TE Darren Waller Unlikely To Return To Dolphins; Team Extended Offer To TE Julian Hill
At present, the Dolphins’ tight end depth chart is topped by Greg Dulcich, and according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, the team is just fine with that arrangement. When asked to name the player he is most excited to see take a step forward in 2026, new GM Jon-Eric Sullivan identified Dulcich and said, “he had a really good back end to the season. I want to see if he can build on that. That’s why we brought him back.”
Dulcich, 26, is a former third-round pick of the Broncos who flashed in his rookie season in 2022, catching 33 passes for 411 yards and two scores. He compiled those stats in just 10 games, as he was forced to miss time due to a hamstring injury. Another hamstring ailment limited him to two contests in 2023, and he was a healthy scratch for the first eight games of the 2024 slate before Denver waived him.
Though the Giants claimed Dulcich off waivers, they utilized him on just 27 offensive snaps over five games and then jettisoned him during final roster cutdowns last August. The Dolphins added him to their taxi squad, and he was promoted to the active roster in late October as the corresponding move when fellow tight end Darren Waller was placed on injured reserve.
In 10 games (three starts) in 2025, Dulcich posted 26 catches for 335 yards and a touchdown. He continued to have a role in the offense even after Waller returned from IR, and as Sullivan indicated, the team’s new regime was intrigued enough to re-sign him (we did not provide contract details previously, but per OverTheCap.com, Dulcich’s deal is a one-year, $3.25MM pact, most of which is guaranteed).
Waller, meanwhile, is not expected back, as Jackson writes. Now 33, Waller came out of retirement last season, and the Dolphins acquired him via trade with the Giants, who still held his rights. As part of the trade, Waller signed a one-year, $5MM contract with the ‘Fins, but a hip injury pushed his Miami debut to Week 4, and then the above-referenced IR placement – which was triggered by a pectoral strain – cost him more time.
The 2020 Pro Bowler showed he still has something left in the tank, as he hauled in 24 passes for 284 yards and six touchdowns. On the other hand, health issues limited him to just nine games, and he expressed uncertainty about his playing future in December. If he does get another NFL deal, it appears it will not come from the Dolphins.
In more Dolphins TE news, Jackson says the team made an offer to Julian Hill in free agency. Prior to last year’s Waller acquisition, Hill seemed poised to operate as Miami’s top tight end, but he ended up taking a backseat to both Waller and Dulcich. The former UDFA caught 15 passes for 140 scoreless yards last season but was able to secure a three-year, $15MM deal ($7.5MM guaranteed) from the Patriots last month. According to Jackson, that offer was “much more lucrative” than the one the Dolphins extended.
Miami did add Ben Sims as a potential Hill replacement and also hosted NC State prospect Justin Joly on a predraft visit. Joly profiles as a late Day 2/early Day 3 talent.
Minor NFL Transactions: 3/9/26
Here are the minor move from a frenzied free agency first day:
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: CB Natrone Brooks, LB Christian Harris, DE Cameron Thomas
Buffalo Bills
- Re-signed: P Mitch Wishnowsky
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: CB Akayleb Evans, CB Robert Rochell
Houston Texans
- Signed: DE Dominique Robinson
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Re-signed: OLB Dennis Gardeck
- Released: TE Johnny Mundt
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed to two-year deal: K Matt Gay
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed: LS Joe Cardona
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: TE Greg Dulcich
New York Giants
- Signed: TE Chris Manhertz
New York Jets
- Signed: FB Andrew Beck
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: DL Esezi Otomewo
Dolphins To Designate TE Darren Waller To Return From IR
Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel said (via ESPN’s Marcel Louis-Jacques) that tight end Darren Waller will be designated to return from injured reserve this week.
Waller suffered a pectoral strain in Week 7 and landed on IR shortly after. After four games on the sidelines, he is now eligible to return to the field. This was his second absence this season; he missed Miami’s first three games due to a hip injury suffered in training camp.
