Dolphins Reduce Roster To 53 Players
The Dolphins began trimming their roster yesterday, cutting 14 players. That made today’s daunting task a bit more bearable, but the team still had to cut a number of players to get to the 53-player roster limit:
Released:
- CB Justin Bethel
- DT Da’Shawn Hand
- TE Tyler Kroft
- CB Parry Nickerson
- OT Cedric Ogbuehi
- DB Jamal Perry
- LB Malik Reed
Waived:
- CB Ethan Bonner
- TE Tanner Conner
- LB Cameron Goode
- OT Ryan Hayes
- TE Elijah Higgins
- WR Braylon Sanders
- CB Bryce Thompson
- OL Alama Uluave
- CB Trill Williams
Waived/injured:
Placed on reserve/PUP:
- CB Nik Needham
Placed on IR:
- DB Keion Crossen
- TE Eric Saubert
Nik Needham, a 2019 UDFA out of UTEP, has spent his entire career with the Dolphins, appearing in 51 games (27 starts). He started five of his six appearances in 2022 before landing on IT in October with a torn Achilles tendon. His placement on PUP means he can’t make his season debut until at least Week 5.
Tight end Tyler Kroft signed with the Dolphins back in May, but the veteran was unable to beat our younger options for a roster spot. Kroft has seen time in 92 career games (52 starts), hauling in 105 catches for 1,081 yards and 13 touchdowns. He spent the 2022 campaign with the 49ers, collecting four receptions in 11 games (four starts).
Dolphins To Release RB Myles Gaskin
The Dolphins have been connected to a number of running back additions this offseason, but they are beginning the deadline for roster cutdowns with a subtraction at the position. Myles Gaskin is being released, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. 
Miami has been pegged as a landing spot for a number of high-profile backs in recent months, but the team retained its backfield options during free agency. That process included re-signing Gaskin on a veteran minimum deal in March. The pact included no guaranteed money, so his roster security was a talking point through training camp and the preseason. The Dolphins will save just over $975K in cap space with this move.
Gaskin joined the Dolphins as a seventh-round pick in 2019. He saw limited action as a rookie, but took on a much larger role the following year with 183 total touches. His production in the passing game (388 receiving yards) led to increased expectations for future seasons, but that has not materialized as hoped. The 26-year-old averaged just 3.5 yards per carry while working as the starter for much of 2021, and that figure fell to 2.6 in limited action last year.
If Gaskin has made the Dolphins’ 53-man roster, he thus would have done so in a depth capacity behind the likes of Jeff Wilson, Raheem Mostert and third-round rookie Devon Achane. Salvon Ahmed, like Gaskin, has frequently been mentioned as a trade or cut candidate during the offseason. Today’s news could help his chances of remaining with the team, although it would be somewhat surprising if the Dolphins elected to keep four running backs on the active roster to start the season.
The Dolphins did not work out a trade or free agent deal for Dalvin Cook, but they are the suitor most frequently mentioned as a destination for Jonathan Taylor if the Colts elect to trade the former rushing champion. Nothing is imminent on that front as talks continue, but for now Miami’s backfield situation is a bit clearer.
Dolphins To Trade OL Dan Feeney To Bears
Dan Feeney is on the move again. The former third-round pick, who signed with the Dolphins this offseason, will not be part of their 53-man roster. Instead, the Bears will acquire him via trade.
The Dolphins and Bears agreed on the deal Monday night, Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune tweets. Dolphins Wire’s Jason Sarney initially reported Biggs was Windy City-bound. This will be Feeney’s fourth NFL team. He played out his rookie deal with the Chargers and spent the past two seasons with the Jets.
Despite the Dolphins guaranteeing Feeney $3.13MM this offseason, they will use him to acquire an asset. Miami will pick up a sixth-rounder from Chicago in this swap, Jason Lieser of the Chicago Sun-Times reports. Miami has Robert Hunt, Liam Eichenberg and Isaiah Wynn stationed at guard and Connor Williams at center. Although the team lost Michael Deiter in free agency and dealt with rampant injury trouble along its O-line last season, Feeney will still be shipped out. Feeney had not made a serious push for a starting job, the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson tweets.
