Ethan Bonner

Dolphins Notes: McDaniel, Chubb, CBs, TEs

The Dolphins gave Mike McDaniel an extension just before last season, but the team’s progress has stalled. Although McDaniel is the only Dolphins coach to engineer back-to-back playoff berths since Dave Wannstedt in the early 2000s, the team’s disappointing 8-9 record last season — as relationships with Jalen Ramsey and Tyreek Hill deteriorated — brought signs of trouble for the three-year Miami HC.

Entering his fourth season, McDaniel is a respectable 28-23. He played the lead role in revitalizing Tua Tagovailoa, while the QB’s concussion issues have been the chief factor in limiting McDaniel’s offense, which fell from second in 2023 (when Tagovailoa started 17 games) to 22nd in 2024 (11 Tua starts). Regardless of how this situation has reached this point, some execs around the league view McDaniel as a candidate to be the first coach fired this year, the Washington Post’s Jason La Canfora notes.

The atypical HC personality is responsible for numerous memorable quotes during his tenure, but his style is among the reasons Ramsey wanted out. One anonymous GM described the Miami situation to La Canfora as a “ticking time bomb” and referred to the Dolphins letting Ramsey and Hill “walk all over them.”

That may be more on GM Chris Grier than McDaniel, as the veteran exec handed both lucrative contracts — Ramsey’s an extension, Hill’s a reworking — despite multiple seasons remaining on each’s previous deal. Neither contract thus far has worked out. Hill slogged through an injury-plagued season that ended turbulently — via the mercurial wideout’s trade request he eventually took back — while Ramsey maneuvered his way out after not justifying Grier’s extension. The Dolphins are eating a non-QB-record $35.86MM in dead money — spread across this year and next — from the Ramsey trade.

McDaniel’s extension runs through the 2028 season, but teams — as the Cardinals and Titans showed in the not-too-distant past — have shown they will pull the plug and eat coaching guarantees if the operation is flailing. In seeing the Dolphins as too player-friendly — a topic we covered in a Trade Rumors Front Office post earlier this year, as Grier also gave in to Xavien Howard‘s contract demands with multiple years left on his deal back in 2021 — many (via La Canfora) compared this Dolphins situation to Robert Saleh‘s Jets setup last year.

Like Woody Johnson, Stephen Ross has seen his influence — via the Tom Brady/Sean Payton tampering penalty and Brian Flores‘ tanking allegation — cause issues. And the Ramsey trade has accompanied a number of Hill offseason comments. McDaniel admonished Hill in April but indicated he still wanted the wideout back. That is a situation to monitor, but the Dolphins may need to start fast in order for McDaniel — and possibly Grier — to justify remaining at the helm.

Like Ramsey, the Dolphins have not seen Bradley Chubb justify a trade investment. Ramsey only cost the team a third-round pick and tight end Hunter Long, but Chubb brought first- and fourth-round picks to the Broncos. The 2018 first-rounder missed all of last season with the ACL tear he sustained in Week 17 of the 2023 campaign. While Chubb is ready to return this season, the Dolphins gave the talented edge rusher a pay cut. Chubb will probably need to take another “massive” cut in 2026 if he is to avoid cap-casualty status, per the Miami Herald’s Omar Kelly.

Chubb, 29, is now on a three-year, $54.49MM deal — one carrying only $8.7MM guaranteed. Chubb is due a $19.45MM 2026 base salary. The Dolphins would take on $23.86MM in dead money by cutting Chubb in 2026; that could be spread over two years via a post-June 1 designation. Grier used a post-June 1 cut to drop Howard and Byron Jones recently; the Dolphins also waited until after June 1 to trade Ramsey for cap purposes.

Elsewhere on Miami’s defense, a team with already-questionable cornerback talent lost Kader Kohou and Artie Burns for the season. Storm Duck and Kendall Sheffield started Miami’s first preseason game, and while the Herald’s Barry Jackson labels Duck as safe to make the 53-man roster, Sheffield could go from preseason starter to cut. Seemingly standing as a 50-50 proposition, Sheffield would be a wildly unusual Week 1 starter since he has not started a game since 2020. The Dolphins signed him to a one-year, $1.17MM deal in May.

