Kenyan Drake Likely Done For Preseason
Dolphins top running back Kenyan Drake is likely to miss the remainder of the team’s preseason slate, and his availability for Week 1 is in question as well, as Adam H. Beasley of the Miami Herald writes. Drake suffered a foot injury in Tuesday’s practice.
Of course, Miami is in the early stages of a complete rebuild, so losing Drake for any regular season action won’t exactly impact the club’s postseason chances. But Drake is eligible for free agency in 2020, so he doesn’t want his platform year to be marred by injury, and the Dolphins would like to see what the talented 25-year-old can do when given a full workload.
The Alabama product has averaged a terrific 4.7 yards per carry across 286 career totes in his three professional seasons, and he’s also been a significant contributor in the passing game. Advanced metrics are high on his ability, and he could earn a nice payday in 2020, either from the Dolphins or another RB-needy team.
Luckily, Drake’s injury does not seem to be overly serious. Head coach Brian Flores said, “[t]he opener is down the road. He’s got a little injury. He’s just going to take it day to day. He’s got a great attitude about it. I think he’ll be OK.”
In Drake’s absence, Kalen Ballage and Mark Walton will see more action. Miami also has several seventh-round rookies on the roster.
Dolphins Inquire On Redskins’ Trent Williams
For now, the Redskins are refusing to trade Trent Williams. But, if they change their minds about parting with the offensive tackle, the Dolphins may be among the interested teams. The Dolphins reached out to the Redskins about a potential Williams trade, Jenna Laine of ESPN.com (on Twitter) hears. 
[RELATED: 4 Potential Landing Spots For Trent Williams]
The Williams saga has been going on for months, with no real resolution in sight. Williams has abstained from camp with hopes of forcing a trade to a new team (one, presumably, that will rework his contract), but the Redskins have yet to flinch. Still, the Redskins seem to be protecting themselves in the event of a deal. Recently, they signed Donald Penn to help bolster the O-Line.
Williams, a seven-time Pro Bowler, is due $24MM over the next two years. The Dolphins, who might have the worst offensive line in the NFL, would be a logical fit, from a football perspective.
Rishard Matthews Retires From NFL
This is the end of the line for longtime NFL wide receiver Rishard Matthews. On Monday, the veteran announced his retirement from football. 
“It was cool being a professional football player and getting to play a kids game for work,” Matthews wrote on Instagram. “I will always be a fan of the best sport in the world but for me that kids game no longer exist [sic].”
Matthews, a Dolphins seventh-round pick in 2012, spent four years with Miami before moving on to the Titans. After making some noise with the Fins in 2015, he enjoyed a breakout campaign with the Titans in ’16, leading the team in receptions (65), yards (945) and receiving touchdowns. He once again paced Tennessee the following campaign before being released in 2018.
Matthews leave the game with 230 receptions for 3,160 yards and 21 touchdowns.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/11/19
Here are Sunday’s minor moves, with the list being updated throughout the day.
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: DL Pasoni Tasini
Carolina Panthers
- Placed on IR: OL Dillon Gordon
Denver Broncos
- Signed: CB Rashard Causey
- Waived: LB Jeff Holland
Detroit Lions
- Signed: WR Deontez Alexander
- Waived/injured: LB Tre Lamar
Green Bay Packers
- Claimed off waivers from Jets: CB Derrick Jones
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: CB Isaiah Langley
- Waived: TE Zach Conque
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: LB Terrance Smith
- Waived/injured: DL Jonathan Woodard
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: T Nate Wozniak
- Waived: G Tyler Catalina
Oakland Raiders
- Claimed off waivers from Falcons: DB Hamp Cheevers
- Placed on IR: CB D.J. Killings
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: CB Sojourn Shelton
- Waived/injured: WR Shelton Gibson
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: S Micah Abernathy
Washington Redskins
- Signed: QB Jalan McClendon, DB DeJuan Neal, LB Darrell Williams
- Placed on IR: QB Josh Woodrum
- Waived: WR T.J. Rahming
- Waived/injured: LB Garrett Sickels
Dolphins Sign DT Robert Nkemdiche
The Dolphins announced that they’ve signed free agent defensive tackle Robert Nkemdiche to a one-year deal and placed him on the active/physically unable to perform list. The pact is worth $1.19MM, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.
Nkemdiche, who was selected 29th overall by the Cardinals in 2016, was cut by Arizona in late July. He was quickly linked to the Dolphins, who were reportedly making “preliminary due diligence inquiry calls” on the former first-round pick. Miami left tackle Laremy Tunsil, a teammate of Nkemdiche at Ole Miss, was a “big advocate” for signing the interior defender, tweets Mike Garafolo of NFL.com.
In the midst of a rebuilding phase, the Dolphins can afford to take a chance on Nkemdiche, a player that clearly boasts talent but comes with question marks. Effort issues dogged Nkemdiche during his time in Arizona, and he reportedly showed up to training camp out of shape. Additionally, he’s facing a possible suspension due to a June arrest.
Still recovering from a December torn ACL, Nkemdiche won’t be able to practice with the Dolphins until he’s removed from the active/PUP list. It’s possible that he’ll be placed on the reserve/PUP list once the regular season begins, which would force him to miss the first six weeks of the year. When he is healthy, Nkemdiche will compete with first-round pick Christian Wilkins, Davon Godchaux, Akeem Spence, Vincent Taylor, and others for playing time on Miami’s defensive line.
