are two rookie free agents who arrived in mid-August after being discarded by other teams, while Moss was recently re-signed by the Dolphins after first being released in late July.
* * *
This is what we wrote earlier after the multiple reports indicating Louis and Rogers had been released.
The Dolphins cut two wide receivers Tuesday putting into clearer picture what the position might look like after the weekend.
Newcomer Chester Rogers and Ricardo Louis both have been released, according to multiple reports.
Rogers was expected to make a strong push for a roster spot after he was signed as a free agent Aug. 9 because of his NFL experience, something that's in short supply among Dolphins wide receivers. But Rogers, who played the past four seasons with the Colts, failed to make much of an impression and the emergence of rookie Malcolm Perry as a potential slot receiver sealed his fate.
As for Louis, this is the second time the Dolphins have let him go this summer. He was released July 25 before being re-signed Aug. 8.
Louis, who played at Miami Beach High and spent some time with the Cleveland Browns, spent the entire 2019 season on the Dolphins injured reserve list before being re-signed to a one-year contract in the offseason.
Those two moves have left eight wide receivers on the roster, even though it really should be nine because Perry is still somehow being listed as a running back.
The eight official wide receivers on the roster after the departures of Rogers and Louis are Matt Cole, Isaiah Ford, Jakeem Grant, Mack Hollins, Gary Jennings, Kirk Merritt, DeVante Parker and Preston Williams.
As we indicated in our 53-man roster projection, the Dolphins likely will keep four or five at the position plus Perry. Parker and Williams are the two givens, and it certainly would seem as though Ford and Grant will have roster spots, with Hollins as the one most likely on the bubble.
Barring unforeseen circumstances, it's difficult to envision Cole, Merritt or Jennings making the 53-man roster.
Monday, Aug. 31
The Dolphins made a couple of moves Monday morning before practice, though neither should have an impact on the 53-man roster.
As had been reported on Twitter on Sunday (first by Josh Tolentino of The Athletic, the team waived linebacker James Crawford and they replaced him on the roster with wide receiver Andy Jones.
Crawford spent most of the 2019 season on injured reserve and was considered a long shot to make the 53-man roster. The same situation applies to Jones, who will look to earn one of the roster spots at wide receiver behind DeVante Parker and Preston Williams.
As we projected Sunday on AllDolphins+, Isaiah Ford certainly appears to have the inside track to the 53-man roster and one would think the Dolphins would want to keep Jakeem Grant for his return ability. Then there's rookie seventh-round pick Malcolm Perry, who's listed on the roster as a running back but really is more of a slot receiver at this point but who is likely to make the team however he's listed.
So the odds aren't good for Jones, who had 11 catches in 11 career NFL games. Jones was signed to a futures contract after spending part of the 2019 season on the Dolphins practice squad, but the team released him in April.
Saturday, Aug. 29
This was a big for Dolphins news, and one of the items was the trade of linebacker Raekwon McMillan to the Las Vegas Raiders, which we analyzed in detail in a separate story.
Thursday, Aug. 27
It was a very busy day for the Dolphins, who made a few moves in addition to trading running back Kalen Ballage to the New York Jets and activating cornerback Xavien Howard from the COVID-19 and PUP lists, which we covered in detail in separate stories.
Additionally, the Dolphins re-signed defensive end Avery Moss and waived rookie center Donell Stanley and cornerback Picasso Nelson Jr.
The signing of Moss marked the second time in three days the Dolphins re-signed a player that had waived in recent weeks. The first one was linebacker Trent Harris.
Moss started eight games for the Dolphins in 2019, but the fact he's already been waived obviously indicates he needs to make a big impression quickly if he hopes to make the 53-man roster.
Stanley joined the Dolphins as a rookie free agent out of South Carolina, while Nelson had been claimed off waivers from the Indianapolis Colts.
Wednesday, Aug. 26
The Dolphins continued picking up players off waivers, this time claiming Salvon Ahmed from the University of Washington.
