Dolphins Host WR Eli Rogers
One of the biggest names the Steelers cut as they trimmed their roster down to 53 yesterday was receiver Eli Rogers. Rogers entered the league as an undrafted free agent in 2015, and had been with Pittsburgh ever since.
It looks like the Louisville product might land on his feet pretty quickly, as he already had a visit with the Dolphins earlier today, a source told Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (Twitter link). After spending his entire rookie season on injured reserve, Rogers had a breakout 2016 campaign. He earned Ben Roethlisberger’s trust and ended up starting eight games, catching 48 passes for 594 yards and three touchdowns.
He wasn’t nearly as productive in 2017 although he still had a role, but he tore his ACL in the playoffs that year. He struggled to make his way back from the injury, and ended up appearing in only three games last year. In those three games he caught 12 passes for 79 yards. The Steelers re-signed him to a two-year deal in March, but he was unable to crack Pittsburgh’s deep receiving corp. The Dolphins are entering a full-blown rebuild and just traded away Kenny Stills, so perhaps Rogers will find a new home in Miami.
More On Jadeveon Clowney Trade
A pair of blockbuster trades were consummated on cutdown day, one of which featured Jadeveon Clowney heading to Seattle. More details on that trade and how it went down may come out over the next couple of days, but here’s a roundup of what we have so far:
- Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports that the Texans paid Clowney a $7MM signing bonus while the Seahawks will pick up the remaining $9MM of Clowney’s 2019 salary (Twitter link). The trade was already viewed as a big win for Seattle, and this tips the scales even further in the Seahawks’ favor. Critically, the Seahawks have promised Clowney that they will not put the franchise tag on him in 2020.
- At one point, the Dolphins believed they were the frontrunners for Clowney, and when the trade to Seattle was first reported, we heard that Miami and the Texans were indeed headed towards a deal before Clowney made it clear that he would refuse to play for the Fins. Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald confirms that report and says the Dolphins and Texans were on their way to a trade that would have sent Clowney and two very high picks to Miami in exchange for LT Laremy Tunsil, but Clowney’s aversion to South Beach scuttled that (Twitter link). Of course, the two sides did agree to a Tunsil trade, it just didn’t include Clowney.
- Jackson adds in a separate tweet that the Dolphins only really considered Clowney a bonus, not necessarily a long-term piece. The team really wanted premium draft capital in a Tunsil trade, and that’s ultimately what Miami got.
- Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network says that, when Clowney did not report to the Texans after their third preseason game, as Houston had expected, the team’s leverage was reduced even further. And when Clowney suggested that he was willing to miss regular season action if he was not traded, the Texans had to act to make the best deal they could (Twitter link).
- Clowney will re-hire longtime agent Bus Cook, whom he had fired less than a week ago, as Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle tweets.
Dolphins Trade Kiko Alonso To Saints
The Dolphins aren’t cutting linebacker Kiko Alonso after all. We heard yesterday that Miami was releasing Alonso, which suggested the club’s efforts to trade him had been fruitless. However, Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network reports that the Fins are trading Alonso to the Saints (Twitter link), and Nick Underhill of The Athletic tweets that New Orleans is sending back LB Vince Biegel.
For Alonso, this is good news from a competitive and financial standpoint. Since he was traded rather than released, he remains tied to his $6.48MM salary for 2019, for which the Saints are now on the hook. Plus, New Orleans is a legitimate Super Bowl contender, while Miami is in the middle of a complete teardown.
Alonso has started every game in which he has appeared for the Dolphins since joining the team in 2016, compiling 354 tackles and five interceptions over that time. However, despite the nice interception total, he generally struggles in coverage and is not especially well-regarded by advanced metrics.
He can be effective when deployed properly, and he will join a Saints defense that also includes A.J. Klein, Alex Anzalone, and Demario Davis. He will provide solid depth if nothing else, but given the salary the team is taking on, it seems that New Orleans plans to give him a significant role. Plus, Anzalone and Craig Robertson haven’t practiced in some time, and Klein missed practice all of last week, so the Saints needed a plug-and-play LB.
Biegel, who has just 14 career tackles to his name, was used as an edge rusher and as a linebacker in the preseason, as Mike Triplett of ESPN.com tweets. The Dolphins may have been intrigued by his versatility, but it’s not as though they had a ton of leverage to ask for a more established player or for draft picks. Biegel appeared primarily on special teams for the Saints in 2018, but he will have the opportunity to earn a larger role with the Fins.
Dolphins Cut Kiko Alonso
The Dolphins cut Kiko Alonso en route to reaching the 53-man max. Both moves were rumored this week, but the Fins were waiting to see if they could arrange a trade for the linebackers before letting them go.
Alonso requested a trade during training camp when he realized that he would be squeezed out of the Dolphins’ plans in one fashion or another. New coach Brian Flores is overseeing a defensive overhaul and he didn’t have much use for the veteran, despite his three years of starting experience in Miami. Originally drafted by the Bills in the second-round back in 2013, Alonso won’t play out the two years left on his four-year, $28.9MM deal.