In Chicago, Feeney will have a better opportunity for playing time. Left guard Teven Jenkins is set to miss early-season time due to a leg injury. At full strength, the Bears have Jenkins set to team with Cody Whitehair and Nate Davis. Whitehair is moving back to center this season, with the Bears having signed Davis. While Lucas Patrick looms as a possible Jenkins replacement, Lieser notes the Bears have slid Whitehair back to guard to fill in for Jenkins. Feeney, 29, brings considerable experience at guard as well, and Patrick and Davis have each missed some time recently due to injury.
The Chargers used Feeney as a guard starter for most of his Los Angeles run. The Indiana alum displayed durability with the Bolts, starting 16 games in each season from 2018-20. The Chargers moved on in 2021, signing Matt Feiler. The Jets did not use Feeney as a regular starter. While Feeney continued his run of good health in New York, missing only one game, he only started seven. Still, Feeney will bring plenty of experience to a Bears team that has seen its revamped O-line take an early hit.
This will be a homecoming for Feeney, who is a Chicago-area native. The Bears came into Monday night with just more than $12MM in cap space. After showing potential as a guard last season, Jenkins will not be able to mount an immediate follow-up. The injury he sustained could sideline him for around six weeks. Chicago cut Alex Leatherwood, after claiming him just after cutdown day last year, but still rosters 2022 seventh-round pick Ja’Tyre Carter as a backup option inside.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/28/23
We are less than 24 hours from the deadline for NFL teams to trim their rosters to 53 players. Here are the latest moves teams have made as they pare their squads down toward the in-season limit:
Baltimore Ravens
- Released: DB DeAndre Houston-Carson
- Waived: DT Trey Botts, DB Kaieem Caesar, WR Dontay Demus, OL Jake Guidone, DB Corey Mayfield, LB Kelle Sanders
Chicago Bears
- Waived: LB Kuony Deng, OL Gabe Houy, LB Buddy Johnson, TE Jared Pinkney, WR Joe Reed, TE Jake Tonges
Cleveland Browns
- Placed on reserve/NFI list: G Drew Forbes
- Released: G Wes Martin
Dallas Cowboys
- Released: DE Ben Banogu
Denver Broncos
- Waived: ILB Austin Ajiake
Detroit Lions
- Waived: OL Connor Galvin, CB Chase Lucas
Indianapolis Colts
- Waived: LB Donavan Mutin, DT Caleb Sampson, OL Dakoda Shepley
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Waived: WR Kevin Austin, FB Derek Parish, QB Nathan Rourke
Los Angeles Chargers
- Waived: LB Tae Crowder, QB Max Duggan
Los Angeles Rams
- Waived: LB Kelechi Anyalebechi, WR Braxton Burmeister, DB Timarcus Davis, DB Tyon Davis, DB Vincent Gray, WR Tyler Hudson, DB Tanner Ingle, DB Jordan Jones, G Sean Maginn, WR Lance McCutcheon, TE Camren McDonald, TE Christian Sims, DT Taron Vincent
- Waived/injured: LB Ryan Smenda
Miami Dolphins
- Released from IR via injury settlement: DB Tino Ellis
Minnesota Vikings
- Released: LB Jake Gervase
- Waived: DL Calvin Avery, CB Kalon Barnes, CB C.J. Coldon, T Christian DiLauro, CB Jameson Houston, WR Garett Maag, RB Abram Smith, OL Josh Sokol, QB Jordan Ta’amu, TE Colin Thompson
- Waived/injured: CB Tay Gowan
New England Patriots
- Waived: P Corliss Waitman
New Orleans Saints
- Waived: LB Nick Anderson, WR Kawaan Baker, FB Jake Bargas, DT Prince Emili
New York Giants
- Waived/injured: G Jack Anderson, G Wyatt Davis, DB Zyon Gilbert
- Placed on IR: TE Chris Myarick
New York Jets
- Released: CB Craig James, OL Greg Senat, LB Pita Taumoepenu
- Placed on IR: CB Jimmy Moreland
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Released: OL Le’Raven Clark
- Waived: OL William Dunkle, S Jalen Elliott, RB Darius Hagans, CB Lavert Hill, DL Manny Jones, QB Tanner Morgan, LB Tanner Muse, LB Toby Ndukwe, S Kenny Robinson
Seattle Seahawks
- Waived: CB Arquon Bush, TE Griffin Hebert, WR Tyjon Lindsey, T Jalen McKenzie, T Liam Ryan
