HEADLINES

Mike Hull

Dolphins Waive Rey Maualuga

November 18th, 2017 at 1:40pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Dolphins are planning to waive veteran middle linebacker Rey Maualuga after he was arrested in Florida overnight, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reports. The team has since announced the move.

Multiple other media outlets are confirming the Dolphins are parting ways with Maualuga, and the arrest was for battery at a nightclub, Andy Slater of 940 WINZ reports (on Twitter). The 30-year-old is currently in jail.

This marks Maualuga’s second arrest during his career. The then-Bengals linebacker pleaded guilty on a drunken-driving charge in 2010.

The Dolphins are planning to fill Maualuga’s roster spot with running back De’Veon Smith, Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald reports (on Twitter). Smith previously resided on Miami’s practice squad.

Maualuga made four starts for the Dolphins and played in six games since being signed over the summer. This continues a tumultuous year for Miami linebackers, one that included with Raekwon McMillan‘s season-ending injury and Lawrence Timmons‘ suspension to start the season.

A ninth-year vet, Maualuga made 23 tackles for the Dolphins this season. Mike Hull is the leading candidate to take over at middle linebacker, Salguero tweets. Pro Football Focus has not offered kind analyses regarding the play of Maualuga or Hull. The advanced metrics website graded both as suboptimal ‘backers this season, with Maualua playing 176 snaps and Hull taking part in 145. Hull started three games for the Fins this season; the third-year UDFA’s made 19 stops.

Dolphins Rumors: Tannehill, Pouncey, LBs

August 12th, 2017 at 4:10pm CST by Sam Robinson

Adam Gase expects Ryan Tannehill to “absolutely” be ready for the 2018 season, the second-year coach said Saturday (via Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald). Tannehill made the decision to undergo reconstructive knee surgery to repair a partially torn left ACL. Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald reported the Dolphins expect Tannehill to be back by the time they convene for training camp next summer. Gase said the sixth-year quarterback told him of the surgery decision in the past few days; it became final on Friday night. Tannehill will rehab with the Dolphins and at other facilities, Gase said. He was at Dolphins practice Saturday aiding Jay Cutler‘s assimilation, per Beasley.

Here’s the latest coming out of south Florida.

  • The Dolphins are monitoring the UFA linebacker market after Raekwon McMillan was lost with a torn ACL, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reports. This study will continue for a few weeks, Jackson said, until it’s determined if backup middle linebacker Mike Hull can handle the job. Jackson notes the Dolphins would also be open to adding a ‘backer via trade. Jackson adds Hull or an outside addition will be summoned for base-defense duty, since Lawrence Timmons and Kiko Alonso will be the Fins’ second-level cogs in nickel sets. This is Hull’s third season with the Dolphins. The ex-UDFA played in 16 games last season and started one. Gase said he likes the trio of Alonso, Timmons and Hull together. But that’s not set yet, it appears.
  • Mike Pouncey returned to 11-on-11 work for the first time since suffering the hip injury that shelved him for all but five games last season, Jackson reports. The three-time Pro Bowler had done individual work leading up to the return to team drills. A decision hasn’t been made if Pouncey will play in the preseason, but the 28-year-old snapper said he has no doubt he’ll return for Week 1.
  • Jay Ajayi suffered a concussion on July 31 and hasn’t returned to practice. The third-year running back remains in concussion protocol, Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk reports. Smith notes the Dolphins would like to have Ajayi play some with Cutler in the preseason so the duo can begin to develop a rapport, but it’s uncertain when Ajayi will return. Miami did not make any major additions to its backfield corps this offseason. The team has Kenyan Drake and Damien Williams behind Ajayi.

Minor NFL Transactions: 4/17/17

April 17th, 2017 at 7:12pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The latest minor moves…

  • Raiders defensive end Denico Autry has signed his RFA tender, reports ESPN’s Adam Caplan (Twitter link). The Raiders gave the 2014 undrafted free agent an original-round tender, leading to speculation that he could draw interest from elsewhere. Instead, Autry will return to the Raiders on the heels of back-to-back three-sack seasons. ERFAs Seth Roberts (WR) and Denver Kirkland (G) are also back in the fold, according to Michael Gehlken of the Las Vegas Review-Journal (on Twitter).
  • The Seahawks have re-signed linebacker Kache Palacio, writes Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times. Palacio, a former fullback who went undrafted out of Washington State last year, spent most of 2016 on Seattle’s practice squad.
  • Lions ERFAs Brandon Copeland (DE), Kerry Hyder (DT) and T.J. Jones (WR) have signed their tenders, tweets Birkett. Dolphins ERFAs Mike Hull (LB) and Anthony Steen (C) did the same earlier Monday, per Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald (Twitter link).