Stephen R. Sylvania-USA Today Sports
Ahmed is a rookie who played with Myles Gaskin in college, in fact succeeded him as the Huskies' main running back this past season.
Ahmed rushed for 1,020 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2019 while earning honorable mention All-Pac-12 recognition. He came in at 5-11, 197 at the combine, a bigger size than Gaskin, but wasn't considered as good a prospect.
He ran a 4.62 in the 40 at the combine and was projected as an "end of roster/practice squad player."
This was the NFL.com scouting report by Lance Zierlein: "Scatback who is light on his feet but suffers from a debilitating lack of vision and decisiveness that prevents him from reaching his athletic potential as a runner. Ahmed lacks feel for blocking scheme and run-lane development, but even struggled to see it and hit the gas when clear points of entry were available. He can hit a daily goal with the amount of steps he uses on each carry, but it prevents him from being able to plant and go with much-needed efficiency. He's athletic with open-field speed, but leaves too many chunk plays out on the field and faces an uphill battle to make a team."
Ahmed's arrival perhaps signaled some concern about the shoulder injury sustained in practice by Patrick Laird on Monday. Laird was hurt while diving for a Tua Tagovailoa deep pass near the goal line and hasn't returned to practice.
But then came the reports the Dolphins were going to release Kalen Ballage.
The other running backs on the roster are Jordan Howard, Matt Breida, Kalen Ballage and Gaskin. Malcolm Perry is still listed as a running back, though he's been working as a slot receiver.
Tuesday, Aug. 25
The Dolphins made official the signing of linebacker Trent Harris ... or should we say re-signing?
Harris was with the team last season but was waived earlier this summer.
While he showed some pass-rushing ability in 2019, Harris still likely facing long odds of making the 53-man roster. The fact he was waived already this summer would be evidence of that, though he's now being given a second chance to make a case for himself.
Monday, Aug. 24
The Dolphins made a surprising move on this day when they waived/injured DE Curtis Weaver, but contrary to what you might have read elsewhere, the Dolphins did NOT have to put Weaver on waivers if his injury was deemed major and they easily could have waited for him to heal if the injury was deemed minor.
We explained it all here in this full breakdown.
Saturday, Aug. 22
The Miami Dolphins have had a lot of success with former Canadian Football League players, and they're hoping to have hit again with Nate Holley.
The team made the transaction Saturday afternoon, a few days after the CFL announced it was canceling its 2020 season because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Holley played linebacker for the Calgary Stampeders last season, but the Dolphins listed him as a safety — not a surprise given his physical dimension of 6 feet, 210 pounds.
Here's an interesting twist, though, and it comes in a quote from Holley to the Toledo Blade in a story published Saturday: "I've been in linebacker meetings, but how they're going to use me is yet to be seen."
Holley told the Blade four other NFL teams contacted him: the Lions, Colts, Panthers and Titans.
A product of Kent State, Holley earned CFL Most Outstanding Rookie honors last year after he had 78 tackles on defense, 22 more on special teams, one sack and one interception in 18 games.
Holley spent time in training camp with the Los Angeles Rams in 2018 before being waived and moving on to the Nebraska Danger of the Indoor Football League.
Holley was considered one of the most sought-after CFL prospects and he comes to Miami one year after linebacker Sam Eguavoen made his way south from the Saskatchewan Roughriders.
Thursday, Aug. 20
Well, that sure didn't take long.
One day after linebacker Sam Eguavoen was placed on the Reserve/COVID-19 list, he was taken off it and back at practice.
That left only cornerback Xavien Howard on the list. Howard also remains on PUP.
Wednesday, Aug. 19
The Dolphins made their first moves in three days, but one of them was painful.
Hours after head coach Brian Flores confirmed that linebacker Vince Biegel had sustained a "significant" injury in practice Tuesday, the team placed the fourth-year linebacker on injured reserve.
The move will end his season.
