The Day After: Dolphins Practice Squad and Waiver Wire Possibilities

The Miami Dolphins will put together their practice squad Sunday after first examining who's available on the NFL waiver wire

It's the morning after the cuts (not final) to the 53-player roster limit, and it means exploring what other teams did to see what players became available.

Vested veterans such as former Dolphins running back Lamar Miller are allowed to sign with any team at any time, while non-vested players (three years or less) have to go through the waiver process, which today will end at noon Eastern time.

If two or more teams claim the same player, priority is given based on the final 2019 standings — the same way the draft order was determined. That means the Dolphins have the fifth-highest claim priority after Cincinnati, Washington, Detroit and the New York Giants.

Because of COVID-related circumstances, it's likely there will be fewer waiver claims than in normal years.

But here's a sobering word of caution for Dolphins fans — fans of any team really: Don't expect too much from players claimed off waivers.

We offer 2019 as an example. After the cuts to 53 last year, the Dolphins claimed five players off waivers: DE Avery Moss, LB Deon Lacey, S Steven Parker, LB Trent Harris and CB Ken Webster. All of them played the whole season with the Dolphins, and Moss, Webster and Parker even started games. But none of them will be around for a second year.

As we look around the NFL cuts, three names jumped out as intriguing: quarterback Joshua Dobbs (Jacksonville), wide receiver Laquon Treadwell (Atlanta) and cornerback Sidney Jones (Philadelphia).

Treadwell was a first-round pick of the Vikings in 2016 and is a vested veteran. Dobbs, a fourth-round pick of the Steelers in 2018, and Jones, a second-round pick in 2018, both have to go through waivers.

A long list of former Dolphins players were released Saturday, including former 2013 second overall pick Dion Jordan (San Francisco), as well as RB Lamar Miller (New England), QB Matt Moore (Kansas City), TE MarQueis Gray (San Francisco), OT Sam Young (Las Vegas) and G/C Evan Boehm, who started eight games for the Dolphins last season before joining the Bills this offeason as an unrestricted free agent.

Along with seeing with any player released around the league merits a spot on their 53-man roster, the Dolphins will put together their practice squad after 1 p.m. ET, and you can expect most — if not all — of it to feature players they let go Saturday.

As a reminder, along with an increase from 10 to 16 players on the practice squad, teams now are allowed six veterans on the unit.

Not counting Kalen Ballage, who was waived with an injury settlement and certainly isn't coming back, or DB Nate Brooks, who was waived/injured, the Dolphins waived 22 players Saturday.

The most likely to be brought back for the practice squad — again, they have to clear waivers first — would be CB Breon Borders, DT Brandin Bryant, G Shaq Calhoun, WR Matt Cole, LB Trent Harris, CB Tae Hayes, T Jonathan Hubbard, WR Gary Jennings, LB Kylan Johnson, DT Benito Jones, WR Kirk Merritt, TE Chris Myarick, DE Tyshun Render, C/G Keaton Sutherland and CB Ken Webster.

The seven we did not mention were RB Salvon Ahmed, S Nate Holley, G Danny Isidora, WR Andy Jones, DT Durval Queiroz Neto, TE Nate Wieting and, of course, quarterback Josh Rosen.

The big question Sunday morning is whether any team will claim Rosen. Bengals head coach Zac Taylor, former Dolphins offensive coordinator, said Saturday his team would not be putting in a claim for Rosen.