Earlier updates:

  • The Panthers have re-upped restricted free agent guard Andrew Norwell and a pair of exclusive rights free agents – center Tyler Larsen and punter Michael Palardy – writes Bryan Strickland of their website. Carolina used a second-round tender on Norwell, who will earn $2.746MM in 2017. Norwell combined for 29 starts over the previous two seasons and ranked 11th in performance among Pro Football Focus’ 72 qualified guards last year.
  • Steelers RFA cornerback Ross Cockrell has inked his original-round tender, reports ESPN’s Adam Schefter (Twitter link). Cockrell went in the fourth round of the 2014 draft, so the Steelers would have been entitled to a fourth-rounder had Cockrell signed elsewhere and they elected against matching the offer. The 25-year-old caught on with the Steelers in 2015 and has since totaled 31 appearances, 23 starts and two interceptions. Cockrell started in every Steelers game last year, and his performance ranked an improve 28th among 111 qualified corners at PFF.
  • Chiefs RFA kicker Cairo Santos has signed his tender, per Schefter (on Twitter). Santos, undrafted in 2014, received a low tender; as such, Kansas City wouldn’t have been entitled to compensation had he gone elsewhere. The three-year veteran has connected on 84.3 percent of field goal attempts, including 88.6 percent last season (good for fifth in the league).
  • Lions offensive tackle Cornelius Lucas has signed his RFA tender, tweets Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. The Lions assigned Lucas an original-rounder tender last month, so they wouldn’t have gotten a pick had the 2014 undrafted free agent signed elsewhere and they chose not to match. Lucas is now slated to make $1.797MM this year in Detroit, where he has started in six of 35 career appearances.
  • The Buccaneers have re-signed quarterback Ryan Griffin, cornerback Jude Adjei-Barimah, tight end Cameron Brate, linebacker Adarius Glanton, and wide receivers Adam Humphries and Freddie Martino, per Scott Smith of the team’s website. As a restricted free agent, Griffin is the only one of the bunch who could have potentially gone elsewhere (the rest were exclusive rights free agents). The Bucs tendered the 2013 undrafted free agent at an original-round level last month, and he’ll now try to win the No. 2 role behind Jameis Winston. Tampa Bay’s previous second-stringer, Mike Glennon, is now the Bears’ starter.
  • RFA defensive back Marcus Burley and ERFA running back George Atkinson III are returning to the Browns, per a team announcement. Burley, undrafted in 2013, received an original-round tender. The former Seahawk is coming off his first year in Cleveland, where he appeared in 12 games and played just under 40 percent of the Browns’ special teams snaps.
  • Fullback Tommy Bohanon and receiver Larry Pinkard have signed with the Jaguars, tweets the team’s account. Bohanon is the only with NFL experience, having logged 36 appearances and 14 starts as a Jet from 2013-15.
  • Speaking of the Jets, they have re-signed linebacker Julian Stanford (via Randy Lange of the team’s site). The Jets could Stanford on Friday, but both sides knew that was only a procedural move. Last season was the first as a Jet for the 26-year-old Stanford, who appeared in nine games (two starts) and played about a quarter of their defensive snaps and a third of their special teams snaps.

RFA/ERFA Tender Decisions: 3/8/17

March 8th, 2017 at 12:43pm CST by Sam Robinson

Unrestricted free agent news will obviously dominate the day, but several clubs also had to make decisions on whether to offer tenders to restricted and exclusive rights free agents. All RFA tenders listed are original round/right of first refusal (worth $1.797MM), and all links go to Twitter:

RFAs:

Tendered:

Non-Tendered: 

ERFAs:

Tendered:

Dolphins Place Rishard Matthews On IR

January 2nd, 2016 at 1:30pm CST by Sam Robinson

Rishard Matthews may have played his final game with the Dolphins, with the fourth-year receiver heading to injured reserve, Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald tweets.

The Dolphins promoted linebacker Mike Hull from the practice squad to assume Matthews’ Week 17 roster spot, ESPN.com’s James Walker reports (on Twitter).

Missing the past four games, Matthews entered Miami’s Week 17 clash with the Patriots with a questionable designation. However, the team shelved the 26-year-old free agent-to-be who has missed December after fracturing ribs against the Jets late last month.

Thought to be on the outside of the Dolphins’ receiver rotation after the team traded for Kenny Stills, signed Greg Jennings and drafted DeVante Parker, Matthews proved to be the team’s best outside target for most of the season.

The above moves prompted a disgruntled Matthews to demand a preseason relocation, but the 2012 seventh-rounder went on to have his best season. Matthews’ 662 yards and four touchdowns in 11 games represented notable progressions from his previous three years’ work.

