Latest On DeVante Parker, Dolphins
There’s been a lot of talk surrounding DeVante Parker recently. The former first round pick has seemingly fallen out of favor with the Dolphins’ coaching staff, leaving him with a reduced role for the very limited time that he’s been healthy. Naturally, his name has come up in trade rumors, as the fourth-year wideout still has a ton of talent.
Now there’s a lot of drama, as Parker’s agent is lashing out publicly at the team. Parker was inactive for the team’s game today, which Dolphins coach Adam Gase claimed was due to a nagging injury. Parkers agent insists that isn’t true, and that his client is fully healthy, according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald (Twitter links). It’s pretty shocking for an agent to criticize a coach this forcefully as Parker’s agent, Jimmy Gould, repeatedly called Gase a liar and incompetent in his statement. Jackson does tweet that Parker’s agent is not demanding a trade or his release at this time.
That being said, it wouldn’t be a surprise if he isn’t a Dolphin for long. He’s been connected to a few receiver-needy teams recently, and there was a report earlier today that the Cowboys were “monitoring” Parker in their search for receiver help. Also earlier today, it was reported that the Dolphins were asking for a third round pick to part with the Louisville product.
Parker has always flashed a lot of promise, but has never been able to put it all together and his tenure in Miami has been a bit snake-bitten. He’s seemingly always hurt, and has never been able to consistently produce when on the field. The one thing that might make him stick with the Dolphins for now is that Miami suffered a pair of injuries to receivers today, with Albert Wilson and Kenny Stills both going down with injuries.
Eagles, Cowboys Among Teams Interested In DeVante Parker
- In addition to Cooper, the Cowboys are monitoring Dolphins WR DeVante Parker and Bills WR Kelvin Benjamin, according to Dan Graziano of ESPN.com (via Twitter). The Eagles have also spoken to Miami about Parker, according to Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald (via Twitter).
Dolphins Seeking Third-Rounder For WR DeVante Parker
It sounds like the Dolphins are still willing to trade wideout DeVante Parker, but it would cost a lot to get him. NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero tweets that the organization has told inquiring teams that it would take at least a third-round pick to acquire the former first-rounder.
That seems to be a pretty lofty asking price, perhaps indicating that the Dolphins aren’t all that serious about moving the 25-year-old. Indeed, Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald tweets that the Dolphins are not actively shopping Parker, and that all trade talks have started with other clubs. Salguero does acknowledge that Parker remains available, but Miami is perfectly content to keep him if no one presents a good enough offer.
Parker hasn’t shown a whole lot through his first three years in league, with his 2016 performance proving to be a career-year (56 receptions, 744 receiving yards, four touchdowns). He’s struggled to stay on the field in 2018, hauling in only a pair of catches in two games, though Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald writes that Parker’s agent, Jimmy Gould, and the team appear to disagree on Parker’s health status at the moment. Gould has not asked that his client be traded, but he made it clear that Parker is healthy and needs to be playing.
It’s unlikely the Dolphins are going to keep Parker around for $9MM in 2019 (per Jackson on Twitter), meaning interested teams probably won’t give in to Miami’s present demands. While they’re not identical scenarios, the Browns gave away former first-round wideout Corey Coleman for a seventh-rounder. The Browns got a fifth-rounder for a former 1,000-yard receiver (Josh Gordon). The Dolphins even got a fourth- and seventh-rounder for Jarvis Landry. If the Dolphins aren’t willing to lower their demands, the team presumably wasn’t all that intent on moving Parker in the first place.
Rory Parks contributed to this post.
This Date In NFL Transactions History: Dion Jordan Reinstated By NFL
Four years ago today, the NFL reinstated defensive end Dion Jordan from the suspension list. At the time, the Dolphins were expecting the former first-rounder to contribute for the foreseeable future. Little did they know, Jordan would be preparing for his final 10 games in a Dolphins uniform.
The third-overall pick of the 2013 draft had a solid rookie campaign in Miami, finishing the year with 26 tackles, two sacks, and two passes defended. However, prior to his sophomore season, Jordan was slapped with a four-game suspension after violating the league’s policy on performance-enhancing drugs. Several months later, the defensive end was handed another suspension, all leading to him being reinstated four years ago today.
Jordan proceeded to play in the Dolphins final 10 games that year, compiling 20 tackles and a single sack. Unfortunately, things quickly got worse for the Oregon product. Prior to the 2015 season, the NFL found that the defensive end had diluted his test samples. While he didn’t fail a drug test, the diluted sample served as a “third strike,” and Jordan was suspended for the entirety of the 2015 campaign. He was reinstated by the NFL prior to the 2016 season, but he was forced onto the NFI list after recovering from an undisclosed knee surgery. Jordan didn’t play in a single game that season, and he was released by Miami during the 2017 offseason.
It seems like there may be some optimism for Jordan this year. He caught on with the Seahawks in 2017, compiling 18 tackles, four sacks, and one forced fumble in five games. He re-signed this past offseason, but he’s compiled only a pair of tackles through four contests.
When he was reinstated by the NFL in 2014, no one could have envisioned him playing a rotational role elsewhere only four years later. While it certainly hasn’t gone as planned for the 28-year-old, there seems to be some light at the end of the tunnel.
Tannehill's Future With The Dolphins In Doubt
While the Dolphins are still confident Ryan Tannehill will return sometime this year, his future with the team beyond 2018 is in doubt, according to Armando Salguero of The Miami Herald. Salguero writes that “Tannehill’s status with the Dolphins for 2019 and beyond is not settled”, and that Tannehill “has not lived up to the stated expectations the Dolphins set for him before the year began.”
