Young Coach Favorite on the Way Back?

Why the Miami Dolphins likely will be making this roster move sooner rather than later

Miami Dolphins tight end Hayden Rucci (49) celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the second quarter during preseason at Raymond James Stadium during the 2024 preseason. | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Miami Dolphins tight ends coach Jon Embree probably had a smile when he saw or heard the news involving Hayden Rucci on Wednesday.

Rucci was waived by the Detroit Lions, 10 days after the Dolphins waived him to make room on the 53-man roster for veteran tight end Darren Waller to be activated from injured reserve.

Embree made his feelings very clear when the Lions claimed Rucci.

This was a young player with whom Embree had worked for two years after the Dolphins signed him as an undrafted rookie free agent out of Wisconsin and who showed him good potential.

So Embree admitted he might have said a few choice words when the Dolphins lost Rucci to the waiver wire.

"Yes, yes, yes," Embree said last week. "Words that my mother would not be happy with. It took me about five minutes. And then I talked to him on the phone. I'm happy. It's a great opportunity for him, obviously. And then I told him I reached out to Ross Dwelley. Ross is a guy I had that was in a similar situation. He's in Detroit to kind of take him under the wing and and help him make the adjustments. So I'm happy for him and I get it. It's part of the business of this game, unfortunately. And you get this late in the year and teams are making pushes and doing different things. And so you just never know who needs what or might. You know, make that claim and all that and you got to go with the odds and it got us this time."

As fate would have it, the Lions waived Dwelley the very next day after they waived Rucci, but that move won't have any effect on the Dolphins.

Different story with Rucci.

PRACTICE SQUAD MOVE COMING?

Based on Embree's comments and the fact Rucci appeared in four games this season and his potential, it's probably not a reach to suggest the Dolphins will be re-signing him to the practice squad once he clears waivers.

The Dolphins currently a pretty full house at tight end, with Waller, Julian Hill and Greg Dulcich on the active roster, and Tanner Conner and Chris Myarick on the practice squad.

The Dolphins have invested even more time in Conner than in Rucci, so the logical move here would involve Myarick, a veteran who returned for a second stint with the Dolphins this past August. This would be nothing against Myarick, but Rucci clearly has more room for growth considering he turns only 25 in January while Myarick is 30.

There was an opening on the practice squad created last week when wide receiver A.J. Henning was suspended by the NFL, but the Dolphins signed linebacker K.C. Ossai earlier this week.