Dolphins WR Allen Hurns Out Three Months
Allen Hurns chances of making the Dolphins roster took a hit today. The veteran wideout suffered a wrist injury that will require surgery, reports ESPN’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter). The injury is expected to sideline Hurns for three months.
This is a tough break for the receiver, especially since the veteran was already eyeing an uphill battle to make the roster. The organization brought in veteran Will Fuller, sixth-overall pick Jaylen Waddle, and third rounder Lynn Bowden Jr. this past offseason, and they’ll also return 2020 starters DeVante Parker and Preston Williams, meaning the team has five receivers already locked in. Considering the 29-year-old Hurns was set to begin a two-year, $8MM extension this upcoming season, it wouldn’t have been a huge surprise if the organization opted for a younger, less-expensive alternative. The team could still realistically stash Hurns on their injured reserve, but the front office may just prefer the extra financial savings (especially if they don’t envision Hurns seeing the field when healthy).
Back in 2015, Hurns looked like a future star in Jacksonville, as the wideout collected 1,031 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns during his second season in the NFL. The receiver hasn’t managed to match those numbers since, but he still appeared in at least 10 games per season between 2016 and 2019, and he’s earned three contracts since his stint with the Jaguars ended after the 2017 campaign.
He signed with the Dolphins before the 2019 season, and after only a few months with the organization, the team was willing to give the receiver a two-year extension worth $8MM (with more than $3MM in guaranteed money). Hurns didn’t put up stellar numbers during his first season in Miami, finishing with 416 yards and a pair of touchdowns. 2020 would have been the first season of the veteran’s extension, but Hurns decided to opt out of the 2020 campaign.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/16/21
We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: LB Bryson Young
- Cut: LB Reggie Walker
Atlanta Falcons
- Waived: OL Bryce Hargrove, LB George Obinna
- Reverted to IR: WR J’Mon Moore
Baltimore Ravens
- Re-signed: QB Kenji Bahar
- Placed on IR: CB Khalil Dorsey, CB Iman Marshall
Chicago Bears
- Waived: OL Gage Cervenka, DB Dionte Ruffin, WR Jester Weah
Cincinnati Bengals
- Waived: WR Reece Horn, WR Riley Lees
Cleveland Browns
- Placed on IR: TE Stephen Carlson, WR Ryan Switzer
Green Bay Packers
- Waived: OL Jon Dietzen, P Ryan Winslow
Houston Texans
- Waived: WR Isaiah Coulter
- Waived/injured: RB Dontrell Hilliard
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: LS Matt Overton
Los Angeles Rams
- Waived: K Austin MacGinnis, LB Derrick Moncrief, T Ryan Pope, OLB Max Roberts, DL George Silvanic
- Released from IR: DB Dayan Lake
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: WR Khalil McClain
- Waived: TE Carson Meier
Minnesota Vikings
- Waived/injured: K Riley Patterson, WR Blake Proehl
New York Giants
- Signed: QB Brian Lewerke
- Waived/injured: QB Clayton Thorson
- Placed on IR: LB TJ Brunson, OL Kyle Murphy, S Joshua Kalu
New York Jets
- Waived: K Chris Naggar
- Activated off PUP list: DL Quinnen Williams
San Francisco 49ers
- Waived: LB Donald Payne, DL Eddie Vanderdoes
Seattle Seahawks
- Waived: LB Nate Evans, OT Lukayus McNeil, CB Jordan Miller, DT Walter Palmore, WR Anthony Ratliff-Williams, RB Cameron Scarlett
Latest On Dolphins’ WRs
For years the Dolphins have lacked quality receivers, but now they actually have an abundance of depth at the position. It’s a good problem to have, but it also means that some solid players could be on the outside looking in when we get to roster cut-downs.
There’s a lot of uncertainty at the position and a lot to sort through, and fortunately Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald just broke it all down. Albert Wilson flashed a ton of potential during his first season with the Dolphins in 2018, but injuries hampered him then and in 2019. He then opted out of the 2020 season, leading many to believe he’d be on the roster bubble this time around. However, it appears that he’s safe. Wilson is “going to be on the team,” Jackson writes, noting he’s been the most consistent receiver in camp.
The same can’t be said for 2020 third-round pick Lynn Bowden. The Kentucky product has “gone from slight front-runner to make the team to very much on the bubble with an underwhelming camp,” despite being the 80th overall pick just last year. In 10 games and four starts last year, Bowden had 28 catches for 211 yards.
Meanwhile, there’s some bad news on Preston Williams. The 2019 UDFA has looked like a diamond in the rough find the past couple years, but he apparently isn’t over the Lisfranc foot injury that cut his 2020 short. Although the team “originally was optimistic that Williams would be fine to start the season,” the Colorado State product now “appears iffy at best” for Week 1.