In his three games before getting injured, Waller caught 10 of his 12 targets for 117 yards and four touchdowns. His averages of 39 yards. 1.3 touchdowns, and 3.3 receptions per game are the best numbers of any Dolphins tight end in the McDaniel era outside of Jonnu Smith. That makes sense considering the fact that Waller came out of retirement this offseason to replace Smith in Miami after he was traded to the Steelers as part of the Jalen Ramsey–Minkah Fitzpatrick swap.
Dolphins tight ends Julian Hill and Tanner Conner have offered precious little production this year, but Greg Dulcich has stepped up since taking Waller’s spot on the 53-man roster. He has eight catches for 89 yards in his last three games, but none of Miami’s TEs have scored a touchdown all season.
Waller will have 21 days to practice with the team before he must be activated to the 53-man roster or revert to season-ending IR.
Dolphins Place TE Darren Waller On IR
Darren Waller‘s unretirement produced an injury-driven delay, but once the former Pro Bowl tight end debuted, he made a difference for the Dolphins. That has proven short-lived.
Miami is placing Waller on IR, per NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero. The veteran pass catcher suffered a pectoral strain in Week 7, and he will miss at least four games. This certainly clouds Waller’s comeback year, as injuries have dogged him for a while now. Miami is signing Greg Dulcich off its practice squad to take Waller’s roster spot. Chris Myarick will take Dulcich’s P-squad spot, the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson tweets.
It took Waller until Week 4 to debut as a Dolphin; a hip strain kept him off the field for most of September. Upon finally returning to action, the former Raiders standout caught two touchdown passes in a Dolphins win over the Jets. Waller added a 78-yard performance the following week. In his first three games with Miami, Waller scored four touchdowns. That matched his combined total from the 2022 and ’23 seasons, but another setback will force a hiatus.
The Raiders found a gem in Waller during Jon Gruden‘s tenure, and the converted wide receiver did not miss a game during the 2019 or ’20 seasons. This brought back-to-back 1,100-yard years, and that production eventually keyed a raise just before the 2022 season. In 2021, however, Waller missed six contests. In 2022, the Josh McDaniels-Dave Ziegler regime was believed to have been frustrated by Waller’s slow recovery from a hamstring injury. Waller missed eight games that season, and the Raiders traded him to the Giants soon after. During his New York one-off, Waller missed five contests due to another hamstring issue.
Waller retired midway through the 2024 offseason, but shortly after the Dolphins traded Jonnu Smith to the Steelers, he reemerged from retirement to help out. Only seeking an NFL return in Miami, Waller signed a one-year, $2MM Dolphins deal with no guarantees. Being on Miami’s Week 1 roster led to that sum becoming guaranteed. But the Dolphins will not see their low-end trade flier provide much, as the 10th-year veteran will end up missing at least seven games with the team — and that is only if he returns from IR after the four-game minimum.
The Dolphins are down Waller and Tyreek Hill, leaving a host of unproven players around Jaylen Waddle for the 1-6 team. No other Dolphins wideout or tight end has more than 100 receiving yards. The team has not acted on Mike McDaniel yet, but it would seem the embattled leader is coaching for his job at this point. Outside of Smith’s 2024 showing, McDaniel has not seen much from his tight ends during his Miami stay. Another uphill battle appears in store at the position.
Giants’ Jameis Winston, Jalin Hyatt, Daniel Bellinger Drew Trade Interest
Giants wide receiver Jalin Hyatt, a third-round choice in 2023, played in over half of the team’s offensive snaps in his rookie year, but his workload was dramatically reduced last season. With Malik Nabers, Darius Slayton, and Wan’Dale Robinson ahead of him on the depth chart, Hyatt read the writing on the wall as early as last summer and suggested the Giants should trade him if they planned on using him in a reserve capacity.
At the time, Big Blue was unwilling to entertain the notion, and the club’s stance in that regard has not changed, even though the Nabers/Slayton/Robinson triumvirate remains. According to Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post, other teams checked in with the Giants about the possibility of acquiring Hyatt, who averaged 18.9 yards per catch and who scored 15 TDs in his final collegiate season at Tennessee (which is what encouraged New York to trade up for him in the 2023 draft).