Tannehill has been unable to stay healthy the past few seasons, and carries a $26.6MM cap charge for 2019. If he doesn’t light it up whenever he returns, it’s entirely possible Tannehill is no longer a Dolphin after this year. Tannehill’s contract status has mostly flown under-the-radar, but it will be one of the most interesting storylines to monitor this offseason not just for the Dolphins but across the entire league.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/18/18
We’ll keep track of today’s practice squad moves here:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: OL Kyle Friend
- Released: OL Will House
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: LB Jermaine Grace
- Released: LB Richie Brown
Houston Texans
- Released: DB Robert Jackson
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: G Zack Golditch
- Released: G Sean Harlow
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed: OL Brandon Thomas
- Released: OL Michael Dunn
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed: LB Travin Howard
- Released: DB Linden Stephens
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: DL DeShawn Williams
New York Giants
- Released: WR Kalif Raymond
New York Jets
- Signed: RB De’Angelo Henderson
- Placed on injured list: LB Harvey Langi
Philadelphia Eagles
- Released: LB Kyle Wilson
Latest On Ryan Tannehill
The Dolphins will be without Ryan Tannehill for a while. Not only will he miss this Sunday’s game against the Lions, but he’s also unlikely to suit up next Thursday night against the Texans, ESPN.com’s Cameron Wolfe (on Twitter) hears. 
[RELATED: Dolphins Place Chase Allen On IR]
The good news here is that the Dolphins still believe that Tannehill will be able to play again. The team is not currently exploring surgical options for his injured shoulder (Twitter link via Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald) as they believe he’ll be able to play once the swelling and irritation improves.
F0r however long Tannehill is out, they’ll be relying on backup Brock Osweiler to carry the torch. If the one-time coveted free agent continues to play like he did against the Bears in last weekend’s OT win, the Dolphins will get by just fine. If Osweiler implodes against Detroit and Houston and Tannehill’s recovery drags, it’s possible that the Fins will explore the trade market for QB options.
In the short term, the Dolphins will probably stand pat at quarterback. They currently have two healthy QBs on the roster in Osweiler and David Fales.
NFL Investigating Ryan Tannehill Injury
The Dolphins have already ruled out quarterback Ryan Tannehill for their Week 7 contest against the Lions, and the NFL is now investigating how Miami handled reporting Tannehill’s shoulder injury in Week 6, as Cameron Wolfe of ESPN.com reports. Tannehill was a full participant in both Wednesday and Thursday practice last week, but was limited on Friday before being inactive against the Bears on Sunday. The league will often look into such cases where injury designations present something of a question mark; some clubs are subsequently fined, others are cleared, tweets Tom Pelissero of NFL.com. Without Tannehill available, Miami will once again deploy Brock Osweiler, who threw for a career-high 380 yards against Chicago.
Dolphins Designate OL Jake Brendel, LB Mike Hull As IR/Return
The Dolphins will designate offensive lineman Jake Brendel and linebacker Mike Hull to return from injured reserve, according to Cameron Wolfe of ESPN.com (Twitter link), who reports both players were back at Miami’s practice on Wednesday.
Both Brendel and Hull were placed on injured reserve in September after initially being carried through to the Dolphins’ initial 53-man roster. NFL rules stipulate that any player who returns from IR must have been on his club’s original 53-man roster, and also mandates a minimum eight-week absence. As such, both Brendel and Hull can be activated in advance of Miami’s Week 9 matchup against the Jets.
Brendel, 26, joined the Dolphins’ practice squad in 2016 after going undrafted out of UCLA. He went to appear in all 16 games for Miami in 2017, although he didn’t see much action on the field. Brendel played 67 snaps on offense and 87 snaps on special teams, serving in a backup role for the entire campaign. Once he returns from IR, Brendel will give the Dolphins another interior option behind veterans Travis Swanson and Wesley Johnson, the former of whom has taken over at center following Daniel Kilgore‘s season-ending injury.
Like Brendel, Hull has mostly served as a backup since joining the Dolphins in 2015. He played in 32 games from 2016-17, making four starts during that time. But Hull’s main contribution has come on special teams, where he racked up a whopping 631 snaps over the past two seasons. His return could bolster a Miami special teams unit that already ranks third in DVOA, and give the Dolphins linebacker depth after the club placed Chase Allen on injured reserve earlier today.
Because each team is only allowed to IR/return players, Brendel and Hull’s activation will prevent the Dolphins from bringing any other injured players — such as offensive linemen Josh Sitton or Kilgore, or defensive end William Hayes — back in 2018.
Dolphins Place Chase Allen On IR
The Dolphins placed linebacker Chase Allen on injured reserve, according to a team announcement. To fill his spot, the club re-signed safety Maurice Smith. 
Allen played through a foot injury against the Bears and it’s possible that he aggravated the issue while on the field. While he wasn’t a star player in Miami, he was a special teams staple and his hard-nosed play will be missed. It’s not immediately clear whether Allen is a candidate to return later this year or if this is a certain season-ender.
Allen, of course, is just the latest Dolphins player to be hit by the injury bug. Quarterback Ryan Tannehill, cornerback Bobby McCain, and linebacker Cameron Wake face uncertain timetables for return while Allen joins notables William Hayes, Josh Sitton, and Daniel Kilgore on IR.
Despite their bad luck when it comes to health, the Dolphins boast a 4-2 record heading into this week’s contest against the Lions.