HEADLINES

Jaylen Wright

AFC East Notes: White, Wright, Jets, Pats

August 29th, 2025 at 4:43pm CST by Sam Robinson

Teams do not have to release injury reports until next week, but the Bills may have a second issue at cornerback to open their season. Maxwell Hairston is on IR, being one of the 41 players to receive a return designation Tuesday, but the Bills’ preferred option behind the rookie — Tre’Davious White — now appears uncertain for Week 1. White suffered what the Bills are calling a lower leg injury during the final training camp practice, The Athletic’s Joe Buscaglia notes, and did not travel to the team’s preseason finale in Tampa. White did not practice at the Bills workout open to the media Wednesday.

White certainly has a history of injury trouble, going down with an ACL tear in 2021 and an Achilles tear in 2023. Those maladies altered White’s first Bills stint, as he became a cap casualty in March 2024. Re-signing on a one-year, $3MM deal, White has a prime opportunity to be Buffalo’s boundary CB opposite Christian Benford — the team’s 2023 season-opening setup. This is not a season-ending injury, per GM Brandon Beane, and White not landing on IR points to a September return. If White is unable to go, the Bills have Ja’Marcus Ingram, sixth-round rookie Dorian Strong and practice squad stash Dane Jackson. If the Bills place White on IR now, he would not count against their eight-activation total like Hairston and Tylan Grable do.

Here is the latest from the AFC East:

  • A question mark late in White’s first stint (and generally in Bills-Chiefs playoff matchups), cornerback is one of Buffalo’s few roster issues entering the season. The Bills are confident in their offense, but ESPN.com’s Dan Graziano notes a trade or two to bolster the defense should be monitored ahead of the November deadline. Buffalo allowed 5.5 yards per play last season (22nd), and Graziano mentions safety as a possible position to watch regarding a trade. The Bills have Cole Bishop set to complement Taylor Rapp, with Damar Hamlin back as a backup. Jordan Poyer also re-signed as practice squad insurance, reminding of Micah Hyde‘s 2024 NFL finale.
  • The Dolphins will begin the season shorthanded in the backfield. While De’Von Achane is expected to be ready after missing late-summer work, Mike McDaniel said Jaylen Wright will not. Wright underwent minor leg surgery but is expected to miss multiple games, with McDaniel (via NFL’com’s Cameron Wolfe) replying “September-ish” as a return window for the second-year RB. Sixth-round rookie Ollie Gordon would be positioned as Achane’s backup, though the Dolphins did reunite with Jeff Wilson on a practice squad deal.
  • We are less than 10 days from the season opener, and the Jets have not determined a starting center yet. Aaron Glenn confirmed (via the New York Post’s Ryan Dunleavy) the competition is ongoing. Considering the team employs a new starting quarterback (Justin Fields) and a new OC, it is interesting no winner in the Joe Tippmann–Josh Myers battle has been determined. A recent John Simpson injury kicked Tippmann to guard, but an expected return from the LG will move one of the center competitors to the bench. That would leave Tippman set for a demotion or Myers’ low-cost contract (one year, $2MM) set to relegate the ex-Packer to backup status for the first time.
  • The Patriots were the only team to submit a waiver claim for Tommy DeVito, according to the Boston Sports Journal’s Mike Giardi. The ex-Giant joins Drake Maye and Josh Dobbs on New England’s QB depth chart. The Pats, however, made an unsuccessful claim for Jaylon Jones, ESPN.com’s Field Yates tweets. One of two Jaylon Joneses currently working as an NFL CB, the recent Cardinals cut — a fourth-year UDFA out of Ole Miss — returned to the Bears via waivers.
  • Nick Folk, the Jets‘ kicker from 2010-16, agreed to return recently. The 40-year-old specialist agreed to a one-year, $2.9MM contract that includes $1.4MM guaranteed, per ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini. With Folk a vested veteran, the rest of the $2.9MM will lock in next week.

