Miller: Dolphins May Not Look For QB
- The Dolphins were projected to be among the teams examining the crop of potential first-round quarterbacks, but their 3-1 start could change that. Early in the mock process, Matt Miller of Bleacher Report has the Dolphins taking Clemson cornerback Trayvon Mullen, a player whom multiple area scouts have rising into the first round after a strong start to the season. As for where Miller projects the QBs to fall in Round 1, he has the Giants taking Oregon’s Justin Herbert and No. 5, the Patriots grabbing Auburn’s Jarrett Stidham at No. 17 (though, that draft slot seems certain to drop) and the Bengals selecting Missouri’s Drew Lock at 28.
Steelers, Patriots, Saints Wanted Jordan Phillips
Defensive tackle Jordan Phillips is the newest member of the Bills, but a trio of contenders also tried to land him. The Steelers, Patriots, and Saints all put waiver claims in on the former Dolphin, as Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets, but the Bills won out thanks to their higher waiver priority. 
The former second-round pick has struggled with consistency over the last four years, but several teams still believe in his potential. The Patriots’ claim shows that they are less-than-thrilled about their current group of DTs, which consists of Lawrence Guy, Malcom Brown, Danny Shelton, and Adam Butler. Butler likely would have been the odd man out, and Phillips might have had an opportunity to eventually leapfrog Shelton and Brown in the pecking order. Through four weeks, Guy has 19 total tackles and is rated as Pro Football Focus’ No. 4 overall ranked defensive tackle, but the other DTs have something to be desired.
Phillips started most of his games in 2016 and 2017, but was relegated to a reserve role this year in Miami. That didn’t sit well with him – as evidenced by his sideline blowup on Sunday – and that proved to be the last straw for him with the Dolphins. The 1-3 Bills may have a larger role in mind for the 26-year-old.
Reshad Jones Back For Week 5
- Dolphins safety Reshad Jones will be available for Week 5 after missing the previous two weeks with a shoulder injury, writes Cameron Wolfe of ESPN.com. Jones was sidelined for Miami’s games against Oakland (win) and New England (loss), forcing rookie defensive back Minkah Fitzpatrick to take over at safety opposite T.J. McDonald. With Jones’ return, Fitzpatrick will move back into his natural slot corner role. Jones, who entered the league as a Dolphins fifth-round pick in 2010, has been a full-time starter since his second season in the NFL. Last spring, he inked a long-term extension that should keep him in South Beach through 2021
- Rookie Bengals center Billy Price hasn’t suffered any setbacks since suffering a foot injury in Week 2, but he’s still expected to be in a walking boot for at least two more weeks, tweets Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com. That means Price will miss games against the Dolphins and Steelers, and possibly more if his recovery timeline is extended. Cincinnati’s bye comes in Week 9, so the Bengals could potentially hold Price out through then if they want to be cautious. With Price out, the Bengals have turned to former starting guard Trey Hopkins to fill in at the pivot.
Bills Claim DT Jordan Phillips
The Bills have claimed defensive tackle Jordan Phillips off waivers from the Dolphins, according to a club announcement. To make room, the Bills released defensive tackle Robert Thomas. 
The Dolphins cut Phillips on Tuesday, days after he blew up on the sidelines due to his lack of playing time. The Dolphins attempted to trade Phillips first, but they were unable to find a suitable deal.
Former Dolphins GM Dennis Hickey, who drafted Phillips in 2015, works for the Bills now, so he is familiar with the former second-round pick’s potential. At 6’6″ and 341 pounds, Phillips has the size to disrupt quarterbacks and stuff opposing running backs. He hasn’t really blossomed at the pro level, but a change of scenery could be just what the doctor ordered.
Phillips’ most productive season came in 2016 when he had 23 tackles, three pass breakups, an interception, and a half sack. Over the last three seasons and change, the defensive tackle has 5.5 sacks to his credit.
With two games on the remaining schedule against the Dolphins (12/2 and 12/30), Phillips will have the opportunity to exact revenge on his former team. Phillips won’t be a starter for the Bills, but he should be in the rotation behind first-stringers Kyle Williams and Star Lotulelei.