In another move, the Dolphins placed linebacker Sam Eguavoen on the Reserve/COVID-19 list. He joins cornerback Xavien Howard, who also has to come off the Physically Unable to Perform list before he can start practicing. Logic, however, suggests that since Howard can't be at the facility while he's on the COVID-19 list, that means he can't be physically tested to pass a physical, which would get him off PUP.
Sunday, Aug. 16
The Dolphins made three moves Sunday, including waiving safety Adrian Colbert and rookie free agent tackle Nick Kaltmayer. The other involved taking new defensive tackle Brandin Bryant off the Reserve/COVID-19 list.
We discussed the departure of Colbert in an earlier story. As for Kaltmayer, like all rookie free agents, he was a long shot to make the roster.
Removing Bryant from the COVID-19 list leaves just one player on there: cornerback Xavien Howard. Remember that Howard also is on PUP, so he's got two issues to deal with at the moment.
Saturday, Aug. 15
After taking a one-day break from transactions, the Dolphins were back at it, with two moves involving the Reserve/COVID-19 list.
Free agent guard Ereck Flowers came off the list, where he had been since Aug. 2, but was replaced there by newcomer Brandin Bryant, the defensive tackle from Florida Atlantic University.
Bryant has joined cornerback Xavien Howard as the only players on the Reserve/COVID-19 list.
Additionally, the Dolphins claimed another player off waivers, safety Jeremiah Dinson from Auburn. If that sounds familiar, it's because he's the second rookie from Auburn — who played with first-round pick Noah Igbinoghene — the Dolphins have claimed off waivers this summer.
Dinson, who went undrafted, played at American High in Miami.
Jake Crandall-USA Today Sports
This was the NFL.com overview, as written by Lance Zierlein: "Dinson's toughness and consistency of play are obvious on tape, but he's a defensive back who doesn't quite fit the physical/athletic pieces together in finding a position. He's built like a cornerback playing safety but runs more like a linebacker, and he doesn't have the size teams look for in a safety roaming the box. He has excellent instincts and recognition underneath, but lacks the coverage range and short-area burst to disrupt catches at the desired rate. He might need to add weight and lock into a role as a special teams worker bee and a dime safety, but the lack of speed is a big hindrance."
The Dolphins claimed Auburn cornerback Javaris Davis off waivers from Kansas City on July 27, but waived him with a non-football injury designation Aug. 6.
Thursday, Aug. 13
Another day, another young player brought in.
On this day, it's cornerback Deatrick Nichols, who played in the XFL earlier this year before the league ceased operations. At the time the league stopped play, Nichols was leading the XFL with three interceptions.
Nichols was out of the NFL last year after he was waived by the Arizona Cardinals at the end of training camp. Nichols had played two games for the Cardinals in 2018 after going undrafted out of the University of South Florida.
Isaiah J. Downing-USA Today Sports
The addition of Downing, who has to be considered a long shot to make the active roster, wasn't the biggest move Thursday morning.
That distinction belongs to the Dolphins waiving safety Steven Parker, along with rookie free agent Bryce Sterk.
With Sterk, any rookie free agent faces long odds to make a roster (especially without the benefit of offseason practices), but this particular player faced the additional challenge of a position change. Sterk was working at tight end after playing defensive end at the University of Washington and then Montana State.
Parker, though, looked like a legitimate prospect after playing 14 games for the Dolphins in 2019 and starting four games. Parker had two interceptions, including a spectacular grab in the end zone against Indianapolis when he stole the ball from tight end Eric Ebron.
Parker finished with 20 tackles while showing some cover skills. The Dolphins have four players listed as safeties still on the roster — Bobby McCain, Brandon Jones, Kavon Frazier and Adrian Colbert.
Eric Rowe is listed as a cornerback on the roster, even though he played the second half of the 2019 at safety and is expected to line up there again this season. Clayton Fejedelem also is listed as a cornerback, even though he played at safety for the Bengals when he lined up on defense. His primarily role figures to be on special teams.