Dolphins K Jason Sanders, RB Jaylen Wright To Miss Time

August 25th, 2025 at 3:33pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Dolphins will be shorthanded to begin the campaign. Head coach Mike McDaniel announced on Monday that neither kicker Jason Sanders nor running back Jaylen Wright will be available for Week 1.

Sanders is dealing with a hip injury, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. An absence of four to five weeks is expected in this case. As a result, the Dolphins will need to find a replacement kicker to cover the early portion of the campaign.

Surgery will not be needed for Sanders, McDaniel said (via Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald). Losing him for a notable period will nevertheless be significant. The 29-year-old is entering his eighth season with the Dolphins; he has yet to miss a game. That run of availability will come to an end in 2025, though, something which could impact Miami’s special teams early.

An All-Pro in 2020, Sanders sports a career accuracy rate of 84.6% on field goals. He has reached the 90% mark three times during a season, including in 2024. Expectations will be high upon returning to full health, but that will not happen until the Dolphins’ campaign is already underway.

McDaniel noted (via Jackson) it is unclear at this point if Wright will require surgery. Regardless of if a procedure ends up taking place, a lengthy stint on the sidelines should not be expected. Wright played sparingly as a rookie in 2024, but he could take on a larger role behind De’Von Achane in the backfield this season. When he will first be available is unclear, given today’s news, though.

The Dolphins have a number of further roster decisions to make between now and tomorrow afternoon’s deadline for cuts to take place. As the team weighs its options on that front, the looming absence of both Sanders and Wright will need to be taken into account.

Latest On Dolphins’ RB Competition

June 22nd, 2025 at 6:04pm CST by Adam La Rose

De’Von Achane remains atop the Dolphins’ running back depth chart entering 2025. After averaging 7.8 yards per carry as a rookie and nearly reaching 1,500 scrimmage yards last season, expectations will once again be high in his case.

Miami has used the likes of Raheem Mostert and Jeff Wilson as veteran backfield options recently, but neither are in the fold any longer. Meanwhile, the team has added Alexander Mattison via free agency and Ollie Gordon in the sixth round of the draft. Those two will join Achane and 2024 fourth-rounder Jaylen Wright in a competition for snaps during training camp.

“Each guy makes his own role on the team,” running backs coach Eric Studesville said (via C. Isaiah Smalls of the Miami Herald). “I don’t think we predetermine that. I think you gotta expose them to everything and see what they can do and let them develop into the role that they clearly take and establish on their own through what they do.”

Achane logged 281 touches last season, and he is in position to once again operate as a key figure on offense in 2025. How the rest of the backfield depth chart shakes out will be interesting to see, though, including the question of whether or not Wright can take on an increased workload in his second year. Smalls notes the 22-year-old has bulked up this offseason.

Wright showcased notable speed during his time in college, making him an obvious target for the Dolphins last year. The Tennessee product had a forgettable rookie campaign, however, logging double-digit carries in a game only once. Wright will look to earn the backup gig during training camp while the Dolphins work with a new-look offensive line and integrate Mattison and Gordon into the fold.

Miami ranked 21st in rushing last season, one in which the team finished a disappointing 8-9 and missed the playoffs. An improved ground game will be key, but aside from Achane there is much to be determined in terms of what the backfield will look like in 2025.

Dolphins Sign Five Rookies

June 4th, 2024 at 8:12pm CST by Ben Levine

The Dolphins finally inked some of their rookies to contracts. The team announced that they’ve signed five of their 2024 draft picks:

These five rookies kick off the organization’s draft-class signings. First-round edge defender Chop Robinson and second-round offensive tackle Patrick Paul remain unsigned.

Considering how much the Dolphins have gotten out of their running backs in recent years, Jaylen Wright is certainly an intriguing addition. The Tennessee prospect took it to another level this past season, finishing with 1,154 yards from scrimmage. The rookie has an uphill battle for playing time behind the likes of Raheem Mostert, De’Von Achane, and Jeff Wilson, but he could easily slide up the depth chart if/when the team faces injuries.

