Dolphins Rumors

NFL Staff Updates: Hawks, Dolphins, Slater

April 10th, 2024 at 9:06pm CST by Ely Allen

The Seahawks have added a new face to their front office, according to team senior reporter John Boyle. Boyle tells us that Joey Laine has been hired as Seattle’s new vice president of football administration.

Laine was hired by the Packers last year to the role of salary cap analyst. Before that, he spent seven years in Chicago serving as the Bears’ chief contract negotiator. He also looked after the team’s salary cap situation and strategic planning while ensuring compliance with the league’s collective bargaining agreement.

Seattle announced the hiring of a new assistant coach, as well. Per Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2, the Seahawks are bringing in former Utah State quarterback Chuckie Keeton to serve as an offensive assistant. Keeton most recently spent the 2023 season as an offensive analyst at Marshall. He was hired to be Montana State’s new quarterbacks coach in January but will instead take his first job in the NFL.

Here are a few other coaching and staffing updates from around the league:

The Dolphins also brought in a new coaching assistant from the college ranks, according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. Rob Everett, formerly a senior offensive analyst at the University of Wisconsin, will come in as a new Miami offensive assistant. Before his time with the Badgers, Everett was a defensive coordinator at Division III Bridgewater College.
Patriots special teams legend Matthew Slater announced his retirement in February after 16 years in New England. We noted at the time that Slater’s attention would now turn to his post-playing days, and it didn’t take long as Conor Ryan of Boston.com reports that Slater will stick around with the Patriots in a new role. Right now, it’s unclear whether the position is a paid, full-time gig or if Slater is simply volunteering, but the 10-time Pro Bowler was on hand for the team’s first day of their voluntary offseason workout program today. New head coach Jerod Mayo has already made a habit of hiring former Patriots players as coaches, hiring Dont’a Hightower as the team’s linebackers coach and Tiquan Underwood as assistant wide receivers coach. Slater may just be the next to join in the fun.

OLB Carl Lawson Visits Dolphins

April 10th, 2024 at 8:09pm CST by Ely Allen

Once considered a big-ticket free agent addition who earned a three-year, $45MM contract to play for the Jets, edge rusher Carl Lawson spent much of his 2023 season being offered up as trade bait. Not finding any takers for the 28-year-old, the team instead allowed him to hit free agency at the end of the year. Now in search of a new home, Lawson reportedly visited the division-rival Dolphins today, according to Howard Balzer of CardsWire.

Despite delivering seven sacks for New York in his bounce back season following a torn Achilles tendon, Lawson saw himself in the doghouse in 2023, often serving as a healthy scratch with five other edge rushers earning snaps over him. Head coach Robert Saleh was adamant in his support for Lawson a year ago, claiming that “as long as (Lawson) can walk and play,” he’d be Jet, though Saleh made sure to clarify that he did not speak for general manager Joe Douglas.

Douglas clearly had other plans, though. After Lawson missed training camp and the first week of the regular season, rumors began that New York was open to trade offers on Lawson and other players like Mecole Hardman and Dalvin Cook. Despite coming back from injury, Lawson was hardly being used in the defense after the Jets made the call to utilize former first-round pick Jermaine Johnson more across from John Franklin-Myers.

At one point, Lawson expressed his displeasure with his role, saying, “I definitely want to play and contribute. I know I can; I’ve proven that…but right now I’m with the Jets, but I definitely want to play more. I definitely want to do what I did last year… I’m a football player, not a cheerleader.”

After not getting traded, Lawson is now a free agent. While injuries have certainly played a role in his NFL career, Lawson isn’t wrong; he has proven that he can contribute. In four of his six NFL seasons, Lawson has delivered five or more sacks, and while he has failed to match the 8.5-sack performance of his rookie season, he had seven in 2022 after a major injury.

In Miami, Lawson would add depth to a room that already holds players with their own extensive injury histories. Bradley Chubb has missed the majority of two seasons in the past, and Jaelan Phillips is working to return from a torn Achilles tendon of his own. Behind them, Shaquil Barrett missed nine games in 2022, and Melvin Ingram is seeing less and less of the field as he progresses into his mid-30s. With all that history on their current roster, it makes sense that the Dolphins are kicking the tires on a younger pass rusher, albeit one with their own injury history.

Latest On Dolphins’ WR Pursuit

April 6th, 2024 at 9:26am CST by Ben Levine

The Dolphins continue to search for a third receiver behind Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, but the team isn’t willing to break the bank for the position. A league source that has talked with the Dolphins believes the organization is only willing to spend “a few million” on another wideout, per Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald.

