Dolphins To Move Robert Hunt To RG
Earlier this month, we heard that the Dolphins had contact with free agent right tackles like Alejandro Villanueva and Ricky Wagner prior to the draft, with the idea that 2020 RT Robert Hunt could shift inside to right guard. Though Miami did not sign one of those players, the club did draft Notre Dame OT Liam Eichenberg, who is believed to be a better fit on the right side of the line despite serving primarily as a left tackle for the Fighting Irish. So as Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald writes, the Dolphins are officially moving Hunt to right guard.
Miami believes Hunt, a 2020 second-round draft choice, can be a Pro Bowl-caliber guard. He did not perform particularly well at right tackle in his rookie campaign, grading out as a below-average player per Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics. Though he showed noticeable improvement down the stretch, the Fins believe that a permanent move to the interior will be in their best interests. Jackson says Hunt has no issue with the position switch.
The Louisiana product did play guard as an underclassmen, but he spent his junior and senior seasons at right tackle. Given the team’s views of his ceiling as a guard, he would appear to be the odds-on favorite to open the season as the starting RG, though there are several other players on the roster — like Jesse Davis and 2020 fourth-rounder Solomon Kindley — who could be considered for the role.
With Eichenberg, Hunt, Kindley, 2020 first-rounder Austin Jackson, and 2019 third-rounder Michael Deiter, the Dolphins have a high-upside but generally unproven group blocking for sophomore passer Tua Tagovailoa. The team did add veteran center Matt Skura and tackle D.J. Fluker this offseason, but for the Dolphins to take the next step, they will need their significant draft investments into the O-line to start paying dividends.
Minor NFL Transactions: 5/20/21
We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:
Atlanta Falcons
- Waived: TE Jack Batho
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: DT Treyvon Hester
Cleveland Browns
- Waived: TE Logan Markway
Denver Broncos
- Waived: QB Case Cookus
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: T Timon Parris
New England Patriots
- Signed: S Adrian Colbert, LS Wes Farnsworth
Dolphins LB Elandon Roberts Had Knee Surgery, Week 1 In Doubt?
Dolphins linebacker Elandon Roberts landed on injured reserve late last season with a knee injury, but the team never said exactly what it was, only that it was “significant.” We still don’t know the exact injury, but significant may have been an understatement.
Speaking to the Miami media today, Roberts said he underwent surgery on the knee, and declined to say if he’ll be ready for Week 1, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald tweets. Given those context clues, it seems quite possible Roberts tore an ACL.
Whatever the case, the Dolphins felt comfortable enough in his status to give him a $650K signing bonus on the one-year, $2MM contract they gave him back in March. He also has $750K available in incentives for 2021.
It was a tough break for Roberts to get seriously hurt right before entering free agency, and he likely would’ve cashed in more had he not got down in late December. The former Patriot who followed Brian Flores to Miami started 11 games for the Dolphins last year, finishing with 61 tackles (eight for a loss).
Minor NFL Transactions: 5/17/21
We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed CB Tae Hayes
- Released S Chris Miller, WR Darece Roberson
Atlanta Falcons
- Cut: OLB Eli Howard
Denver Broncos
- Signed: OLB Pita Taumoepenu, OT Cody Conway
- Cut: OT Ryan Pope, LB David Curry
Detroit Lions
- Signed: CB Alex Brown
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed: WR Daurice Fountain, DB Manny Patterson
- Waived: DB Jaylon McClain-Sapp
Miami Dolphins
- Claimed off waivers from Saints: CB Trill Williams
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed CB Parry Nickerson, OT Evin Ksiezarczyk
San Francisco 49ers
- Cut: WR Austin Proehl
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: WR Kalija Lipscomb
- Released: LB Davin Bellamy (non-football injury), WR Rashard Davis
Dolphins Considered Alejandro Villanueva, Rick Wagner, Dennis Kelly For RT Job
The Dolphins have a few young offensive linemen in place to start, but they have multiple veterans vying for jobs as well. Miami recently considered adding at least one other veteran blocker.
Prior to the draft, the Dolphins spoke with longtime Steelers left tackle Alejandro Villanueva about a potential right tackle role, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler notes. The team also held discussions with veteran right tackle Ricky Wagner, whom the Packers released ahead of free agency, and 2020 Titans right tackle starter Dennis Kelly.
