Busy Day for Dolphins on COVID-19 Front, and Perry Prognosis

The Miami Dolphins did not have any players opt out before the deadline, but they made eight moves Thursday related to the COVID-19 list

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 rookief 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.

With Hurns and Wilson gone, Perry could become an important player in the passing game. Even though he's listed at running back on the roster, it always made sense for him to get time as a slot wide receiver. After all, that's what most draft analysts projected would be his position in the NFL.

Perry doesn't really have the size to play running back on a regular basis, so even though he was listed at that position on the roster, logic always suggested he would be used in a variety in roles.

Whether he becomes a full-time slot receiver remains to be seen, but he certainly got more of a chance now to make an impact as a rookie.