The team reportedly made an offer to Odell Beckham Jr., and Jackson says the veteran “remains Miami’s top choice” for the role. Jackson also passes along that the two sides have continued to speak about a potential deal, but the writer believes OBJ isn’t looking for a significant discount on the $15MM he earned from the Ravens in 2023. In that case, the Dolphins’ offer of a “few million” might not be enough.

The organization has also been mentioned as a suitor for free agent Tyler Boyd. However, the long-time Bengals wideout isn’t looking to take a major pay cut on the $10.3MM he earned last season, per Jackson. Hill has pushed for the Dolphins to pursue Michael Thomas, but Jackson says the front office has been “more mindful” of pursuing players with significant injury histories.

The Dolphins will likely continue to be patient until after the draft, and Jackson believes the organization would be comfortable filling that WR3 hole with a rookie. In that scenario, the Dolphins would probably take themselves out of the running for the top remaining free agent WRs.

Cedrick Wilson Jr. served as the team’s third wideout in 2022 and 2023, but he left for the Saints this offseason. Besides Hill, Waddle, and slot receiver Braxton Berrios, the rest of the current WR depth chart lacks experience. That grouping includes River Cracraft, Braylon Sanders, Erik Ezukanma, and Anthony Schwartz.

Dolphins To Sign DT Teair Tart

April 5th, 2024 at 1:49pm CST by Sam Robinson

Losing two defensive tackles in free agency last month, the Dolphins are in need of some assistance here. While the draft could certainly be an avenue the team chooses to improve post-Christian Wilkins, one reinforcement is en route.

Miami is bringing in D-tackle Teair Tart, according to Bleacher Report’s Jordan Schultz. Tart spent most of his rookie contract with the Titans, though he went from a player who commanded a second-round RFA tender last year to being waived months later. Tart closed out his rookie deal with the Texans.

Although the Dolphins extended Zach Sieler last year, they were not able to come to terms with Wilkins in 2023. That proved costly, with the team’s cap situation impeding a Wilkins tag. Wilkins’ Raiders AAV ($27.5MM) came in $5MM higher than the DT tag price. The Dolphins also lost starter Raekwon Davis, who joined the Colts. The Dolphins have made some low-cost additions to help out Sieler up front; Tart promises to be another.

Tart, 27, will join former Cowboy Neville Gallimore and ex-Bronco Jonathan Harris as UFA pickups along the Dolphins’ D-line. It would certainly seem more will be done in the draft, but Tart brings 36 starts to the table. Operating as Tennessee’s primary nose tackle on a Jeffery Simmons-led D-line, Tart ranked as a top-25 interior D-lineman (per Pro Football Focus) in 2022.

Tart added a career-high eight tackles for loss (in just 11 games) last season, though PFF saw his play slip overall, ranking the run stopper 85th at the position. Over the past two years, PFF also rated Tart as a better pass rusher than run stopper. The Florida International alum, however, is primarily a run defender; 1.5 sacks represent his single-season best.

The Titans made the decision to cut Tart in mid-December, and off-field matters impacted the AFC South team’s call. Season-long issues are believed to have reached a breaking point late last year, Tart was ruled out of the Titans’ Week 15 game for personal reasons. The Texans then claimed the former fifth-round pick, using him as a backup in two games. Tart joined Derek Barnett as a waiver claim aiding Houston’s D-line down the stretch, though the former was inactive for Houston’s two playoff games. The Bengals and Browns submitted claims for Tart in December, but his market did not produce an immediate signing as a free agent.

Dolphins To Re-Sign T Kendall Lamm

April 2nd, 2024 at 2:27pm CST by Sam Robinson

Needed extensively during the 2023 season, Kendall Lamm will see his run of Dolphins starts lead to another contract with the team. Miami is re-signing the veteran swing tackle, according to ESPN.com’s Dan Graziano.

Lamm is staying with the Dolphins for a third season, doing so on a one-year deal. The former Texans UDFA started eight games for the Dolphins last season, with Terron Armstead‘s run of injuries again requiring regular duty for a backup.

Armstead is staying with the Dolphins for a third season, and while the former Pro Bowler has delivered quality work when healthy, the ex-Saint’s injury baggage has resulted in a number of absences. As various injuries limited Armstead last season, Lamm became a key piece on a battered Miami front. Lamm logged 520 snaps at left tackle last season — nearly as many as Armstead, who totaled 585 — and added 93 in place of Austin Jackson at right tackle.

The 585 snaps marked Lamm’s most on offense since the 2018 season, when he served as the Texans’ primary right tackle. The Dolphins had Lamm on low-end deals in each of the past two seasons. He played for just $1.32MM in 2023. Given Armstead’s injury issues and Lamm’s regular usage last season, a bit of a raise would appear in play. The Dolphins have both their starting tackles signed through 2026, having extended Jackson during the season, but neither are attached to top-10 deals at their respective positions.