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Waived: WR Taye Barber, LB Brandon Bouyer-Randle, RB Ronnie Brown, DB Anthony Chesley, TE Dominique Dafney, WR Kaylon Geiger, WR Cephus Johnson, WR Ryan Miller, OL John Molchon, OL Michael Niese, T Raiqwon O’Neal, DL Willington Previlon, DL Deadrin Senat, S Nolan Turner, WR Kade Warner, CB Rodarius Williams, S Aaron Young
Tennessee Titans
- Waived: TE Alize Mack, DB Josh Thompson, RB Jonathan Ward
- Placed on IR: RB Hassan Haskins
Colts, Dolphins Continue Jonathan Taylor Trade Talks
7:09pm: Although this reported deadline looms in less than 24 hours, the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson notes this should be considered a loose deadline. The actual trade deadline is Oct. 31. It would certainly be interesting to see how the Colts play this if they do not unload Taylor by Tuesday afternoon, but Jackson and ESPN’s Adam Schefter note the AFC South team is operating methodically here. The Colts are not believed to be close to a trade.
12:10pm: Ian Rapoport of NFL.com said on the Pat McAfee Show that he expects a Taylor trade to be consummated (video link). He echoes Holder’s report that there is at least one other team in the mix, though he cannot say for sure what team it is. Meanwhile, Outkick’s Armando Salguero reports (via Jackson) that no team has of yet been willing to offer a first-round pick for Taylor.
10:06am: Plenty of attention is aimed at roster cuts during this time of year, but the Jonathan Taylor situation remains a key talking point as well. The former rushing champion’s status as a member of the Colts is still in doubt ahead of the team-imposed deadline for a trade to be worked out. 
Indianapolis granted Taylor permission to seek out a trade partner one week ago, marking the latest point in his fractured relationship with the team which drafted him in 2020. Taylor has long been seeking a fresh start, but the Colts will understandably demand a high price to seriously consider a deal. They are believed to be seeking either a first-round pick or a package similar to what the 49ers paid for Christian McCaffrey last year.
The team most closely connected to a Taylor deal so far has been the Dolphins. Miami and Indianapolis have already engaged in trade talks, and ESPN’s Stephen Holder notes that they continue to do so at this point. This situation could, as he adds, come right down to tomorrow afternoon’s deadline for 53-man rosters to be finalized. The Dolphins are not alone in their pursuit of the 24-year-old, however.
Holder notes that a second team is in trade talks on Taylor, which could certainly boost the Colts’ chances of seeing their asking price met. Multiple teams have long been thought to be willing to at least entertain trade negotiations, including the Bears and Broncos. It remains to be seen if those clubs have submitted an offer, but it comes as little surprise that the Dolphins appear to be a serious suitor.
Miami has been connected to numerous high-profile backs this offseason, including, most notably, Dalvin Cook. The Dolphins were close to working out a trade which would have sent the ex-Viking to his hometown team, but he instead wound up signing with the Jets. Like Cook, Taylor would comfortably move to the top of the team’s RB depth chart if acquired; they currently roster returnees Jeff Wilson, Raheem Mostert, Myles Gaskin and Salvon Ahmed, along with third-round rookie Devon Achane.
Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reports that the Dolphins have already proposed multiple trade packages with the Colts on a potential Taylor deal. None of them have produced an agreement as of yet, perhaps due to the upside on Indianapolis’ part of stoking a bidding war between multiple interested parties. In any event, this storyline will remain one to watch closely over at least the next several hours.