Here are the other moves made by Miami to make their roster kosher by Week 1:
- QB Jake Rudock
- RB Kenneth Farrow
- WR Reece Horn
- WR Trenton Irwin
- WR Isaiah Ford
- WR Brice Butler
- WR T.J. Rahming
- OL Kyle Fuller
- OL Aaron Monteiro
- OL Tony Adams
- OL Michael Dunn
- OL Jaryd Jones-Smith
- DL Cory Thomas
- DL Tyrone Holmes
- DL Jamiyus Pittman
- DL Durval Queiroz Neto
- DL Dewayne Hendrix
- DL Joey Mbu
- DL Tank Carradine
- LB Terrance Smith
- LB Tre’ Watson
- LB Nick DeLuca
- CB Tyler Patmon
- CB Jalen Davis
- CB Nik Needham
- CB Davis Rivers
- CB Cornell Armstrong
- CB Torry McTyer
- S Maurice Smith
- LS Wesley Farnsworth
Texans Acquire Laremy Tunsil, Kenny Stills From Dolphins
The Texans are going full edge makeover on Saturday. Despite the Dolphins not being the team to land Jadeveon Clowney, they are finalizing a deal to send Laremy Tunsil to Houston, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.
This is a blockbuster. Kenny Stills will also head to Houston for a package of picks, and NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport, Tom Pelissero and Mike Garafolo report (on Twitter) one of those will be a first-rounder. In fact, two of those picks will be first-rounders. The Texans are sending two first-rounders and a second-rounder to the Dolphins for Tunsil and Stills, the NFL.com trio adds (on Twitter). This is a massive return for the Dolphins’ now-Chris Grier-led front office.
The full details of the picks changing hands are as follows, courtesy of Albert Breer of SI.com (Twitter link). Miami will get first-round picks in 2020 and 2021 from Houston, and a second-rounder in 2021. The Texans will get a 2020 fourth-rounder as well as a 2021 sixth-rounder back from the Dolphins.
Additionally, the Dolphins will receive two players from the Texans as well. Tackle Julie’n Davenport and special-teamer Johnson Bademosi will head to Miami, Rapoport tweets. Davenport, a 2017 fourth-round pick, started 15 games for the Texans last season.
To recap, the Texans dealt Jadeveon Clowney to the Seahawks, acquired Carlos Hyde from the Chiefs, landed cornerback Keion Crossen from the Patriots and are now receiving Tunsil and Stills from the Dolphins. The Texans are operating without a GM. De facto GM Bill O’Brien has now given up a Khalil Mack-level haul for the Tunsil-headlined package.
With the Colts losing Andrew Luck, the Texans became the Las Vegas favorites to win the AFC South. The division champions in three of the past four seasons, the Texans are using Saturday as a springboard to solidify their position. This comes despite Houston drafting linemen in the first two rounds this year — Tytus Howard and Max Scharping — and signing Matt Kalil. The Texans were set to play Howard at guard and Kalil at tackle. Tunsil will now protect Deshaun Watson‘s blind side.
No quarterback since Jon Kitna in 2006 took more sacks than Watson did in 2018, 62. As a result, the Texans will have a nearly remade offensive front. Tunsil started 30 games for the Dolphins at left tackle since 2017. He played left guard in 2016. He was expected to be 2016’s No. 1 overall pick before a leaked video damaged his draft stock, dropping him to Miami at No. 13.
Tunsil became extension-eligible in January, and it’s a good bet the Texans — who just cleared Clowney’s $15.9MM tag price off their books — will begin discussions soon. Two years remain on Tunsil’s rookie contract. Unlike the Mack trade, there is no extension coming immediately, but Rapoport adds (via Twitter) that is in the Texans’ plans.
Stills functioned as Miami’s deep threat for four seasons. While he never matched his career-best yardage total for the 2014 Saints, Stills twice surpassed 700 yards and has scored 21 touchdowns over the past three years. He makes for an interesting fit alongside DeAndre Hopkins and Will Fuller. The latter is one of the NFL’s better deep threats. Stills, 27, is under contract through 2020. Nearly $15MM remains on his deal.
The Dolphins resisted dealing Tunsil in a Clowney swap, but the rebuilding team will now have an additional first-round pick with which to work. This accelerates the Dolphins’ rebuild project and obviously weakens their 2019 roster. They will be perhaps the top contender for the 2020 No. 1 overall pick, which could well be a quarterback. Miami was the first team reported to be eyeing the 2020 signal-caller crop.
Dolphins Drop Dwayne Allen
The Dolphins have reached an injury settlement with tight end Dwayne Allen and released cornerback Torry Mctyer, a source tells ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). Allen was unable to stay healthy or produce in camp, leading to his late-August release.
“They got younger guys they want to invest more time in,” Allen told ESPN.com’s Josina Anderson (on Twitter). “They decided to let me go, but I appreciate the opportunity that they gave me. There are teams calling, but we will see. I had an offseason knee surgery that I need to heal up from.”
