Running Backs Highlight First Wave of Cuts

The Miami Dolphins got an early start on their roster moves to get down to the 53-player limit

Miami Dolphins running back Aaron Shampklin (48) runs with the football against Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback Aydan White (40) during the fourth quarter at Hard Rock Stadium. | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

The Miami Dolphins got an early start on their roster moves to get down to the 53-player limit with several transactions going down Monday morning.

The Dolphins, per various reports, released running backs Aaron Shampklin and Mike Boone, offensive linemen Jackson Carman and Jalen McKenzie, defensive lineman Ben Stille and veteran cornerback Mike Hilton.

That would bring the roster to 84 players, meaning 31 moves still need to be made before Tuesday at 4 p.m. ET.

THE RUNNING BACK SITUATION

While Boone and Shampklin were late additions in training camp, there's an element of surprise in both being released because rookie Ollie Gordon II currently is the only other healthy running back on the roster.

While De'Von Achane is expected to be ready for Week 1 despite his calf injury, the outcome is much more uncertain when it comes to second-year back Jaylen Wright.

What should be mentioned here is the likelihood the Dolphins will add another running back to the roster after the cuts to 53, and it's entirely possible that Shampklin or Boone could be that addition. The reason is that neither is likely to generate a ton of interest on the open market (otherwise they wouldn't have been available when the Dolphins signed them) and they performed well enough during their brief time with the team to merit a longer look.

If the Dolphins do make the move of bringing one of them back, it would preserve one roster spot that can be used for a player to be placed on IR on Wednesday and become one of the eight designated players to return — in addition to the two the Dolphins can designate Tuesday.

THE HILTON MOVE

While Hilton was the biggest name cut Monday, the Dolphins moving on from the veteran nickel corner really shouldn't have been viewed as a surprise.

The writing appeared on the wall based on Hilton's usage in practice and in the preseason finale, where he didn't play with the first-team defense and didn't get many snaps.

The Dolphins seem to have settled on rookie fifth-round pick Jason Marshall Jr. to handle the nickel corner role.

Hilton looked good early in camp with his blitzing, but he had a down year in coverage for the Cincinnati Bengals in 2024 and that led to the team not re-signing him when he became an unrestricted free agent in the offseason.