Dolphins Begin Roster Trimming, Cut 14
Monday saw the Dolphins take a signficant step toward reaching 53 players on the active roster in time for tomorrow’s deadline. Here are the team’s latest round of cuts, including three players who were released and 11 who were waived:
- T Geron Christian
- WR Keke Coutee
- LB Alexander Johnson
- LB Mitchell Agude
- QB James Blackman
- DT Josiah Bronson
- DE Randy Charlton
- WR Chris Coleman
- LB Aubrey Miller
- LB Garrett Nelson
- S Keidron Smith
- T James Tunstall
- DT Jaylen Twyman
- DT Jamal Woods
Coutee attempted to land a depth spot with the Saints this offseason, but his release put an end to that endeavor. He was quickly signed by the Dolphins, but he will remain with the team only via the practice squad ahead of Week 1. Johnson, like Woods, was signed very recently in depth moves which gave each player an opportunity to earn a roster spot at the conclusion of the preseason. In both of their cases, that has not happened.
Dolphins Release LB Malik Reed
The Dolphins have released linebacker Malik Reed, as ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. Reed signed with the club in March.
Reed started his career in Denver, joining the Broncos as an undrafted free agent out of Nevada in 2019. In the defense installed by then-head coach Vic Fangio, Reed quickly made an impact, tallying his first sack by Week 4 of his rookie season and going on to start the next eight games. His strongest season came the following year, when he and Bradley Chubb formed a dynamic pass rushing duo that generated 15.5 sacks (Reed led the team with eight sacks, and Chubb was right behind him with 7.5).
Unfortunately, he fell off a bit in 2021, as he posted just five sacks and was regarded by Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics as the 89th-best edge defender out of 110 qualifiers. Fangio was dismissed after that season, and Reed was dealt to the Steelers almost one year ago today.
Although PFF was kinder to Reed in 2022 than it was the year prior, he produced just one sack in 14 games, and he was forced to settle for a one-year, veteran minimum contract this offseason. He was always unlikely to become a starter for Miami, but there was a chance that Reed could rekindle some of his Mile High magic working under Fangio, who was hired as the ‘Fins defensive coordinator in February. Clearly, that will not happen, and Reed will instead search for a new employer.
Another team will surely take a flier on Reed given his past production and the general need for pass rushing talent, though he could be running out of opportunities.
Dolphins, DL Zach Sieler Agree To Extension
The Dolphins and defensive lineman Zach Sieler have agreed to a three-year contract extension, as ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. Per Schefter, the deal is worth up to $38.65MM and includes $20MM in guarantees. The NFL Network’s Cameron Wolfe says that the contract has a base value of $30.75MM and can top out at $35.7MM via incentives, so we will need to wait for a little more clarity with respect to Sieler’s maximum earnings. The reporters are in agreement on the $20MM guaranteed money figure.
Sieler, a seventh-round pick of the Ravens in 2018, is the last player that longtime Baltimore GM Ozzie Newsome drafted while at the top of the club’s personnel department. But like many Day 3 draftees, Sieler had a difficult time carving out a role for himself, and after appearing in just six games for the Ravens, he was waived in December 2019.
The Dolphins, who were in the midst of a rebuild at the time, claimed Sieler and gave him his first NFL start several weeks later. In that game, a victory over the Bengals, Sieler recorded his first career sack, along with seven total tackles and two passes defensed.
The Ferris State find built on that momentum the following year, and in November 2020, he landed a three-year, $8.58MM extension that ran through the 2023 season. That deal gave Sieler a little financial security, but it was also a buy-low transaction for the club, which was rewarded for its savvy waiver claim with over three years of a quality defensive lineman at a fairly modest cost.
In 2022, Sieler appeared in all 17 regular season games (15 starts). He set career-highs with a 77% snap share, 70 total tackles, four passes defensed, and two forced fumbles, and his 3.5 sacks matched his career-best total from 2020 (he also added two sacks, a fumble recovery, and a defensive touchdown in Miami’s postseason loss to the Bills). Pro Football Focus’ metrics considered him the 21st-best interior defender out of 127 qualifiers, and while PFF did not think highly of his pass rush work last season, it assigned him elite grades across the board in 2021, when it ranked him as the third-best interior DL in the league.