Allen was expected to be a big part of the Dolphins’ offense, but it appears they are comfortable with tight ends Mike Gesicki, Nick O’Leary, and Durham Smythe. Allen, meanwhile, could look for work elsewhere, though he hinted at leaving the NFL altogether.
“I love the game of football. It’s a great gift to all us all, but I will take some time to think about my future,” Allen told Anderson. “I know at some point I want to go back to school.”
Dolphins Cut DE Tank Carradine
Tank Carradine‘s tenure with the Dolphins has ended after four preseason games. NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero reports (via Twitter) that Miami has released the veteran defensive end.
While the 29-year-old ended up sitting out most of the 2018 season, it still sounded like the Dolphins had relatively high hopes for him. After joining the team in February, Carradine started the first three preseason games for Miami, but he was limited to only a single tackle during those appearances. With the Dolphins in the midst of a rebuild, the organization decided to ultimately go with the younger route.
Carradine has yet to live up to his status as a 2013 second-round pick. The edge rusher’s best season came in 2014 when he had three sacks in nine games. However, Carradine has done a decent job of generating pressure off of the edge, despite his low sack totals. In 2017, his production would have placed him among Pro Football Focus’ top 50 edge defenders if he had enough snaps to qualify. Therefore, it wouldn’t be shocking if he catches on with a team in need of defensive-line help.
Alonso Asked To Be Traded
- We heard last weekend that the Dolphins were shopping linebacker Kiko Alonso, and now we have more details. It was apparently Alonso who requested a trade during training camp, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network (Twitter link). Rival organizations reportedly expect Alonso to be cut, which is hurting his trade value. Miami is starting completely fresh with new coach Brian Flores, and many of the team’s veterans are getting purged. Both sides apparently want to move on, so it would be a shock at this point if Alonso is on the team in 2019. Originally drafted by the Bills in the second-round back in 2013, Alonso has started at least 15 games in all three of his years as a Dolphin. He has two more years left on his four-year, $28.9MM deal.
- It looks like Jadeveon Clowney won’t be going to the Dolphins, but they aren’t the only AFC East team interested. The Jets are apparently in the mix too, although you shouldn’t count on them landing the former first overall pick. Although New York is interested, “there may be far too many obstacles on both sides” to complete a deal, writes Ralph Vacchiano of SNY. “I’m not sure how much the Jets really want him, or how much (Clowney) wants them,” one rival exec told Vacchiano. “It’s hard to see Joe (Douglas, the Jets GM) going crazy for a player like him, especially just for a year. It doesn’t look like there’s a match.” Clowney’s reported preferred destinations are Seattle or Philadelphia.
Colts Trade OL Evan Boehm To Dolphins
The Dolphins are adding another interior offensive lineman. Only a couple hours after trading for guard Danny Isidora, Miami is now making a deal with Indianapolis to acquire center/guard Evan Boehm, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
Per Schefter, it’s for a conditional pick in the 2020 draft. Boehm was originally drafted by the Cardinals in the fourth-round back in 2016. He was waived just prior to last season, and ended up latching on with the Colts. He appeared in 11 games for Indy, making four starts when normal center Ryan Kelly went down with an injury. In 2017, he started eight games at guard for Arizona, so he has a decent amount of starting experience.
The Dolphins have had interior line troubles for seemingly forever now, so it makes sense why they’re making these minor moves. Boehm has valuable versatility and it wouldn’t be at all surprising if he sees real playing time for Miami given the current state of their offensive line. The Missouri product also spent a brief amount of time on the Rams’ practice squad last year before the Colts signed him.
Jadeveon Clowney Doesn’t Want To Play For Dolphins
It seems like Jadeveon Clowney won’t be headed to the Dolphins after all. The Texans outside linebacker is “adamant” that he doesn’t want to play for Miami, a source told Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link). 
Just a few days ago, we heard that the Dolphins considered themselves the favorites to land the former first overall pick. The Jets, Redskins, Seahawks, and Eagles have all also held conversations with Houston about trading for Clowney. Since Clowney can’t be traded until he signs his franchise tender, he has the leverage to shoot down a potential trade. He’s apparently more interested in joining a playoff contender, as Seattle and Philadelphia are said to be his preferred destinations.
Clowney met with Dolphins head coach Brian Flores and other members of the organization in person, but he clearly wasn’t swayed by their pitch. In a follow-up tweet, John McClain of the Houston Chronicle writes that Clowney specifically hasn’t signed his tender because he doesn’t want to play for the Dolphins.
Miami has been the most active publicly in their pursuit, and there have been rumors of a potential swap involving left tackle Laremy Tunsil. It was reported yesterday that there would be a “revolt” in the locker room if the Dolphins traded Tunsil. It’s unclear how interested the other four teams are, or if they’ll be willing to meet Houston’s asking price. Clowney has let it be known he’s willing to miss regular season games, so it doesn’t seem like there’s an end in sight here.