Patrick McMorris is another prospect who could see a role in 2024. After two standout seasons at SDSU, the safety continued his production after transferring to California, finishing with 90 tackles and eight passes defended. The rookie will compete with Elijah Campbell for any leftover snaps at the safety position.

Cowboys, Giants Had RB MarShawn Lloyd On Day 2 Radar

May 8th, 2024 at 3:32pm CST by Sam Robinson

Linked to running backs during the pre-draft process, the Cowboys instead passed on drafting one and followed through with what became a much-discussed reunion with Ezekiel Elliott. The Giants waited until the fifth round to add a back to their group.

This RB class did not generate too much hype, with only one player — Texas’ Jonathon Brooks — going off the board in the first two rounds. Closely connected to Brooks, the Cowboys also did plenty of work on one of this class’ second-tier options. MarShawn Lloyd‘s camp viewed Dallas as one of the teams that could take the former USC and South Carolina back, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler notes, adding the Giants also carried interest in the recent Pac-12 RB.

Lloyd ended up going 88th overall to the Packers, making him an intriguing backup in a contingent housing free agency pickup Josh Jacobs and the recently re-signed AJ Dillon. Both the Giants and Cowboys carry more questions at the position, seeing as each team refrained from high-end investments this offseason.

The Giants were not willing to go near where the Eagles did for Saquon Barkley, failing to make an offer despite having submitted a proposal that included more than $20MM fully guaranteed last summer. They gave Devin Singletary a three-year, $16.5MM deal ($9.5MM guaranteed at signing) to replace Barkley, and the team has 2023 fifth-rounder Eric Gray and rookie fifth-rounder Tyrone Tracy Jr. as Singletary’s top backups. The Giants eyed Lloyd, per Fowler, but he landed between the team’s third- (No. 71) and fourth-round (No. 106) picks. Before the draft, a report indicated the Giants were eyeing veteran RB help. They may, however, be content once again to roll with an experienced starter and unseasoned backups.

Passing on Derrick Henry and other available RBs early in free agency, the Cowboys re-signed Elliott to a one-year, $3MM deal. Dallas has Royce Freeman and 2023 Tony Pollard backups Rico Dowdle and Deuce Vaughn among its backfield options. This plan (as it stands now, that is) has generated some scrutiny. The team showed interest in Lloyd, doing plenty of pre-draft work on him, and Tennessee’s Jaylen Wright, Fowler adds. The Cowboys, however, did not carry a fourth-round pick. Wright went to the Dolphins, who traded up to acquire the SEC product at No. 120.

Lloyd transferred from South Carolina to USC in 2023, totaling a career-high 820 rushing yards (7.1 per carry) last season. Lloyd tallied nine rushing touchdowns with the Gamecocks in 2022. He will be among the rookie RBs attempting to prove teams wrong for their pre-draft outlook on this class.

Dolphins Acquire No. 120, Select RB Jaylen Wright

April 27th, 2024 at 12:09pm CST by Ben Levine

The Dolphins have given up a future pick to trade into the fourth round. Miami has acquired pick No. 120 from the Eagles, sending Philly a 2025 third-round pick (per ESPN’s Field Yates).

The Dolphins have used their pick on Tennessee running back Jaylen Wright. Miami wasn’t set to pick until No. 158, so the team believed strongly enough in the prospect to sacrifice a surefire earlier pick in the 2025 draft.

After finishing his first season as a starting RB with 883 yards from scrimmage, Wright took it to another level in 2023. The prospect led the Tennessee offense with 1,154 yards from scrimmage, although he only finished the campaign with four touchdowns (down from the 10 touchdowns he scored in 2022).

The Dolphins used a third-round pick in last year’s draft on De’Von Achane, and they’re still rostering veterans Raheem Mostert and Jeff Wilson Jr.. Wright is known for his dynamic speed (he ran a sub-4.4-second 40 time), so Mike McDaniel will surely find a way to use his newest weapon.