Dolphins History Lesson: The Day After Final Cuts

It's the day after in the NFL, the day after every team made their last round of moves to get down to the 53-player limit, and now it's about roster adjusting for the Miami Dolphins and their counterparts.

Based on recent history, going back 10 years, the expectation is that the Dolphins will claim one or two players off waivers and then have to make a corresponding move to create space, whether it be putting someone on injured reserve or releasing them.

Defensive back Elijah Campbell, who made the Dolphins 53-man roster Tuesday, joined the team this way last year when he was claimed off waivers from the New York Jets on the day after the final roster cuts and took the place of another DB, Jamal Perry.

The Dolphins have claimed at least one player off waivers (or signed a veteran) on this day each of the past 10 years with the exception of 2020, but that wasn't a normal year because of COVID and the absence of an offseason program or a preseason.

The Dolphins high for waiver claims on the day after the final cuts in these past 10 years as five in 2019 and four in 2012 — though none of the players claimed in either case made a major impact for the Dolphins.

THE CRAZIEST DOLPHINS DAY-AFTER

But that 2019 day-after-the-cuts was wild for the Dolphins, not just because of the high number of waivers claims during the team's massive roster rebuilding, but also because of two trades that became official on that day.

And the big one, of course, was the massive deal that sent tackle Laremy Tunsil and wide receiver Kenny Stills to Houston for two players and a several draft picks.

And then there was the trade of linebackers, with the Dolphins acquiring Vince Biegel from the New Orleans Saints for Kiko Alonso.

The five players claimed were Trent Harris, Deon Lacey, Avery Moss, Steven Parker and Ken Webster, who took the place of Montre Hartage, Terrill Hanks, Adolphus Washington, Zach Sterup and Chris Myarick.

So one day after getting down to 53 players, the Dolphins had swapped eight of them — 15 percent of the active roster.

NOTABLES CLAIMED BY THE DOLPHINS ON THE DAY-AFTER

One thing about waiver claim is they don't often involve notable players, for one thing because vested veterans (four years of NFL experience or more) are exempt from waivers.

In those past 10 years, perhaps the most noteworthy waiver claim the Dolphins made the day after final cuts was Cody Parkey, who was picked up to replace incumbent kicker Andrew Franks in 2017 and proceeded to tie a franchise record for field goal accuracy in a season by going 21-for-23.

Another notable name claimed by the Dolphins was Logan Thomas, now a starting tight end for Washington, except that when Miami got him in 2015 he still was trying to make an NFL career as a quarterback.

Overall, though, the 22 players the Dolphins put on their 53-man roster the day after final cuts over the past 10 years, made very little impact during their time in Miami, though Parker did have a big interception during a victory at Indianapolis in that strange 2019 season.