These discussions centered on moving Robert Hunt to guard, where the Dolphins believe the 2020 second-round pick can be a Pro Bowler, Fowler adds. However, the draft may have changed the organization’s plans here. Miami drafted Liam Eichenberg out of Notre Dame in Round 2. Eichenberg played left tackle primarily for the Fighting Irish, starting three seasons there, but is viewed as a better fight on the right side. With Tua Tagovailoa being a lefty, Eichenberg would retain a blindside role as a pro.
Hunt started 11 games as a rookie, primarily playing right tackle. He started at guard as an underclassman at Louisiana but played right tackle as a junior and senior. Pro Football Focus viewed Hunt as a below-average tackle last season, grading him just outside the top 50 at the position. Miami rosters multiple veterans with versatile NFL pasts as well, in Jesse Davis and D.J. Fluker.
Villanueva opted to sign with the Ravens shortly after the draft; the six-year Pittsburgh left tackle starter is set to take over Baltimore’s right tackle job. Kelly participated in the Broncos’ brigade of right tackle workouts this week, but Denver chose Bobby Massie and Cameron Fleming from those. The Titans released Kelly during the legal tampering period; he spent the past five seasons in Tennessee.
Wagner, the Packers’ starting right tackle last season, is expected to retire, Fowler adds. While the former Ravens and Lions right tackle has not announced any retirement plans, this was believed to be a consideration when the Packers cut him three months ago. Wagner, 31, has made 96 pro starts.
Dolphins Sign Jaylen Waddle
The Dolphins have officially signed wide receiver Jaylen Waddle (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter). Per the terms of his slot, the No. 6 overall pick will earn $27.1MM on his four-year deal.
Waddle will team with former Alabama teammate Tua Tagovailoa, giving the young quarterback one of the most dangerous weapons in the ’21 class. Early on in his career, Waddle was largely overshadowed by the likes of Jerry Jeudy and Henry Ruggs III – two eventual first-round picks.
After they left Tuscaloosa, Waddle asserted himself as one of Bama’s two best WR talents in 2020. In his first six games, Waddle went off for 28 catches and 591 yards — good for 21.2 yards per catch on average — plus four touchdowns. He also kept up his strong work in the return game, giving evaluators even more opportunities to gawk at his speed on film. Even though he missed much of the year due to injury, Waddle stood as one of this year’s most highly-coveted prospects.
Waddle figures to be one of this year’s most exciting rookies to watch, especially with defenses also having to account for Will Fuller and DeVante Parker.
Dolphins Add 4 UDFAs
After adding seven rookies in the draft, the Dolphins have added four more first-year players to their roster. The team announced the signing of four undrafted free agents this evening:
- CB Jaytlin Askew, Georgia Tech
- DT Jerome Johnson, Indiana University
- G Robert Jones, Middle Tennessee State
- FB Carl Tucker, Alabama
Jones ended up earning some dough from Miami. The lineman received $130K in guaranteed money, which includes $100K of his base salary (via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle on Twitter). While the prospect was lauded for his run-blocking abilities as a tackle in college, he’s projected by scouts to be an offensive guard in the NFL.
Tucker made a name for himself during his time at North Carolina, but he never established himself as an offensive threat. He moved to Alabama during his senior season and started a handful of games as a blocking tight end. Tucker could end up sticking around the NFL at that position, but it’s worth noting that the Dolphins listed him as a fullback.