Nkemdiche, who won’t turn 25 years old until September, appeared in only 27 out of a possible 48 games during his three-year run with the Cardinals, with injuries reducing his chances at playing time. Last season, he played in 10 games (six starts) before tearing his ACL, posting 4.5 sacks on 426 snaps. Among the 130 defensive tackles with at least 20% playtime in 2018, Nkemdiche ranked a lowly 114th in Pro Football Focus’ grades.
Brian Flores Planning Multiple "Groups" On Defense
- The Dolphins defense should look a whole lot different next season, and Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald writes that much of that can be attributed to the defensive-minded Brian Flores. The team’s new head coach is planning on having several different looks (or “groups,” as Flores calls them) on defense, including 3-4, 4-3, 5-2, and something else altogether different. “It really comes back to trying to put the right personnel groupings out there to match up with what the offense is doing and try to maximize the skill set of our players,” explained defensive coordinator Patrick Graham. “If it’s five or 10 safeties, then that’s what it is.”
[SOURCE LINK]
Latest On Dolphins, Reshad Jones
- Reshad Jones has been spotted in a walking boot and a cast on his right foot, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald notes. He has missed multiple Dolphins practices. The well-paid safety has been a trade candidate for a bit now, and moving a $17.1MM cap figure off the roster would be in line with the rebuilding team’s offseason decisions. Additionally, Jones has been working with Miami’s second-string defense, with Jackson adding that Bobby McCain and T.J. McDonald have seen the bulk of the starter reps in camp. The Dolphins may have a difficult time unloading Jones’ $12MM-AAV contract.
- A UDFA wideout has caught Xavien Howard‘s attention. The Dolphins’ No. 1 corner tabbed rookie Preston Williams as a potential “No. 1 receiver one day,” per Jackson. A 6-foot-5 receiver out of Colorado State, Williams made an impression in minicamp and has continued to do so in pads. Albert Wilson, Kenny Stills, Jakeem Grant and DeVante Parker are roster locks, Jackson adds, with Williams likely competing with Allen Hurns and Brice Butler for one of the final two slots in a likely six-man receiving corps.
Latest On Dolphins’ QB Competition
Less than a week ago, we learned that Ryan Fitzpatrick was decisively winning the Dolphins’ starting quarterback competition. Now, though, the race has tightened considerably, and Adam H. Beasley of the Miami Herald says that Josh Rosen may find himself at the top of the depth chart when the team returns to practice Monday.
Beasley notes that Rosen has shown improvement over the past week, while Fitzpatrick has stumbled a bit. On Saturday, Fitzpatrick threw two interceptions and nearly threw a third, and after the second pick, head coach Brian Flores sent in Rosen to work with the first-team offense, which has not happened often. Rosen responded by engineering a touchdown drive that included several excellent throws.
Flores, who was the one who declared Fitzpatrick the frontrunner on Tuesday, walked back his comments a bit on Saturday. He said, “I know I said [Fitzpatrick] was leading the way the other day, but let’s be clear there’s still a lot competition and a lot of time left. Today is a big day to showcase the improvement guys have made.”
When asked specifically about Rosen, Flores added, “[h]e’s made some improvement really across the board. It’s things a lot of people don’t see. Better footwork, better mechanics in the pocket, better decision-making.”
The Dolphins would probably like to see Rosen take the reins, as he was a first-round draft choice last year and has a legitimate chance of becoming the team’s QB of the future. Fitzpatrick, on the other hand, is in the twilight of his career and is almost certainly not going to be a part of the next competitive Miami team.
So as we head into the first week of preseason games, the race is suddenly too close to call.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/2/19
Today’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: LB Hayes Pullard, WR Isaac Zico, OL Parker Ehinger, OL Patrick Lawrence
- Waived: OL Tariq Cole, RB Xavier Turner
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: S Ronald Martin, CB Hamp Cheevers
- Waived: CB Rashard Causey, LS Kyle Vasey
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: TE Mik’Quan Deane
- Waived/injured: WR Blake Jackson
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: OL Jamar McGloster
- Claimed off waivers from Cowboys: OL Larry Allen Jr.
- Waived/injured: LB Tre’von Johnson, OL Cole Toner
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: LB Nick DeLuca
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: TE Alex Ellis
- Waived: LB Joey Alfieri, Godwin Igwebuike
Washington Redskins
- Signed: DB D.J. White
- Waived: LS Andrew East
Dolphins Shuffling O-Line
- The Dolphins fired offensive line coach Pat Flaherty earlier this week and replaced him with Dave DeGuglielmo, and DeGuglielmo has wasted no time retooling the unit. The “Dolphins made wholesale lineup changes in practice Tuesday,” to their offensive line, writes Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. In DeGuglielmo’s first day as the offensive line coach, “rookie Michael Deiter and Will Holden took over the first team left and right guard spots, replacing Chris Reed and Jesse Davis,” Jackson writes. Davis kicked over to right tackle, sending Jordan Mills to the second team. DeGuglielmo received a lot of praise for his work as the Colts’ offensive line coach last year, and it was a surprise when he was ousted in January. He’s clearly taking charge in Miami, and it sounds like the only two locked in players on the Dolphins’ line are Laremy Tunsil at left tackle and Daniel Kilgore at center.