General manager Joe Schoen rebuffed the outside interest and will continue to carry Hyatt on the roster. The former Volunteer caught just eight passes for 62 yards last year, and though he bulked up this offseason with the goal of becoming a more versatile player, it is unclear whether he will see a great deal of action absent an injury to one of the top three wideouts.
The club has also elected to retain tight end Daniel Bellinger, who, per Dunleavy, drew trade inquiries of his own. Like Hyatt, Bellinger is a recent draftee (fourth round, 2022) who saw his playing time slashed last season. After appearing in 62% of the Giants’ offensive snaps in 2023, Bellinger’s snap share dropped to 32% in 2024. He caught just 14 passes for 125 yards.
That reduction in playing time was largely due to the arrivals of veteran Chris Manhertz and 2024 fourth-rounder Theo Johnson, and both players are still around (Manhertz was re-signed in March). It is therefore likely Bellinger will again be used quite sparingly, which is especially unlucky for him as he enters the final year of his rookie pact.
Fellow tight end Greg Dulcich, whom the Giants claimed off waivers in November, was unable to carve out a spot on this year’s depth chart. According to ESPN’s Jordan Raanan, New York would have liked to keep Dulcich on its practice squad, but — perhaps taking Bellinger’s plight into account — Dulcich saw a clearer path to playing time in Miami. He recently signed with the Dolphins’ taxi squad.
With Russell Wilson slated to handle starting quarterback duties at the start of the 2025 campaign, and with first-round rookie Jaxson Dart impressing in the preseason, there was already some trade chatter surrounding Jameis Winston. Assistant GM Brandon Brown attempted to shoot down those rumors, though that did not stop other teams from at least calling the Giants about Winston’s availability, as Dunleavy reports.
Brown has said Winston wants to remain with the team, and former NFL quarterback Matt Simms offers at least one reason why. In a recent appearance on the Talkin’ Ball With Pat Leonard podcast (video link), Simms said Winston’s perspective and influence helped the Giants’ QB room jell this offseason. With so much of the team’s future hinging on Dart’s right arm – to say nothing of the job security of Giants brass – maintaining a positive dynamic for Dart can’t hurt.
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 Bills, Dolphins, Jets and Patriots moves are noted below.
Buffalo Bills
Signed to practice squad:
- QB Shane Buechele, LB Jimmy Ciarlo, OL Travis Clayton, G Dan Feeney, S Sam Franklin, RB Frank Gore Jr., WR Stephen Gosnell, OL Kendrick Green, CB Daequan Hardy, CB Dane Jackson, LB Keonta Jenkins, TE Keleki Latu, DL Zion Logue, DT Jordan Phillips, WR Kristian Wilkerson
Released from IR via injury settlement:
- RB Darrynton Evans, WR Grant Dubose
Miami Dolphins
Waived:
- S Jordan Colbert
Signed to practice squad:
- CB BJ Adams, CB Cornell Armstrong, LB Quinton Bell, OL Braeden Daniels, TE Greg Dulcich, WR AJ Henning, DT Alex Huntley, LB Derrick McLendon, OL Josh Priebe, TE Hayden Rucci, S John Saunders, WR Theo Wease
New England Patriots
Claimed:
- DB Charles Woods (from Rams)
Waived:
- WR Javon Baker
Signed to practice squad:
- CB Miles Battle, G Mehki Butler, G Jack Conley, CB Brandon Crossley, TE C.J. Dippre, RB Terrell Jennings, WR John Jiles, DE Truman Jones, C Alec Lindstrom, DB Kobee Minor, DT David Olajiga, LB Cam Riley, DT Jahvaree Ritzie, TE Gee Scott, LB Bradyn Swinson, WR Jeremiah Webb
New York Jets
Claimed:
- LB Cam Jones (from Chiefs), T Esa Pole (from Chiefs), TE Jelani Woods (from Colts)
Released:
Signed to practice squad:
- S Dean Clark, DB Jordan Clark, QB Brady Cook, WR Tyler Johnson, OL Kohl Levao, K Harrison Mevis, DT Payton Page, WR Jamaal Pritchett, LB Jackson Sirmon, WR Quentin Skinner, LB Boog Smith, WR Brandon Smith, DL Eric Watts, OL Leander Wiegand
Giants Move Down To 53
Following the Tommy DeVito cut, here are the moves the Giants made to trim their roster to 53:
Released:
- OT Stone Forsythe
- WR Lil’Jordan Humphrey
- DL Jeremiah Ledbetter
- WR Ihmir Smith-Marsette
- RB Jonathan Ward
Waived:
- WR Dalen Cambre
- DL Elijah Chatman
- TE Greg Dulcich
- DL Cory Durden
- OLB Trace Ford
- OLB Tomon Fox
- DL Elijah Garcia
- C Bryan Hudson
- G Jake Kubas
- S Raheem Layne
- K Jude McAtamney
- RB Dante Miller
- C Jimmy Morrissey
- S Makari Paige
- DL Jordon Riley
- WR Juice Wells
- CB Dee Williams
Waived/injured:
- WR Da’Quan Felton
- CB Tre Hawkins
- TE Jermaine Terry
Placed on reserve/PUP list:
- OLB Victor Dimukeje
- RB Eric Gray
Placed on IR (return designation):
Two years after winning a starting job as a rookie (and forcing Adoree’ Jackson into a brief slot CB sojourn), Hawkins is off the Giants’ roster. He joins Dulcich as notable players waived today. Dulcich came over via waivers from the Broncos midway through last season. The Giants have been light at tight end since Darren Waller‘s retirement, but they now have starter Theo Johnson back after a season-ending injury. Daniel Bellinger, Chris Manhertz and seventh-round rookie Thomas Fidone made the team over Dulcich.
Forsythe came over from the Seahawks on a one-year, $1.34MM deal, doing so after having started 13 games between the 2023 and ’24 seasons. The Giants gave more money (two years, $12MM) to James Hudson to be their swing tackle, while fifth-round rookie Marcus Mbow has been working at tackle as well. Evan Neal is also an option at tackle, though the demoted RT has been working at guard for months.
Ezeudu will count toward the Giants’ in-season injury activation total, reducing that number from eight to seven. The former third-round pick has been out for a few weeks after being carted off the practice field early in camp. The Giants view Ezeudu as likely to return, however. This is the North Carolina product’s contract year.
Teams can officially begin setting their 16-man practice squads starting at 11am CT Wednesday. The Giants have a few candidates from this bunch to stay, with a decent percentage of the above contingent under consideration to stay. Kabas is one, per The Athletic’s Dan Duggan, who adds Miller is another. Paige is viewed as a candidate for New York’s P-squad as well, per KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson. Ward is a vested veteran and can determine his future earlier, but Wilson adds the reserve RB is a taxi squad candidate.
Giants Claim TE Greg Dulcich, Place Azeez Ojulari On IR
Greg Dulcich has not delivered much in the way of production since his rookie year, but the early promise — and a third-round contract — generated expected interest on the waiver wire. The Giants, who hold the top waiver priority, are stepping in.
Months after Darren Waller retired, the Giants did not let the former Broncos tight end fall too far on the wire. They have claimed his through-2025 contract, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero tweets. Dulcich had been a healthy scratch for an extended period this season; he should have some more opportunities in New York.
The Giants will accommodate Dulcich’s contract by moving one of their top defenders to IR. Azeez Ojulari, amid a bounce-back season, is heading to the injured list, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport adds. A toe injury will send the contract-year rusher off the roster. Ojulari does not need surgery, but with the Giants down to six games remaining, a chance he is shut down for the season’s remainder also presumably exists. This marks the third straight season Ojulari will land on IR.