Dolphins Shopped Jordan Phillips
- The Dolphins attempted to trade defensive tackle Jordan Phillips before cutting him earlier today, reports Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link). The news isn’t all that surprising, as most clubs try to deal players before releasing them and receiving no value. However, Phillips has never lived up to his second-round draft status and also had a sideline disagreement with Miami coaches on Sunday, so the trade market for his services wasn’t large. Though four games, Phillips saw action on 124 defensive snaps. He had a season-high 46 snaps in Week 3 against the Raiders, but his usage dropped back down to 25 snaps in Sunday’s blowout loss to the Pats.
NFL Workout Updates: 10/2/18
Today’s workout updates, with all links going to veteran Howard Balzer’s Twitter account unless otherwise noted:
Arizona Cardinals
- WR Jordan Leslie (link via Adam Caplan of SiriusXM)
Atlanta Falcons
Cleveland Browns
- LB Junior Sylvestre (link); CBs Sterling Moore, Josh Robinson; K Daniel Carlson, Miles Bergner (link via Caplan)
Denver Broncos
- P Brock Miller (link)
Detroit Lions
- RB Akeem Hunt; C Jake Eldrenkamp; Ts Antonio Garcia, De’Ondre Wesley; G Landon Turner (link)
Green Bay Packers
- LBs Josh Carraway, Aaron Wallace (link via Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com)
Houston Texans
Jacksonville Jaguars
- RBs Matthew Dayes, Orleans Darkwa (link via Caplan)
Los Angeles Chargers
- LBs Jonathan Celestin, Tre’von Johnson; P Shane Tripucka; LS Taybor Pepper (link)
Los Angeles Rams
- LB Anthony Winbush; DBs Xavier Coleman, Ranthony Texada; K Kai Forbath
Miami Dolphins
- Gs Austin Davis, J.J. Dielman; Cs Dillon Day, T.J. Johnson, Jon Toth; T Gerhard de Beer; DTs Xavier Cooper, Will Sutton (link)
Minnesota Vikings
- DE Terrence Fede; LB Tyrone Holmes (link)
New England Patriots
- T Andrew Nelson (link)
New Orleans Saints
- G/T Oday Aboushi; Ts Chaz Green, Austin Howard; Gs Jordan Morgan, Isaiah Williams; CBs De’Vante Bausby, Jeremy Boykins, Byron Maxwell (link)
New York Jets
Oakland Raiders
- DEs Damontre Moore, Jacquies Smith; LBs Travis Feeney, Edmond Robinson; K Nick Novak (link via Caplan)
Pittsburgh Steelers
- CB Herb Waters (link)
Seattle Seahawks
- WR Keon Hatcher; DE Hau’oli Kikaha; LB Chris Odom; CB Kalan Reed; Ss Maurice Alexander, Eddie Pleasant, Jeremy Reaves (link)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- CB Josh Shaw; S A.J. Howard (link)
Tennessee Titans
- QB Garrett Gilbert; WRs Aaron Burbridge, Reggie Davis, Damoun Patterson; LB Antwione Williams (link)
Dolphins Sign C Wesley Johnson
The Dolphins have signed free agent center Wesley Johnson and placed fellow pivot Daniel Kilgore on injured reserve, the club announced today. Miami also promoted defensive tackle Cameron Malveaux and confirmed the previously-reported release of defensive tackle Jordan Phillips.
Johnson, 27, has appeared in 31 games (23 starts) with the Jets over the past two seasons. The 2014 fifth-round pick out of Vanderbilt joined the Lions earlier this offseason, but he was released by the team at the end of the preseason. Since then, Johnson has worked out with the Vikings and Ravens. He auditioned for the Dolphins earlier today, and he’ll know slide in behind Travis Swanson on Miami’s center depth chart.