Jackson writes that Williams is a candidate to start the year on the PUP list, which would sideline him for the first six games. He also says the “odds are against” veteran Allen Hurns making the 53, even though Hurns has $1.2MM in guaranteed money coming his way.
Jackson also expects the Dolphins to be open to a potential trade of Jakeem Grant if a team in need of a returner is willing to part with a late-round pick. In addition to all these guys, Miami still has Will Fuller, DeVante Parker, and rookie first-rounder Jaylen Waddle at the top of the depth chart.
Dolphins Looking To Trade For OT?
With right around a month to go until the start of the season, it appears the Dolphins aren’t quite happy with their offensive line. Miami is “searching for some offensive tackle depth and is willing to make a trade” for one, Michael Lombardi of The Athletic hears (Twitter link).
Austin Jackson is locked in as the starting left tackle, but there’s some uncertainty opposite him. The team drafted Liam Eichenberg in the second-round of this past draft, but it appears he’s set to kick inside and play guard to start his pro career. As of right now the starter at right tackle would be Jesse Davis, a 2015 UDFA who has been a middling starter for them the past few seasons.
Perhaps the bigger worry is that they have very little beyond them should Jackson or Davis go down, so it’s possible they’re only looking for a veteran swing tackle. It’s unclear who exactly would be available now in a trade. If they wanted to make a bigger splash they should’ve done it earlier in the offseason, when guys like Orlando Brown Jr. were available.
Miami opted not to do much to address the position in free agency. Notably, they passed on Oregon tackle Penei Sewell with the sixth pick in the draft, taking Alabama receiver Jaylen Waddle while Sewell went seventh to the Lions.m
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/9/21
We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: DT Darius Kilgo
Atlanta Falcons
- Waived: CB Tyler Hall
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: WR Siaosi Mariner
- Waived/injured: TE Jacob Breeland
Green Bay Packers
- Activated from PUP list: TE Dominique Dafney
Miami Dolphins
- Waived: LS Rex Sunahara
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: WR Warren Jackson
New England Patriots
- Waived: QB Jake Dolegala
- Signed: LS Brian Khoury
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: S Blake Countess
- Waived/injured: S Obi Melifonwu
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Activated from PUP list: TE Cameron Brate
Washington Football Team
- Signed: C Jon Toth
Dolphins, Xavien Howard Agree To Reworked Contract
Xavien Howard is staying in Miami. The Dolphins and their star cornerback have agreed to a restructured deal that gives Howard more earning power, as Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network was first to report (via Twitter).
This was the expected outcome after we learned yesterday that Howard had returned to practice. And while this transaction is believed to mark the first time in league history that a player with four years remaining on his contract has received new money and guarantees — without a full-blown extension, at least — it doesn’t seem like a particularly onerous commitment from Miami’s perspective.
The Dolphins fully guaranteed Howard’s 2021 salary of $12.785MM and added $3.5MM in incentives tied to playing time and a Pro Bowl or All-Pro appearance, as veteran NFL reporter Josina Anderson details (Twitter link). Plus, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com and Dan Graziano of ESPN.com report, Howard will see $6.775MM of his $12.975MM 2022 pay fully-guaranteed right away. The remainder is guaranteed for injury for now and will become fully-guaranteed on the first day of the 2022 league year (Twitter links). Cameron Wolfe of the NFL Network tweets that the club is also waiving the $93K of fines that Howard incurred for holding out of minicamp.
Most importantly, perhaps, is the fact that the Dolphins have assured Howard that they will return to the negotiating table in February or March of 2022 (Twitter link via Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald). Of course, Howard will need to stay healthy and continue to perform at a high level, and one hopes that player and team are aligned on the potential outcomes of a renegotiation next year. For instance, if Howard believes the team is open to an extension but the team is thinking more along the lines of another restructure, the relationship could sour quickly.
When Howard signed his current deal in 2019, he was the highest-paid corner in the league. But his current $15MM/year average now ranks just sixth at the position, and as he led the NFL with 10 interceptions last year and graded out as the second-best CB in the league per Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics, he was pushing for a pay bump and requested a trade to force the issue.
Ultimately, the fact that he was still under club control for four years limited what the Dolphins were willing to do, but the team is certainly happy to have its top defender back on the field and at peace with his contract status. The adjustments Miami made to Howard’s deal seem like a small price to pay for that.
Dolphins’ Xavien Howard Returns To Practice
Things seem to be moving in the right direction for the Dolphins and Xavien Howard. The star cornerback returned to the practice field on Saturday (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport), which likely means he’s reached a compromise with the team on his contract. 
Howard, who’s frustrated with his now under-market deal, requested a trade late last month. However, the Dolphins have rebuffed all requests for the All-Pro corner.