Ojulari generated extensive trade interest, but the Giants — as they did with contract-year wide receiver Darius Slayton — stood pat. The former second-round pick arrived under GM Dave Gettleman and saw the Giants make a blockbuster trade (to acquire Brian Burns) to replace him. A Kayvon Thibodeaux wrist injury, however, moved Ojulari back into the starting lineup. He accumulated six sacks this season, helping the Giants reach the NFL lead in sacks for a stretch despite their struggles overall. New York currently sits fifth in sacks, with 36.
Big Blue had sought a fourth- or fifth-round pick for Ojulari at the deadline but held onto him. Ojulari started five games in Thibodeaux’s absence, but the former No. 5 overall pick returned to action in Week 12. The Burns trade and the Giants’ ability to keep Thibodeaux on his rookie deal through 2026 (via the fifth-year option) looks likely to move Ojulari elsewhere in 2025. His production spurt this season should produce a nice market, but injury troubles have become an issue over the course of his career.
Chosen 50th overall out of Georgia, Ojulari posted eight sacks during a promising rookie season. He landed on IR in 2022 and 2023, due to calf and ankle injuries. Ojulari’s 2023 season featured just 2.5 sacks. Ojulari having tallied 22 over the course of his New York run should still make him an attractive piece in free agency, and the Giants — depending on their free agency activity — would stand to pick up a 2026 compensatory selection if/when he departs.
As for Dulcich, his most notable work came two years ago. Despite entering the NFL for a Broncos team trying to make a doomed Nathaniel Hackett–Russell Wilson partnership work. Dulcich totaled 33 catches for 411 yards and two touchdowns. However, chronic hamstring trouble intervened. Dulcich needed four IR stays combined between 2022 and ’23; three of those came about because of hamstring trouble. Dulcich played only 32 offensive snaps last season, and while he overcame the hamstring issue this year, the Broncos have given their tight end snaps to Adam Trautman and Lucas Krull.
The Giants saw Waller become a New York one-and-done, retiring after another injury-plagued season. The retirement did not come until after the draft, leading the Giants to go into the season shorthanded. The team did draft Theo Johnson in the fourth round and has used him as a 10-game starter. Johnson has 24 receptions for 277 yards this season. Dulcich, 24, has less than $400K left in 2024 salary; he is due a nonguaranteed $1.42MM in 2025.
Broncos Waive TE Greg Dulcich
Showing promise as a rookie, Greg Dulcich has been unable to replicate that form since. The former third-rounder had surmounted his nagging injury issues this season but has not commandeered a role for the Broncos.
As a result of this and injured players being close to returning to the 53-man roster, 9News’ Mike Klis notes the Broncos are waiving Dulcich. The young tight end’s rookie contract runs through 2025; if no team claims him by 3pm CT on Tuesday, he will hit free agency. The Broncos discussed Dulcich in trades before the deadline but opted to hang onto him.
Dulcich’s injury led to the Broncos receiving little — in terms of aerial production — from their tight end contingent last season, with a hamstring injury and subsequent aggravation leading him to two IR placements. The 24-year-old target played just 32 snaps last season. Although he came back to play 120 this year, the Broncos had dropped him to healthy-scratch status several weeks ago. Despite Denver still receiving little from its tight ends, Sean Payton has not found a place for the third-year pass catcher.
As a rookie breaking into the NFL on a team that featured a disjointed offense — during an ill-fated Nathaniel Hackett–Russell Wilson partnership — Dulich totaled 420 receiving yards in just 10 games. The Broncos had included previous starter Noah Fant in the Wilson trade that year, and Dulcich profiled as the obvious successor. But hamstring trouble intervened early, as Dulcich both began and ended the 2022 season on IR.
Payton said Dulcich saw hamstring specialists, and he was not a full participant during the Broncos’ offseason program this year. Dulcich returned in time for training camp and started three games this season, but he quickly fell out of favor. Catching only five passes for 28 yards, Dulcich has not been active since Week 4. Denver has used Adam Trautman and Lucas Krull, a former Saints UDFA during Dennis Allen‘s HC tenure, as its primary tight ends since. Neither player has more than 175 yards, with Trautman sitting at 158 to pace the group.