NFL Draft Pick Signings: 5/13/21
Today’s late round signings:
Buffalo Bills
- G Jack Anderson (seventh-round; Texas Tech), OL Tommy Doyle (fifth-round; Miami Ohio), WR Marquez Stevenson (sixth-round; Houston), CB Rachad Wildgoose (sixth-round; Wisconsin)
Carolina Panthers
- DT Daviyon Nixon (fifth-round; Iowa), CB Keith Taylor (fifth-round; Washington), OL Deonte Brown (sixth-round; Alabama), Thomas Fletcher (sixth-round; Alabama), WR Shi Smith (sixth-round; South Carolina), DT Phil Hoskins (seventh-round; Kentucky)
Cleveland Browns
- RB Demetric Felton (sixth round; UCLA), LB Tony Fields II (fifth-round; West Virginia), S Richard LeCounte (fifth round; Georgia)
Dallas Cowboys
- DT Quinton Bohanna (sixth round; Kentucky) WR Simi Fehoko (fifth round; Stanford), OL Matt Farniok (seventh-round; Nebraska), DB Israel Mukuamu (sixth-round; South Carolina)
Denver Broncos
- S Jamar Johnson (fifth round; Indiana), DL Marquiss Spencer (seventh round; Mississippi State)
Detroit Lions
- DT Alim McNeill (third round; North Carolina State)
Green Bay Packers
- OL Cole Van Lanen (sixth-round; Wisconsin), RB Kylin Hill (seventh-round; Mississippi State)
Kansas City Chiefs
- DE Joshua Kaindoh (fourth-round; Florida State), WR Cornell Powell (fifth-round; Clemson), TE Noah Gray (fifth-round; Duke), OL Trey Smith (sixth-round; Tennessee)
Los Angeles Chargers
- OL Brenden Jaimes (fifth-round; Nebraska)
Miami Dolphins
- OL Larnel Coleman (seventh-round; UMass), RB Gerrid Doaks (seventh-round; Cincinnati)
Minnesota Vikings
- WR/KR Ihmir Smith-Marsette (fifth-round; Iowa), DL Jaylen Twyman (sixth-round; Pittsburgh), TE Zach Davidson (fifth-round; Central Missouri
New England Patriots
- S Joshuah Bledsoe (sixth-round; Missouri)
San Francisco 49ers
- OL Jaylon Moore (fifth-round; Western Michigan), CB Deommodore Lenoir (fifth-round; Oregon), S Talanoa Hufanga (fifth-round; USC), RB Elijah Mitchell (sixth-round; Louisiana)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- LB K.J. Britt (fifth-round; Auburn), CB Chris Wilcox (seventh-round; BYU), LB Grant Stuard (seventh-round; Houston)
Washington Football Team
- CB Benjamin St-Juste (third-round; Minnesota), S Darrick Forrest (fifth-round; Cincinnati), DE Shaka Toney (seventh-round; Penn State)
Dolphins Tried To Claim Kerryon Johnson
The Dolphins submitted a claim for Kerryon Johnson, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Unfortunately for them, the Eagles also submitted a claim for the former Lions running back, and they had the higher priority.
Miami has already invested a bit in the RB group this year, adding Malcolm Brown in free agency and drafting Gerrid Doaks in the seventh round. Meanwhile, they already have Myles Gaskin, Salvon Ahmed, Patrick Laird, and Jordan Scarlett on the roster. Their move for Johnson indicates that they could still explore backfield options between now and the fall.
Johnson, a 2018 second-round pick, was been slowed by injuries in his early seasons. However, he returned to play in 16 games last year. The Eagles hope that he can stay on the field and get back to his rookie form, when he averaged 5.4 yards per carry and scored four touchdowns, up until the first of two serious knee injuries.
Instead of taking his talents to South Beach, Johnson joins an Eagles group that includes Miles Sanders, Boston Scott, Jordan Howard, and fifth-round rookie Kenneth Gainwell.
Dolphins Will Only Give Workout Bonuses To Players That Show Up
- Some teams, like the Packers, have announced their initial phase of offseason workouts would remain virtual and that players with workout bonuses could receive them by logging their attendance at the virtual sessions. The Dolphins won’t be one of those teams. Miami will only be giving players with workout bonuses their money if they are in the building later this month, a source told Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. That doesn’t mean it’s a coaching decision, as Jackson writes that one agent told him Dolphins head coach Brian Flores “has been respectful of the players’ position on the NFLPA issue and hasn’t tried to pressure them.” The NFLPA, of course, is pushing teams to proceed with entirely virtual offseason voluntary workouts. Jackson notes that there are “nearly a dozen” Dolphins players with workout bonuses who will now face a dilemma. The Dolphins were one of the many teams whose players issued a statement through the NFLPA to “stand in solidarity” with players skipping the workouts. Receivers DeVante Parker, Albert Wilson, and Jakeem Grant have workout bonuses of $100K, $75K, and $50K respectively on the line.