Wednesday, Aug. 12
The Dolphins continued their search for hidden gems, signing defensive tackle Brandin Bryant, and later in the day claiming cornerback Breon Borders from the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Borders has bounced around quite a bit since going undrafted out of Duke in 2017 and has played in 13 NFL games, including 11 last season with the Jacksonville Jaguars. His other two games came with Jacksonville in 2018 and Washington last season.
Prior to his NFL debut, Borders also spent time with Buffalo, Houston and the Raiders.
With Jacksonville last year, Borders saw most of his playing time on special teams. Though it's a very small sample size, advanced stats have Borders giving up four completions on all four times he was targeted at cornerback last year, though the completions averaged only 7 yards.
Bryant was waived May 8 by the Cleveland Browns, with whom he played his first four NFL games last season, three years after he went undrafted out of Florida Atlantic University.
Ken Blaze-USA Today Sports
Bryant has had training camp or practice squad stints with the Seattle Seahawks and New York Jets and also played two seasons in the Canadian Football League — with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in 2018 and the Montreal Alouettes in 2019.
The Dolphins have had success with former CFL players in the past — most recently with Sam Eguavoen and 2010s star Cameron Wake — though expectations should be kept low when it comes to Bryant. He'll be in a battle just to make the active roster.
Tuesday, Aug. 11
It was a relatively quiet day in terms of transactions, but a disappointing one.
The one move that was made involved cornerback Xavien Howard, already on the Physically Unable to Perform list, being placed on the Reserve/COVID-19 list.
Howard is trying to come back after undergoing knee surgery last December, so this is a setback nobody really wants to see. The bottom line, though, is that it's still too early to start getting worried about Howard's availability for the start of the regular season Sept. 13.
Howard is now one of two players on the Reserve/COVID-19 list along with guard Ereck Flowers, who has been there since Aug. 2.
Monday, Aug. 10
The Dolphins made a roster move on this day, though for a change it had nothing to do with the COVID-19 list.
Instead, the Dolphins picked up tight end Nate Wieting off waivers from the Cleveland Browns. Wieting is a rookie free agent from Iowa who started nine games as a senior in 2019 but caught only 10 passes.
Wieting was a four-time Academic All-Big Ten at Iowa, but he wasn't invited to the combine this past February.
Joseph Cress-Iowa City Press-Citizen
His addition makes it six tight ends on the Dolphins roster: Mike Gesicki, Durham Smythe, Chris Myarick, Adam Shaheen, rookie free agent Bryce Sterk and Wieting.
Sunday, Aug. 9
The big move of the day was the signing of wide receiver Chester Rogers, which we covered at length with this story.
Later in the day, the Dolphins activated linebacker Calvin Munson off the Active/Non-Football Injury list. He had been on the list since July 28.
Munson started the two games he played for the Dolphins last season after joining the team in December and might be a low-profile player worth watching as we head into the regular season.
Saturday, Aug. 8
The Dolphins are now down to one player on the Reserve/COVID-19 list after they removed four players off it.
The only player left on the list is offensive lineman Ereck Flowers, who was placed on the list Aug. 2.
The four players who came off Saturday were defensive tackle Raekwon Davis, guard Solomon Kindley, wide receiver Kirk Merritt and defensive tackle Benito Jones, who has been on and off the list twice.
The other moves Saturday included the signing of wide receiver Ricardo Louis and the placement of newly acquired Ray Smith on the reserve/retired list. Smith was claimed off waivers from the 49ers on July 29.
RELATED: Dolphins Make Move at Wide Receiver and What It Means
Friday, Aug. 7
The fluidity of the Reserve/COVID-19 list has been evident for the Miami Dolphins, and on Friday it involved three players coming off it.
Defensive tackle Davon Godchaux, defensive end Shaq Lawson and rookie safety Brandon Jones all came off Reserve/COVID-19 list Friday, one day after Lawson and Jones were among six players put on it.
Godchaux had been put on the list Aug. 5.