“We don’t want to trade X. Write that down. He’s a very good player. He’s a big part of the team. We don’t want to trade him,” Dolphins head coach Brian Flores said on Friday. “Talks are progressing. You take from that what you want. As long as everyone is willing to compromise, we can get something done.”
Howard led the league with ten interceptions last year and graded out as the second-best CB in the NFL, per Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics. However, his current $15MM/year average ranks just sixth at the position. At the time of signing in 2019, Howard was the highest paid corner in NFL history.
Now, just a couple of years later, he regrets putting pen to paper. Or, in his words, he’s no longer “comfortable” with the arrangement. Soon, Howard should have a new deal to push him back towards the top. At the very least, it should be a reworked pact to put him on a par with teammate Byron Jones.
Dolphins HC: We Don’t Want To Trade Xavien Howard
Xavien Howard wants out. However, Dolphins head coach Brian Flores says that his star cornerback is staying put. 
“We don’t want to trade X. Write that down. He’s a very good player. He’s a big part of the team. We don’t want to trade him,” Flores said on Friday (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Cameron Wolfe). “Talks are progressing. You take from that what you want… As long as everyone is willing to compromise, we can get something done.”
Howard skipped mandatory minicamp this summer in an effort to secure a deal from the Dolphins. He signed his last contract just a few years ago but the market has advanced considerably since then. His current $15MM AAV has him ranked sixth at the cornerback position. Teammate Byron Jones doesn’t have as strong of a resume, but he ranks No. 5 on that list.
“[The] business side of the NFL proves organizations don’t always have a player’s best interest at heart,” Howard said on social media recently, adding that he didn’t “feel comfortable” with the extension he inked just a few years ago.
“We wanted things to work out with the Dolphins, and brought solutions to the table – like guaranteeing more money – that we felt were win-wins for both sides,” Howard continued. “These were proposal of adjustments that wouldn’t just make me feel more respected, but were also cap friendly. But the Dolphins refused everything we proposed…That is why I don’t feel the organization has dealt with me in good faith.”
Howard notched ten interceptions last year to lead the NFL, the second time he’s led the way in just three years. He also graded out as the second-best corner in the league, per Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics. The Dolphins have already received multiple calls on Howard, but it doesn’t sound like they’ll move him between now and Week 1.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/5/21
We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: WR Trevor Davis
- Placed on IR: TE Jaeden Graham
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: S Brian Cole, FB Rod Smith
- Waived: WR Ventell Bryant
Denver Broncos
- Reverted to IR: OT Cody Conway
Green Bay Packers
- Claimed (from Ravens): LB Chauncey Rivers
- Waived: LS Joe Fortunato
Los Angeles Chargers
- Placed on IR: DL Jared Goldwire
Los Angeles Rams
- Waived/injured: DB Dayan Lake
- Reverted to IR: OL Jamil Demby
Miami Dolphins
- Waived: TE Sal Cannella, TE Gabe Holmes, TE Kalif Jackson; the team signed all three on Wednesday
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: TE Cethan Carter, TE Adam Shaheen, WR Preston Williams
Minnesota Vikings
- Waived: QB Case Cookus
New Orleans Saints
- Waived: DE Kendall Donnerson
New York Jets
- Reverted to IR: S Brandon White
Philadelphia Eagles
- Waived: CB Shakial Taylor
- Placed on IR: DB Nate Meadors
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Reverted to IR: G Anthony Coyle
San Francisco 49ers
- Reverted to IR: CB Tim Harris
Seattle Seahawks
- Waived: WR Darvin Kidsy
Dolphins Add Three Tight Ends
Why sign one tight end when you can sign all the tight ends? The Dolphins have added a handful of players at that position over the past 24 hours, including Sal Cannella, Gabe Holmes, and Kalif Jackson.
The trio’s stint with the Dolphins could be short lived, as the team made the additions only after placing three other tight ends (Mike Gesicki, Adam Shaheen, and Cethan Carter) on the reserve/COVID-19 list. Still, the three players will presumably have a fair shot at showing what they’ve got, but they’ll have to overcome the likes of Carson Meier and Chris Myarick if they want to stick around.
Holmes is the only one of the three additions with any NFL experience, as the 30-year-old appeared in 10 games (four starts) for the Cardinals between the 2017 and 2018 seasons. The Purdue product has also spent time with the Colts, Ravens, Seahawks, and Raiders.
Following his collegiate career at Auburn, Cannella has participated in the Spring League over the past two years. He had tryouts with the Colts and Bears this offseason, but neither audition resulted in a deal. Jackson started his college career at Florida before transferring to Grambling. The former wideout is list at 6-5 and 245 pounds, so it sounds like he’s added the bulk to compete at tight end.