It stands to reason, then, that Sieler wanted a raise on the $2.5MM he was due to earn in the final year of his first Miami extension. Indeed, we heard in June that the soon-to-be 28-year-old was actively seeking a new contract, and player and team were able to come to terms before the start of a season in which the Dolphins are again expected to contend for a playoff berth.
Sieler’s fellow defensive lineman, Christian Wilkins, is pushing for his own lucrative extension, and he has staged a hold-in as part of his efforts to secure it. One wonders what type of impact, if any, the Sieler agreement will have on negotiations with Wilkins. While the Dolphins’ short-term salary cap outlook is less than ideal, the team did not supplement its D-line with any free agent signings or draft picks this year, and Miami generally takes care of the talent that Drew Rosenhaus represents (both Sieler and Wilkins are Rosenhaus clients).
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/25/23
Here are today’s minor moves heading into the final weekend of preseason games this year:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: C Cohl Cabral
Baltimore Ravens
- Waived from IR with injury settlement: WR Shemar Bridges
Buffalo Bills
- Released from IR with injury settlement: DE Shane Ray
Carolina Panthers
- Released from IR with injury settlement: WR Damiere Byrd
Houston Texans
- Signed: P Ty Zentner
- Waived: T Jacky Chen
- Released: CB Darius Phillips
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: DT Jamal Woods
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: CB Jameson Houston
- Waived: T Chim Okorafor
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Waived from IR with injury settlement: WR Hakeem Butler, WR Cody White
Ray’s unlikely return to the NFL will have to wait a bit longer, it seems. Having not appeared in an NFL regular season game since 2018, Ray’s opportunity in Buffalo has come to an end. His bid to play alongside former Broncos teammate Von Miller will fall short due to injury.
Zentner is likely a short-term signing for Houston, who lost punter Cameron Johnston to a tweaked calf. Johnston shouldn’t need long to get back to the field, but Zentner will be asked to fill in for the team’s preseason game against the Saints this weekend.
Dolphins Sign LB Alexander Johnson
Coaching ex-Bronco defenders Bradley Chubb and Malik Reed once again, Vic Fangio will reunite with another of his former Denver cogs. Alexander Johnson signed with the Dolphins on Thursday.
Like Chubb and Reed, Johnson, 31, was a regular throughout Fangio’s Denver stay. Fangio’s arrival soon led to a regular role for Johnson, who played alongside Josey Jewell for three seasons in Denver. A 2021 pectoral injury, however, stalled the off-ball linebacker’s momentum.
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Coming into the NFL at 26 due to an off-field issue, Johnson played in just one game as a rookie in 2018. Early in the 2019 season, Fangio inserted the Tennessee alum into the starting lineup to spark the Broncos’ run defense. Pro Football Focus graded Johnson as that season’s third-best off-ball ‘backer. In 2020, Johnson totaled a career-high 124 tackles. Between those two years, Johnson forced four fumbles.
Prior to his October 2021 pectoral tear, Johnson received a second-round RFA tender to stay in Denver. However, this injury and having turned 30 just before his first free agency bid effectively scuttled Johnson’s market. The Seahawks signed the former UDFA late last year but only used him in one game. The Dolphins will provide a late-summer opportunity. Teams must finalize their 53-man rosters by 3pm CT on Tuesday; they can begin assembling their practice squads the following day. Clubs can keep up to six vested veterans on their 16-man taxi squad.
The Dolphins signed David Long to play alongside Jerome Baker at linebacker. Duke Riley and Andrew Van Ginkel are likely locked into backup jobs, per the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson. Channing Tindall, a third-rounder last year, has not enjoyed a quality training camp, per Jackson, though it is unlikely the Dolphins give up on him after two offseasons. Though, Tindall only played nine defensive snaps last year.
In addition to the Johnson signing, the team waived linebacker Mike Rose and waived safety Myles Dorn with an injury designation Thursday.