The other four players put on Reserve/COVID-19 on Thursday were defensive tackles Raekwon Davis and Benito Jones, guard Solomon Kindley and wide receiver Kirk Merritt.
The Dolphins still have five players on the COVID-19 list, guard Ereck Flowers along with the four aforementioned players.
Flowers has been on the Reserve/COVID-19 list since Aug. 2.
Thursday, Aug. 6
The Miami Dolphins were busy with the Reserve/COVID-19 list Thursday, though the big news of the day was that no other player decided to opt out.
Six players, however, were put on the Reserve/COVID-19 list, including three draft picks — second-round defensive tackle Raekwon Davis, third-round safety Brandon Jones and fourth-round guard Solomon Kindley.
They were joined on the Reserve/COVID-19 list by veteran defensive end Shaq Lawson and rookie free agents Benito Jones and Kirk Merritt.
It should be noted that it's the second time Jones has been on the Reserve/COVID-19 list.
As a reminder, players are put on the Reserve/COVID-19 list if they test positive for COVID-19 or if they came in close contact with someone who has tested positive.
Teams are not allowed to comment on specific players unless the player first volunteers information publicly.
On the flip side Thursday, two players came off the Reserve/COVID-19: rookie seventh-round pick Malcolm Perry and defensive tackle Zach Sieler.
Finally, the Dolphins' other transaction of the day Thursday involved rookie cornerback Javaris Davis, who was waived/non-football injury. Davis had joined the Dolphins last week after being claimed off waivers from the Kansas City Chiefs.
The Dolphins ended up with two players opting out because of COVID-19: wide receivers Allen Hurns and Albert Wilson.
The Dolphins ended up faring much better on that end than the AFC East rival New England Patriots, who had eight players opt out, including key defensive players Dont'a Hightower and Patrick Chung.
Wednesday, Aug. 5
The movement involving the Reserve/COVID-19 list continued, with defensive tackle Davon Godchaux going on the list.
As a reminder, that means he tested positive for COVID-19 or was in close contact to someone who was exposed to the virus. As is always the case, there is no additional information provided (unless it comes from the player) or timetable for a return.
The Dolphins now have two defensive linemen on Reserve/COVID-19, with Zach Sieler being the other one.
Also on Wednesday, there was the announcement from Albert Wilson that he was opting out, and it was on the official NFL transaction list.
Again as a reminder, Wilson and Allen Hurns, who opted out Tuesday, are done for the season. The decision to opt out is irreversible.
Tuesday, Aug. 4
The Dolphins made three moves on this day, two of them involving the same player.
That would be 2017 third-round pick Cordrea Tankersley, who was activated off the Reserve/COVID-19 list and waived.
The Dolphins also waived long-snapper Rex Sunahara.
This put an end to a disappointing Dolphins stay for Tankersley, the cornerback from Clemson. Things started off well enough when he started 11 games as a rookie, but it went downhill from there.
Tankersley started the 2018 season as a backup until he sustained a knee injury in practice that landed him on IR. He never was able to bounce back from the injury and spent the entire 2019 season on PUP.
Coming into 2020, Tankersley looked like a long shot to even claim a roster spot, let alone play a significant role. The Dolphins have a lot of depth at cornerback after signing Byron Jones as a free agent and drafting Noah Igbinoghene in the first round.
As for Sunahara, he was signed this weekend while rookie sixth-round pick Blake Ferguson was on the Reserve/COVID-19 list. The move all along was a safeguard in the event Ferguson wouldn't be able to go because the Dolphins didn't spend a draft pick on Ferguson for him no to be their long-snapper.
We also should mention Allen Hurns officially opting out.
Monday, Aug. 3
More moves on this day, with Jerome Baker coming off the COVID-19 list and rookie seventh-round pick Malcolm Perry going on it, along with cornerback Picasso Nelson Jr. being claimed off waivers from the Indianapolis Colts.
We'll start with Perry, who went on the COVID-19 list only a couple of days after the Dolphins released images of him giving plasma as a recovered COVID-19 patient for those still fighting virus.