Lamm’s Texans work landed him a gig with the Browns, his employer from 2019-20. Lamm then served as a swingman for the 2021 Titans. Despite Taylor Lewan‘s knee trouble and the team’s issues staffing its RT position during the 2020s, Lamm only logged one start with Tennessee. The Dolphins brought him in during Mike McDaniel‘s first season, adding the Appalachian State alum in November 2022. Injuries were a major factor for the ’22 Dolphins’ front as well, with Jackson missing 15 games and Eric Fisher signing with the team but never being healthy enough to suit up. Brandon Shell worked as Miami’s primary RT that season, but the Dolphins used Lamm in that OT3 role last year.

Lamm, 31, has 37 starts on his resume. He will join Jack Driscoll as reserve tackle options for the team. Lamm will also provide some continuity for a Dolphins team that lost four-year starter Robert Hunt in free agency. Two other interior starters — Connor Williams, Isaiah Wynn — are unsigned, leaving Miami with the prospect of three new interior starters. The team will largely run it back at tackle, however.

Chargers, Dolphins, Lions, 49ers In On WR Tyler Boyd?

April 2nd, 2024 at 1:37pm CST by Sam Robinson

Tyler Boyd has been connected to a host of teams this offseason. The veteran remains one of the market’s top wide receivers, but the longtime Bengals slot presence clearly has not seen his market reach an acceptable price point.

Tied to the Chiefs, Jets and his hometown Steelers thus far, Boyd may have some other options. The Chargers, Dolphins, Lions and 49ers each showed some preliminary interest in the eight-year veteran, The Athletic’s Mark Kaboly notes (subscription required). A few of these teams still have need at the position.

The Lions had hoped to retain Josh Reynolds, but with the team expecting Jameson Williams to grow into a No. 2 wideout role alongside Amon-Ra St. Brown, a lower-end offer emerged. Reynolds then decided to sign with the Broncos, leaving the Lions with an ancillary need at wide receiver. Considering what Reynolds ended up signing for in Denver (two years, $9MM), his Lions offer does not seem to indicate the team is comfortable spending much on a receiver — especially during an offseason in which St. Brown could sign a top-tier extension.

Odell Beckham Jr. has already negotiated terms with the Dolphins, who have submitted an offer. But the former Giants superstar remains unsigned. The Dolphins are believed to be looking for a WR3 as well, though they probably have Lions-like plans here due to Tyreek Hill‘s market-setting contract. The team could still keep Jaylen Waddle on a low-end salary for 2024 — with his soon-to-be-exercised fifth-year option tying him to Miami through 2025 — while dropping Tua Tagovailoa‘s 2024 cap number ($23.2MM) by a bit via an extension. That would open a salary slot for a one-year WR rental.

The 49ers devoting much in the way of funds to another wide receiver would be highly unlikely, considering Deebo Samuel‘s salary and Brandon Aiyuk‘s fifth-year option residing on their cap sheet. The Chargers, however, would make more sense because of the team’s cost-cutting decisions — cutting Mike Williams (now a Jet) and trading Keenan Allen to the Bears — last month. The Bolts have been connected to a wideout at No. 5 overall, but the team is open for business with that pick as the Jim Harbaugh era begins.

Circling back to the Boyd-Steelers path, a return home for the Pittsburgh alum now may be on the unlikely side. Boyd, 29, showed significant interest in returning home early in free agency; the Steelers were also onboard with a signing. Despite the Steelers having a need after trading Diontae Johnson, Kaboly adds the ship has likely sailed here. Boyd was not pleased with the offer the Steelers made. The team, which has been known to identify quality receiving talent in the draft, set a firm price point here recently.

With Reynolds off the market, Beckham, Boyd, Hunter Renfrow, Michael Thomas and Marquez Valdes-Scantling represent the top players still available at this high-profile position. It appears Boyd will have a chance to land somewhere soon, but it might be at a rate lower than he expected. Boyd played out a four-year, $43MM extension with the Bengals last season.

Latest On Connor Williams, Dolphins Offensive Line

April 1st, 2024 at 8:18pm CST by Ben Levine

Connor Williams‘ availability for the 2024 campaign is in doubt after he suffered a torn ACL in December. Whenever he’s ready to take the field, it sounds like a return to the Dolphins will be in play.

According to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, Williams’ potential return to Miami has “not been ruled out as a possibility.” The two sides will “remain in occasional communication” while the center rehabs.