The Dolphins also signed Jack Jones as a boundary option, though the former Patriots and Raiders starter has been waived twice in three years. Jones joined second-year UDFA Ethan Bonner as the second-teamers in Miami’s preseason opener. Cam Smith also factors in here, but he has barely played since being a 2023 second-round pick.

On offense, the Dolphins still have trade acquisition Darren Waller on the active/PUP list as he works his way back into shape following a 2024 retirement. Julian Hill, a former UDFA who started 11 games last season, had still been viewed as the frontrunner to start at tight end, per Jackson, but low-cost addition Pharaoh Brown is pushing him for that status. Julian Hill caught 12 passes for 100 yards last season. Brown, an eight-year vet, has never topped 210 yards in a season. Without Waller, the Dolphins — who traded Jonnu Smith to the Steelers in the Ramsey/Minkah Fitzpatrick swap — have a bleak-looking TE situation.

DB Notes: Lassiter, Texans, Colts, Simmons, Davis, Lions, Chiefs, Dolphins, Hawks, Jags

The Texans showed interest in re-signing Steven Nelson this offseason, but the two-year Houston starter ended up retiring. Houston has identified another clear candidate to start opposite Derek Stingley. The defending AFC South champions are prepared to roll with second-rounder Kamari Lassiter as their No. 2 cornerback. Not much drama exists here, with KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson indicating Lassiter has worked with Houston’s first-team defense since the offseason program. Although Lassiter sustained an ankle injury earlier during training camp, the No. 42 overall pick reclaimed his starter post — ahead of former first-rounders Jeff Okudah and C.J. Henderson — and will be expected to work in tandem with Stingley.

For a young guy to come in and not be noticed a lot for doing something negative, everything has been positive with Kamari,” Texans HC DeMeco Ryans said. “He’s exactly the guy we saw from the Georgia film.”

Here is the latest from several other DB situations:

  • The Chiefs still need to decide on a No. 2 corner opposite Trent McDuffie. Long known for moving on from corners after one contract (as they most recently did with L’Jarius Sneed), the Chiefs have a few options — most acquired in 2022. Fourth- and seventh-round picks from that draft Joshua Williams and Jaylen Watson, who played extensively last year, lead the way. No one has seized the job, per The Athletic’s Nate Taylor, who has 2022 seventh-rounder Nazeeh Johnson, rookie sixth-rounder Kamal Hadden and former Cowboys second-rounder Kelvin Joseph making the team as well (subscription required). Versatile performer Chamarri Conner, a 2023 fourth-rounder, will be in the mix at corner, but Andy Reid said (via Taylor) this could be a rotation into the season.
  • Justin Simmons accepted a one-year, $7.5MM Falcons deal. That price being so far beyond what other veteran safeties commanded confirms a decent market formed for the perennial All-Pro. The Colts‘ questions in the secondary did not lead them into this chase, however, with the Indianapolis Star’s Nate Atkins indicating the team did not make the ex-Bronco an offer. Former third-rounder Nick Cross, recently re-signed veteran Ronnie Harrison and third-year performer Rodney Thomas have rotated in alongside Julian Blackmon in camp. Colts assistant GM Ed Dodds said no safety moves are anticipated.
  • Seeing his three-year contract traded from the Buccaneers to the Lions, Carlton Davis remains scheduled to be a 2025 free agent. Davis will be 27 for most of this season, which should give him a decent market — should no Detroit extension be reached in the meantime — come March. A new agency will be representing the former second-rounder for his next negotiation. Davis is joining Athletes First, per a recent announcement.
  • Jalen Ramsey and Kendall Fuller will start on the boundary for the Dolphins, with former UDFA success story Kader Kohou in place as Miami’s slot defender. Despite Cam Smith being a second-round pick, the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson notes Ethan Bonner — a 2023 UDFA who has stood out in training camp — is the frontrunner to be Miami’s top backup CB. Bonner, who recently returned from a concussion sustained in camp, played only 11 defensive snaps last season. While Smith recently came back after missing nearly three weeks due to injury, ESPN.com’s Marcel Louis-Jacques adds he is week-to-week after sustaining another injury against the Commanders. Despite playing 15 games last season, Smith only saw 20 defensive snaps.
  • The base value on Julian Love‘s second Seahawks contract checks in at $33MM, per OverTheCap. The three-year deal includes $11.97MM guaranteed at signing and dropped Love’s cap number by just more than $1.6MM. Option bonuses (worth a combined $4.8MM) are in place to keep the cap hits lower, with both Love’s 2024 and ’25 cap figures coming in at just over $6MM. Love’s 2025 base salary ($1.2MM) is guaranteed for injury and will shift to a full guarantee five days after Super Bowl LIX, ESPN.com’s Brady Henderson tweets.
  • The JaguarsTashaun Gipson reunion pact is worth $2.55MM, Wilson tweets. It comes with $525K guaranteed. The Jags will still be shorthanded at safety for a while. In addition to Gipson’s six-week suspension, Doug Pederson said (via ESPN.com’s Michael DiRocco) Andrew Wingard‘s recent knee injury will sideline him for at least a few games.