Photo-Miami Dolphins
It's important to remember that the COVID-19 list is for those who have tested positive or who have been in close contact to somebody who tested positive.
As for Nelson, he spent time last year on the Colts practice squad after going undrafted out of Southern Miss, where he earned honorable mention All-Conference USA recognition in 2018. Nelson (5-10, 195) had five interceptions during his four seasons at USM.
Nelson's father played linebacker in the Canadian Football League after playing at Jackson State.
Nelson graduated from Southern Miss in the fall of 2017, but missed that entire season because of an injury and returned as a redshirt senior in 2018. He earned the university's Best Male Citizen Award, becoming the first student-athlete to win it since football's Gerald McGrath.
One last thing on Nelson: He wore 13 at Southern Miss, which means he'll obviously had to find himself a new number with the Dolphins.
Sunday, Aug. 2
The Dolphins again made moves involving the Reserve/COVID-19 list, with guard Ereck Flowers going on it and long-snapper Blake Ferguson coming off.
It's an interesting development involving Ferguson because it comes one day after the Dolphins signed rookie free agent snapper Rex Sunahara from West Virginia.
If Ferguson is good to go, it's hard to envision him not being the team's long-snapper considering the team invested a sixth-round pick on him.
Flowers is almost a given to start at left guard is he's ready to go for the season opener after the Dolphins gave him a three-year, $30 million contract in the offseason.
The Dolphins still have four players on the COVID list: Flowers, linebacker Jerome Baker, cornerback Cordrea Tankersley and defensive lineman Zach Sieler.
Along with Ferguson, Benito Jones has been on the list and been activated off it already.
Saturday, Aug. 1
The Dolphins are signing rookie free agent long-snapper Rex Sunahara from West Virginia.
The move comes a few days after the only long-snapper on the roster, Blake Ferguson, was placed on the Reserve/COVID-19 list.
Clearly, Ferguson will be the guy if he's ready to play for the start of the regular season, though this move is eye-opening nonetheless.
First off, let's remind everyone the COVID is for players who have tested positive for the coronavirus OR have been quarantined after being in close contact with somebody who tested positive.
It's also fair to mention again that Ferguson does have Type-1 diabetes. He posted on Twitter after being placed on COVID that he was feeling "great" and was looking forward to getting back to football.
As for Sunahara, he went undrafted after playing at West Virginia — Ferguson was the only long-snapper drafted in 2020.
Sunahara (6-6, 242) was seen as a good enough NFL prospect, though, that he was invited to play in the 2020 NFLPA Collegiate Bowl and the 2020 Hula Bowl.
He was a two-year snapper at West Virginia after beginning his collegiate career at the University of Rhode Island, where he also was a member of the basketball team as a freshman.
Friday, July 31
Third-year linebacker Jerome Baker was among the two players the Miami Dolphins placed on the reserve/COVID-19 on Friday along with defensive lineman Zach Sieler.
That's now four Dolphins players on the list, with the other two being fourth-year cornerback Cordrea Tankersley and rookie sixth-round pick Blake Ferguson.
Rookie defensive lineman Benito Jones was on the list before being activated off it a couple of days.
This new reserve list category was created for a player who either tests positive for COVID-19 or who has been quarantined after having been in close contact with an infected person or persons. If a player falls into either of these categories, their club is required to immediately place the player on the reserve/COVID-19 list.
Per agreed upon NFL-NFLPA policy, clubs are not permitted to comment on a player’s medical status other than referring to roster status. Clubs may not disclose whether a player is in quarantine or is positive for COVID-19.
Baker started 15 games last season and played 97 percent the defensive snaps, the highest total on the team.
Baker led the Dolphins in tackles with 126, a total that ranked 14th in the NFL. He had two forced fumbles and an interception, which came against Eli Manning and the New York Giants in December.
Sieler played three games for the Dolphins last season after being claimed off waivers from Baltimore and had one sack.