Williams joined the Dolphins on a two-year contract in 2022 and proceeded to start all 17 games for Miami. With the lineman set to earn a $6.5MM base salary on an expiring contract in 2023, Williams was absent from minicamp. The two sides didn’t resolve his contract situation, and Williams was ultimately in the lineup for Week 1.

A nagging groin injury forced him to miss four games during the first half of the 2023 season, but he started each of his five games following his return. Unfortunately, he suffered a torn ACL in Week 14 that ended his season and put his 2024 campaign in doubt. Williams was setting himself up nicely for free agency prior to the injury, earning a stellar 86.5 grade from Pro Football Focus that positioned him behind only the Lions’ Frank Ragnow among qualified centers.

Agent Drew Rosenhaus previously said that Williams will be “methodical” and take his time as he considers his next landing spot, but it sounds like Miami will remain a possibility. The team brought in Aaron Brewer as a replacement at center, and the organization could also look towards the draft for more depth at the position.

Elsewhere on the OL, the team’s uncertainty at the two guard positions has led the front office to explore options via free agency. As Jackson writes, the Dolphins “have had at least some level of communication” with two “veteran free agent starting” offensive guards, and they’ve also talked with a player who profiles as a part-timer. However, the Dolphins are prepared to see how things unfold in the draft before they make an addition at the position.

As Jackson writes, Isaiah Wynn is in the driver’s seat to start at left guard. On the other side, the team could be eyeing some competition for the likes of Liam Eichenberg, Robert Jones, Lester Cotton, and Jack Driscoll.

Former CB Vontae Davis Dies At 35

April 1st, 2024 at 2:06pm CST by Sam Robinson

Vontae Davis, who played 10 NFL seasons as a cornerback, has died. He was 35. Davis was found at a Southwest Ranches, Florida, residence, according to Julian Quintana of 7News.

Personnel from the Broward County Medical Examiners Office, along with Davie Police, were at the scene Monday. No foul play is believed to have been involved, according to police, though a death investigation is underway, 7News reports. The Southwest Ranches home is owned by Davis’ grandmother.

Jim Irsay has confirmed Davis’ death, calling the former Colts cornerback a “great guy, teammate and player.” The younger brother of former tight end Vernon Davis, Vontae played for the Dolphins, Colts and Bills from 2009-18. He spent most of his time in Miami and Indianapolis, becoming a Pro Bowler after being traded to the Colts.

The Dolphins used a first-round pick on Davis in 2009, selecting him 25th overall out of Illinois. Entering the NFL four years after his brother, Vontae played three seasons in Miami. He started 36 games for the Dolphins but ended up a Colt during training camp in 2012. Joe Philbin‘s first Dolphins season produced a memorable Hard Knocks segment in which Davis trade negotiations unfolded. The Colts ended up acquiring the talented corner for a 2013 second-round pick and a conditional selection that did not end up conveying.

The Colts did not extend Davis immediately, waiting until the 2014 free agency period to re-sign him. That decision paid off. Davis re-signed on a four-year, $36MM deal and continued his run as a starter with the team. Indianapolis deployed Davis as a starter in 76 games, never using him as a backup. This stretch led to Pro Bowl invites in 2014 and 2015.

Davis was a key starter during the Colts’ early Andrew Luck years, helping the team win three playoff games — including a 28-point comeback over the Chiefs in the 2013 wild-card round. Davis made a big impact in the 2014 playoffs, breaking up seven passes as the Colts toppled the Bengals and Broncos en route to the AFC championship game. That wrapped a memorable season for the accomplished CB. Pro Football Focus viewed Davis as a dominant corner in 2014, ranking him first overall at the position that year. His 93.3 grade doubles as the best cornerback season the advanced metrics website has graded in its existence, which spans back to the mid-2000s. Davis intercepted four passes that year and broke up 18.

Signing with the Bills in 2018, Davis memorably retired at halftime of his first game with Buffalo. He told his position coach he was done just before the half in the Bills’ ’18 opener. That abruptly concluded a career that included 22 interceptions, 97 pass breakups and 113 starts.

AFC East Notes: Tua, Jets, Patriots, Miller

March 30th, 2024 at 12:49pm CST by Ben Levine

We previously heard that both the Dolphins and quarterback Tua Tagovailoa were hoping for speedy negotiations on an extension. However, it sounds like the two sides are temporarily pumping the brakes on a potential deal.

Daniel Oyefusi of The Miami Herald writes that while Tagovailoa’s next contract is the most “consequential matter” in Miami, it isn’t the most pressing. A source also made it clear that an agreement isn’t imminent and there’s “no rush” to finalize a deal.