Dulcich will now have an opportunity to revive his career elsewhere, and it sounds like it shouldn’t take long for the tight end to find his next gig. According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, Dulcich should draw some interest on the waiver wire. On the third year of his rookie pact, Dulcich could be more than a temporary rental for any interested squads.
The Broncos are preparing to activate Josh Reynolds from IR and linebacker Drew Sanders from the PUP list. The Dulcich exit will open one roster spot, and while the Broncos could bring him back on their practice squad, a waiver claim preventing that should not be ruled out. Dulcich is due less than $400K in remaining 2024 base salary and is tied to a nonguaranteed $1.42MM number in 2025.
Broncos Discussed Greg Dulcich In Trades, Were Not Close To Making Buyer’s Move
Although the Broncos endured a one-sided loss to the Ravens in Week 9, they hit the trade deadline 5-4 and still hold a wild-card spot at the midway point. Denver’s offense also lagged behind its defense during the season’s first half, opening the door to a potential upgrade. No such move transpired, and it does not appear anything was close.
Sean Payton said the team did not make a strong effort to add talent at the deadline, preferring to keep its nucleus intact. This comes a year after the Broncos, who had made some of this NFL period’s highest-profile seller’s moves in recent years, resisted shaking up their team despite standing 3-5 at least year’s deadline.
[RELATED: Broncos Were Not Planning To Extend Baron Browning]
“I like this group,’’ Payton said, via the Denver Gazette’s Chris Tomasson. “We weren’t considering giving up a second-(round pick). … The phone rings, we pick up and yet we have to look at it in the eyes of what’s best for our team. … I don’t think we even got close to discussing someone seriously. … We’re focused on this team.”
After a slow start, Bo Nix has inched his way to the 21st spot in QBR. That mark sits second among rookies this season. Denver’s offense on the whole ranks 23rd in scoring, 25th in yards and 24th in DVOA. The Broncos have been unable to rely on receivers beyond Courtland Sutton, even as rookies Troy Franklin and Devaughn Vele have contributed in spurts; the team has needed the two rookies, as 2023 second-rounder Marvin Mims has not carved out a role like the team hoped post-Jerry Jeudy. Sutton leads the Broncos with 499 yards. No other pass catcher has 220, with none of Denver’s auxiliary receivers reaching 200 yet.
Denver is also once again limited at tight end. Greg Dulcich has not struggled with injuries this year but has still failed to make an impact, catching just five passes for 28 yards in limited duty. The team’s would-be top receiving tight end has fallen to healthy-scratch status in Payton’s second season, having not played since Week 5. The Broncos have used 2023 trade acquisition Adam Trautman, one of a few former Saints on Payton’s roster, as their top tight end. Trautman has just seven receptions for 121 yards in his second Broncos season.
The Broncos did make a seller’s move, dealing Baron Browning to the Cardinals for a sixth-round pick. The team also discussed Dulcich with other clubs before the deadline, per ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler. While some level of interest is believed to have formed for the 2022 third-round pick, the Broncos will stick with the UCLA product for the time being.
Chosen in GM George Paton‘s second draft as GM (but before Payton’s arrival), Dulcich impressed when available as a rookie by accumulating 411 yards and two touchdowns for an offense that had nosedived during the disjointed Nathaniel Hackett–Russell Wilson season. Dulcich got there in just 10 games, missing time due to hamstring trouble. Two hamstring-driven IR placements followed in 2023, limiting Dulcich to 32 offensive snaps all season. Dulcich was not a full participant in the Broncos’ offseason program this year but returned by training camp.
Payton’s team is believed to have looked into tight end upgrades this offseason, but nothing came to pass. Dulcich has played 120 snaps this season. He remains under contract through 2025 but is falling out of favor with this coaching staff.