Wednesday, July 29
The Dolphins made three moves, claiming defensive tackle Ray Smith from the San Francisco 49ers, waiving cornerback Ryan Lewis and removing defensive tackle Benito Jones from the Reserve/COVID-19 list.
We'll start with Smith, who spent time in 2019 on the practice squads of both the Detroit Lions and San Francisco 49ers.
Listed at 6-1, 305, Smith is an undersized nose tackle and the scouting report is that he'll need to get bigger and stronger if he hopes to bounce around the NFL and eventually get on a 53-man roster.
Smith went undrafted out of Boston College in 2019 after being a three-year starter in college.
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Jones was one of three rookie free agent defensive linemen the Dolphins signed after the draft, along with Tyshun Render and Ray Lima.
Lima was waived last week after telling the Dolphins he was quitting football.
Jones, out of Ole Miss, was considered a good enough prospect that he was invited to play in the Senior Bowl.
As for Lewis, that move might be a tad surprising given that he had shown promise last year when he was one of several young cornerbacks who got playing time.
Lewis was claimed off waivers from the Eagles and had one interception (against Cleveland) in eight games for the Dolphins, three of which he started.
Tuesday, July 28
The health of cornerback Xavien Howard had been a bit of a mystery all offseason after he ended last year on injured reserve, but we got a bit of clarity when the Dolphins placed him Tuesday on the active/Physically Unable to Perform list.
It was one of two moves made by the Dolphins, the other being linebacker Calvin Munson being placed on the active/non-football injury list.
Both Howard and Munson will continue to count against the Dolphins' active roster.
Howard can come off PUP whenever he passes a physical, so there's some time before this becomes worrisome.
Still, it's not great news considering Howard underwent last fall what was described as "at least his third knee operation" after he had landed on injured reserve.
It was the culmination of a disappointing season for Howard, who was coming off a 2018 season where he made the Pro Bowl and established himself as one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL.
Howard ended up playing in five games in 2019 and had one interception, which ironically came in his final outing of the season against the Pittsburgh Steelers in a Monday night game at Heinz Field.
Howard's ability to regain his Pro Bowl is a key to the Dolphins secondary being able to reach elite status after the offseason acquisition of fellow 2018 Pro Bowl selection Byron Jones as a free agent.
Howard posted a video on Instagram live this past weekend showing himself backpedaling on a practice field. In late March, he posted a video on Instagram of a workout with the title "Road to Recovery."
Given that the first couple of weeks of "training camp" this year will be devoted to strength and conditioning because of the coronavirus pandemic, Howard missing some time at the outset isn't a big deal.
It could become a big deal at some point if Howard's knee problems linger.
Monday, July 27
The Dolphins claimed cornerback Javaris Davis off waivers from the Kansas City Chiefs, they waived/non-football injury list tight end Michael Roberts, and they placed three players on the reserve/COVID-19 list: rookie long-snapper Blake Ferguson, rookie free agent defensive tackle Benito Jones and cornerback Cordrea Tankersley.
Javaris Davis is a rookie from Auburn who played alongside Dolphins first-round pick Noah Igbinoghene. The Chiefs signed him as a rookie free agent after he went undrafted in the 2020 NFL draft.
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Roberts was looking to come back to the NFL after sitting out the 2019 season because of a shoulder injury. The veteran had two touchdown catches with the Detroit Lions in 2018 and ironically two of them came against the Dolphins in an October game at Hard Rock Stadium.
The reserve/COVID-19 list is a new reserve list category was created for a player who either tests positive for COVID-19 or who has been quarantined after having been in close contact with an infected person or persons.
If a player falls into either of these categories, their club is required to immediately place the player on the reserve/COVID-19 list. Per the policy agreed upon by the NFL and the NFLPA, clubs are not permitted to comment on a player’s medical status other than referring to roster status. Clubs may not disclose whether a player is in quarantine or is positive for COVID-19.