When we last heard about the impending negotiations, there was a general sentiment that neither the Dolphins nor Tagovailoa wanted the extension talks to hang over training camp, much less the regular season. The two sides could simply be delaying talks until after free agency and the draft, which would still provide an ample amount of time to negotiate before practices start.

The former first-round pick is currently slated to play the 2024 season on a $23.17MM salary via the fifth-year option. Tua is coming off a career year where he set career highs in passing yards (4,624), touchdowns (29), and completion percentage (69.3). He also managed to get into all 17 games, a significant accomplishment after he missed 14 contests through his first three years in the NFL due to injuries and concussions.

More notes out of the AFC East…

The Jets recently added Mike Williams to their receivers room, but with the former Charger coming off a torn ACL, he won’t immediately be seen on the practice field. GM Joe Douglas told reporters that Williams will not be ready for the start of training camp, but there’s optimism that he’ll be good to go for Week 1 (per SNY’s Connor Hughes). Williams himself echoed that sentiment, telling ESPN’s Adam Schefter that it’s his goal to be ready for the regular season opener.
Two more Jets injury updates, both coming on the offensive line. After being limited to five games last season thanks to an Achilles injury, guard Alijah Vera-Tucker is expected to be ready for the start of the regular season, coach Robert Saleh told reporters (via team reporter Caroline Hendershot). Meanwhile, new addition (and old friend) Morgan Moses revealed that he played through most of last season with a torn pec, telling the team’s website that he’s looking forward “to having two arms this year.”
While the Patriots have been busy re-signing their own free agents, the new regime is making it clear that they’re not following the same formula as Bill Belichick. ESPN’s Mike Reiss points to the recent release of special teams ace Chris Board, “who was a Belichick favorite.” While the former head coach/chief decision maker used to invest in top-of-the-market deals for key ST players, Reiss notes that new head coach Jerod Mayo and de facto GM Eliot Wolf “appear less willing.” Reiss also points to defensive back Myles Bryant, who “lost a top advocate in Belichick.” After spending the past four seasons in New England, Bryant remains unsigned, and the Patriots are only willing to bring him back if his salary is reflective of a “depth player” vs. a “key cog.”
After Von Miller was arrested on a domestic violence charge, the NFL considered suspending the Bills linebacker. However, commissioner Roger Goodell told reporters (including ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler) that a suspension “was not appropriate based on the facts,” although the case remains under review by the NFL. Miller told reporters in December that the allegations were “100% false.”

Dolphins, RB Raheem Mostert Agree To Extension

March 30th, 2024 at 8:40am CST by Adam La Rose

MARCH 30: The deal is official, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Mostert inked a new two-year deal worth $9.075MM.

MARCH 29: Coming off by far the most productive season of his career, Dolphins running back Raheem Mostert has been rewarded with a revised contract. Team and player have agreed to a new deal which includes one year being added onto the existing pact, as announced by agent Brett Tessler.

Mostert will now be on the books through the 2025 season. Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports the pact has a maximum value of just over $9MM. That represents a significant raise compared to his previously scheduled compensation for 2024, while ensuring the Pro Bowler remains in Miami for at least two more years.

The 31-year-old was due to earn $2.75MM this season, which would have represented a bargain for the Dolphins considering his play last year. His $3.36MM cap charge will be lowered, per the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson. Mostert topped 1,000 rushing yards for the first time in his career in 2023, and he led the NFL with 18 touchdowns on the ground. He added another three scores in the passing game, proving to be a key weapon in Miami’s No. 1 ranked offense.

Mostert was among the league’s journeymen at the running back spot prior to his lengthy 49ers tenure. In San Francisco, he operated in a rotational role while showing efficiency in Kyle Shanahan‘s scheme. During his time in the Bay Area, the former UDFA also worked with Mike McDaniel, and the pair continued their relationship with Miami in 2022. That year, Mostert ran for 891 yards, earning him a new deal as a result.

The Dolphins continued a committee approach heading into 2023, though rookie De’Von Achane proved to be worthy of a large role when healthy. He averaged 7.8 yards per carry, showing his high-end speed in the process; Mostert, by contrast, checked in with an average of 4.8 yards per attempt. That essentially matches his mark from the previous season, so despite his age a renewed commitment should not be considered a particularly risky move on the team’s part.

In addition to Mostert and Achane, Miami has Jeff Wilson and Salvon Ahmed under contract in the backfield. Each of the latter two backs are only on the books for 2024, though, and neither would incur a notable dead cap charge if traded or released this offseason. While they face an uncertain future, the top of the Dolphins’ RB depth chart will be secure for two more seasons.

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