NFL Reserve/Futures Contracts: 1/15/24

With a handful of teams getting eliminated from the playoffs this weekend, those front offices are starting to prepare for the offseason. Here are today’s reserve/futures deals, with the majority coming from recently eliminated squads:

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

Minor NFL Transactions: 1/13/24

Today’s transactions and callups for the Saturday night and Sunday games:

Dallas Cowboys

Green Bay Packers

Kansas City Chiefs

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

The three-game limit for practice squad players to be elevated under a single contract is reset in the playoffs, allowing players who weren’t able to be activated anymore by the end of the year to return in the coming weeks.

Packers starting cornerback Jaire Alexander injured his ankle this week in practice, leading to his current questionable status. Long will be elevated to provide some depth in the off chance that Alexander is unable to go versus the Cowboys.

Dolphins Activate LB Jerome Baker From IR, Place OLB Bradley Chubb On IR

After spending the requisite four games on injured reserve, linebacker Jerome Baker has been activated off of IR by the Dolphins in time for a pivotal Week 18 matchup against the division rival Bills. With Baker’s activation, Miami has now utilized all of their eight allotted IR activations for the year. In order to make room on the active roster, outside linebacker Bradley Chubb has officially been moved to IR following last week’s unfortunate ACL tear.

A sixth-year Dolphins linebacker, Baker has been out since suffering an MCL injury in early December. The Dolphins gave Baker a three-year, $37.5MM extension in 2021, a deal that runs through the 2024 season. Baker has been a starter since his rookie season, making 82 starts for the team that drafted him in the 2018 third round out of Ohio State. Duke Riley had been filling in for Baker during his four-week absence. Riley will likely come off the bench for Miami tomorrow, perhaps playing a bit more than earlier in the season if the Dolphins want to ease Baker in.

In addition to the above two roster moves, the Dolphins have announced their two standard gameday practice squad elevations for tomorrow. The more noteworthy of the two elevations is veteran pass rusher Melvin Ingram. At 34 years old, Ingram has essentially been a nonfactor in his 12th NFL season, only being elevated in two games so far this year. Perhaps with the combined absences of Chubb and Jaelan Phillips, Ingram could finally see a decent chunk of playing time in 2023.

Joining Ingram off the practice squad for the week will be cornerback Ethan Bonner. Bonner, an undrafted rookie out of Stanford, will also have the opportunity to appear in his third game of the season.

Minor NFL Transactions: 12/23/23

Saturday’s gameday elevations and other minor moves around the league:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys 

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Indianapolis Colts

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New York Jets

Seattle Seahawks

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

The Bills will not have depth running back Ty Johnson available for tonight’s game, leading to the decision to elevate Fournette. The former Super Bowl champion will thus make his Buffalo debut, although with lead back James Cook in the lineup, Fournette will likely not receive many looks on offense. The latter has already returned a kickoff for the first time in his career, however.