Kilgore, meanwhile, suffered a torn pectoral in Week 4, so he’d been fully expected to land on injured reserve. While Kilgore is technically eligible to return later this season, the nature of his injury likely means he’s done for the year. Kilgore signed an extension with the 49ers earlier this year, but San Francisco shipped him to Miami after landing free agent center Weston Richburg. He’s signed through the 2020 season, but the Dolphins could opt to release him with no dead money hitting their salary cap.
Practice Squad Updates: 10/2/18
We’ll keep track of today’s practice squad moves here:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: S Darian Thompson, WR Bernard Reedy
- Cut: CB Demetrious Cox, LB Nigel Harris
Carolina Panthers
- Released: WR DeAndrew White
Houston Texans
- Signed: LB Tyrell Adams
- Cut: CB Breon Borders
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: LB Skai Moore, TE Erik Swoope, RB Jonathan Williams
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: OL Jamar McGloster
- Waived: DT Steven Richardson
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed: DE/OLB Ja’Von Rolland-Jones, DB Linden Stephens
- Cut: DE Marcus Martin
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: DT Garrison Smith
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: DB Darius Hillary, G Will Holden, DB Chris Lammons, WR Tanner McEvoy
- Released: QB J.T. Barrett, T Rick Leonard, DB Arrion Springs, TE Deon Yelder
New York Giants
- Signed: T Jylan Ware
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: LB Kyle Wilson
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: WR Chad Hansen, LB LaTroy Lewis
- Cut: WR Kalif Raymond
Washington Redskins
- Signed: RB Mack Brown
Dolphins Cut DT Jordan Phillips
The Dolphins are cutting defensive tackle Jordan Phillips, a source tells Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald (on Twitter). Phillips was visibly upset on the sidelines Sunday due to his playing time and his release is likely related. Clearly, there’s no love lost for the former second-round pick.
“Free at last, free at last,” Phillips wrote on Instagram (Twitter link via Cameron Wolfe of ESPN.com). “[I’m] no longer a Miami Dolphin. Good luck to my brothers on the team. I’ll miss y’all but I couldn’t be happier to be out of there.I’m in my bag, don’t take it personal. Sometimes [you’ve] got to put your future in your own hands and live with it.”
Though four games, Phillips saw action on 124 defensive snaps. He had a season-high 46 snaps in Week 3 against the Raiders, but his usage dropped back down to 25 snaps in Sunday’s blowout loss to the Pats.
Head coach Adam Gase may be sending a message to his team, not unlike last year when he traded talented running back Jay Ajayi to the Eagles. Phillips might not be as much of a game-changer as Ajayi, but he does have 5.5 sacks over the last three years and change. It’s likely that Phillips will be picked up quickly by a club that is in need of interior defensive line help.
The Dolphins already lost William Hayes for the season and fellow defensive end Andre Branch is sidelined with a knee injury, so they’re not exactly working with a surplus on the defensive line. Akeem Spence, Davon Godchaux, and Vincent Taylor will be charged with keeping things afloat in the middle for now, but the Dolphins will surely sign a defensive tackle this week.
With Phillips out of the picture, wide receiver DeVante Parker and cornerback Bobby McCain stand as the last remaining Dolphins from the 2015 draft class. Phillips (2nd round), Jamil Douglas (4th), Ajayi (5th), Cedric Thompson (5th), and Tony Lippett (5th) are no longer with the club.
Dolphins Work Out C Wesley Johnson
The Dolphins worked out former Jets and Lions center Wesley Johnson on Tuesday morning, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Johnson was one of seven offensive linemen to audition, according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald (on Twitter), and three free agent defensive tackles also took the practice field.
With center Daniel Kilgore out for an extended period, it only makes sense for the Dolphins to explore available centers. Johnson, 27, has appeared in 31 games (23 starts) with the Jets over the past two seasons. The 2014 fifth-round pick out of Vanderbilt joined the Lions earlier this offseason, but he was released by the team at the end of the preseason. Since then, Johnson has worked out with the Vikings and Ravens.
For what it’s worth, the advanced metrics were not high on the Johnson last year. Last year, Johnson graded out as the second-worst qualified center in the league, per Pro Football Focus.