Ferguson was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at the age of 13, and he addressed his condition in relation to COVID-19 after the Dolphins selected him in the sixth round of the 2020 draft out of LSU.
“It’s one that I certainly have to be careful of, having a preexisting condition," Ferguson said then. "But I spoke with my doctors and I spoke with some people from a couple of different foundations that I work with that are medical doctors. They reassured me that if your blood sugars are healthy and stable, you’re going to be at a much lower risk of contracting the virus as opposed to if your blood sugar was high or really spiking up and down.
"I do a really good job of keeping my blood sugar within range and tracking pretty steady. I feel like I’m at a lower risk as (far as) being a diabetic, but I’m certainly taking the precautions necessary to stay safe. I’ve been staying home and quarantining myself with a couple of members of my family. I’m really trying to stay safe just like everybody else.”
Ferguson tweeted out a video of himself long-snapping over the weekend as he looked forward to the start of camp.
Tankersley is looking to bounce back after missing the past year and a half with knee issues. Tankersley, a 2017 third-round pick out of Clemson, had started 11 games as a rookie.
Jones is one of two rookie free agents on the defensive line, along with Tyshun Render. Another rookie free agent defensive lineman, Ray Lima, was waived last week after the Dolphins he wanted to retire.
Sunday, July 26
For the second consecutive day, the Dolphins have waived two players, and this time it was defensive end Avery Moss and linebacker Trent Harris. They followed WR Ricardo Louis and QB Jake Rudock, who were waived Saturday.
The moves left the Dolphins with 83 players on their roster, not counting Brazilian lineman Durval Queiroz Neto, for whom they have a roster exemption.
Keep in mind that NFL teams have the option of having 80 or 90 players at the start of training camp, though they have to be down to 80 players regardless by Aug. 16.
While some may view it as surprising that the Dolphins have waived four veterans this weekend instead of one of their rookie free agents, especially considering Moss (8) and Harris (3) combined to make 11 starts last season, this could be seen as a statement on what the organization thought of their personnel in 2019.
In short, the Dolphins may be just believe the upside of their rookie free agents is greater than that of the players they have let go.
The one rookie free agent no longer on the roster is defensive tackle Ray Lima, but he actually retired.
The Dolphins still have nine rookie free agents: WR Kirk Merritt, WR Matt Cole, TE Bryce Sterk, C Donell Stanley, T Nick Kaltmayer, DL Tyshun Render, DT Benito Jones, LB Kylan Johnson and T Jonathan Hubbard.
Saturday, July 25
On the same day the New York Jets made a mega trade involving Pro Bowl safety Jamal Adams, the Dolphins made a couple of roster moves themselves, though not nearly of the same magnitude.
But one of the moves indirectly was very significant as it related to first-round pick Tua Tagovailoa.
That move was the release of quarterback Jake Rudock.
What does that have to do with Tagovailoa? Well, with Rudock now gone, the Dolphins are left with three quarterbacks on their roster: Tagovailoa, veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick and Josh Rosen.
The move involving Rudock is a clear signal the Dolphins believe that Tagovailoa will be ready to practice because there's no way they would have left themselves with only two healthy quarterbacks.
Of course, there's always the possibility the Dolphins could sign a different quarterback before they start actually practicing in the middle of August, but it's much more likely they're comfortable with Tua's health status.
The other move Saturday was the release of wide receiver Ricardo Louis.
A product of Miami Beach High, Louis does have NFL experience with 45 catches in two seasons with the Cleveland Browns, but he was attempting to come back from a knee injury that had him on IR all of last season.
The Dolphins also have a lot of depth at wide receiver, so his chances of making the roster weren't great from the start.
As for Rudock, he spent all of last season on the Dolphins practice squad.
The moves left the Dolphins with 84 players on their roster, including Brazilian important Durval Queiroz Neto, who does not count against the roster limit.
Every NFL team will have the option of beginning camp with a limit of 80 or 90 players. Those who choose the 90-player limit will have to work in two groups, with rookies and second-year players in one group and veterans in the other.