Signed to the Dolphins’ practice squad last week, Ingram will also make his 2023 debut in Week 16. The 34-year-old last played during his Miami stint in 2022, during which time he started three games and recorded six sacks. With Jaelan Phillips out for the year, Ingram will look to once again give the Dolphins a rotational presence off the edge.

Minor NFL Transactions: 12/16/23

Today’s minor transactions and standard gameday elevations for the Sunday slate of games:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Kansas City Chiefs

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

New York Jets

San Francisco 49ers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

Wilkinson returned to practice this week, and will be eligible to return to the lineup on Sunday given today’s activation. The addition of a starter up front will be welcomed by the Cardinals by giving them stability at the left guard spot in particular and by providing an upgrade in protection ahead of a matchup against the stout 49ers defensive front in general. The Cardinals now have four IR activations remaining.

Street was acquired from the Eagles at the trade deadline after he failed to find playing time this season. The 27-year-old has started all five of his appearances in Atlanta, however, racking up 14 tackles (including four for a loss) and one sack. Those numbers will help his free agent market this offseason, but a pectoral injury will sideline him for at least four weeks. If the Falcons fall short of the postseason, therefore, Street will not return in 2023.

McCain was a full-time starter with the Commanders over the past two seasons, but his release led to a one-year Giants agreement. The former fifth-rounder has 87 starts to his name, but he has been unable to carve out a role in New York’s secondary, playing only 19 defensive snaps. McCain has logged a 50% snap share on special teams, however, so his absence in the third phase will be notable if he is claimed off waivers or signed as a free agent by an interested team.

Wednesday NFL Transactions: AFC East

Following the 53-man roster cutdown deadline Tuesday, many teams will make slight tweaks to their rosters. In addition to waiver claims, teams can begin constructing their 16-man practice squads today. These BillsDolphinsJets and Patriots moves are noted below.

Buffalo Bills

Signed:

Claimed:

Waived:

Signed to practice squad:

Placed on IR:

Miami Dolphins

Signed:

Claimed:

Waived:

Signed to practice squad:

New England Patriots

Claimed:

Waived:

Signed to practice squad:

New York Jets

Signed: 

Claimed:

Waived:

Signed to practice squad:

Placed on IR:

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:

Waived:

Waived/injured:

Placed on reserve/PUP:

Placed on IR:

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).

Minor NFL Transactions: 7/25/23

With a number of teams preparing for the start of training camp, a long list of players were placed on inactive lists today. We’ve compiled all of those and today’s other minor moves below:

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills

Chicago Bears

Cincinnati Bengals

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Las Vegas Raiders

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

Philadelphia Eagles

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Washington Commanders

Free Agents

Isaiah Wilson hasn’t had an NFL gig since he was released by the Giants in January of 2022. NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero tweets that the free agent lineman was slapped with a three-game suspension, but it’s uncertain what led to the temporary ban. Wilson was a first-round pick by the Titans in 2020 but got into only one game with Tennessee before getting shipped off to Miami. He was waived by Miami after showing up late to his team physical, and his practice squad stint with New York only lasted one season.

Max Garcia is an experienced addition to the Saints OL room, with the veteran having most recently started seven of his 12 appearances with the Cardinals in 2022. The 31-year-old has 59 games of starting experience, although Pro Football Focus was iffy on his production last year (63rd among 77 qualifying offensive guards).

Following a three-year stint in Cleveland, Terrance Mitchell has spent the past two seasons bouncing around the NFL. He got into 14 games (13 starts) for the Texans in 2021, finishing with 60 tackles and 10 passes defended. He spent the 2022 season with the Titans, finishing with 39 tackles in 11 games (five starts). 49ers fifth-round pick Darrell Luter Jr. is set to miss some time with a knee injury, providing Mitchell with an opportunity during training camp.