As a result of his contract-year campaign that may have produced 1,000 yards if he’d stayed healthy and a thin receiver market, Matthews figures to draw steady attention this offseason.

Parker and Jarvis Landry are the Fins’ cornerstones at receiver, but beyond Alshon Jeffery, the upcoming free agency class of receivers lags far behind 2015’s. Travis Benjamin, Rueben Randle and Jermaine Kearse are among the top names out there.

 

Practice Squad Updates: 12/1/15

December 1st, 2015 at 4:30pm CST by Zachary Links

Today’s practice squad updates from around the NFL:

Arizona Cardinals

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

  • Signed: LB Brian Blechen (Twitter link via Joe Person of the Charlotte Observer)

Indianapolis Colts

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

  • Signed: WR Austin Hill (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle)

New York Jets

Oakland Raiders

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

St. Louis Rams

Minor NFL Transactions: 11/28/15

November 28th, 2015 at 4:06pm CST by Luke Adams

As teams finalize their rosters for Week 12 games, we’ll round up Saturday’s latest minor transactions from around the NFL right here:

  • In addition to making the promotion of tight end Asante Cleveland (reported yesterday) official, the Patriots have also moved linebacker Darius Fleming from their practice squad to the 53-man roster, cutting safety Dewey McDonald to make room, tweets Mike Reiss of ESPN.com. McDonald’s stint on the active roster didn’t last long — he was just signed two days ago.

Earlier updates:

  • The Chiefs have promoted wide receiver Frankie Hammond to the 53-man roster, waiving cornerback Saalim Hakim in a corresponding move, tweets Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star. Hammond returned 15 punts for the Chiefs in 2014, so he may get a shot at that job this weekend with De’Anthony Thomas sidelined.
  • The Dolphins have made a change on defense, cutting linebacker Mike Hull and replacing him on the 53-man roster with safety Shamiel Gary, who received a promotion from the practice squad (Twitter link). If he’s active on Sunday, Gary would get the opportunity to appear in his first regular season NFL game.
  • As expected, the Titans have elevated outside linebacker Yannik Cudjoe-Virgil to their active roster, waiving wide receiver Rico Richardson to create an opening, tweets Jim Wyatt of TitansOnline.com. Head coach Mike Mularkey had indicated on Friday that Cudjoe-Virgil was in line for a promotion from the practice squad.
  • The Bears have swapped one long snapper for another, signing Patrick Scales and waiving Thomas Gafford, per Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune (Twitter link). Having been with the team all season, Gafford is eligible to collect the rest of his 2015 salary in termination pay.

Minor NFL Transactions: 11/14/15

November 14th, 2015 at 4:07pm CST by Ben Levine

Here are Saturday’s minor transactions from around the NFL:

  • The Patriots promoted offensive lineman Chris Barker, reports ESPNBoston.com’s Mike Reiss (via Twitter), and safety Dewey McDonald re-signed to the Pats’ practice squad. With Sebastian Vollmer, Marcus Cannon and Tre’ Jackson all missing practice on Friday, the team was clearly seeking some reinforcement. Barker’s played in five games in two years. The Pats, who have rotated offensive linemen frequently this year, will dress six Sunday against the Giants, per Ben Volin of the Boston Globe (on Twitter).
  • The Lions promoted rookie safety Isaiah Johnson to their 53-man contingent and cut linebacker James-Michael Johnson to make room, Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com reports. Johnson’s promotion coincides with backup safety Isa Abdul-Quddus‘ questionable status for this week with a foot injury.
  • In a move that will help shore up a struggling secondary, the Raiders activated Nate Allen from IR-DTR and cut return man Marcus Thigpen, according to the Raiders’ website. After signing a lucrative deal as a free agent, Allen tore his MCL in Week 1, forcing the already-thin Raiders secondary into undesirable options alongside Charles Woodson. The 29-year-old Thigpen, a former undrafted free agent from Indiana, has played for six teams, with the Bills also employing him in 2015.
  • The Raiders also put safety Tevin McDonald back on their practice squad, per their website. McDonald’s been one of the more frequent rovers between the taxi squad and the active roster, being promoted and demoted several times this season.
  • The Seahawks placed Ricardo Lockette on injured reserve and activated Paul Richardson from the PUP list, according to a report on the team’s website. Lockette suffered a frightening neck injury in Week 8 against the Cowboys. Richardson hasn’t played since tearing an ACL in Seattle’s divisional-round victory over Carolina. The 23-year-old Richardson, a second-year player, caught 29 passes for 271 yards and a touchdown as a rookie.
  • To make room for inside linebacker Mike Hull, the Dolphins cut defensive lineman A.J. Francis, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle tweets. Francis has played in just one game since the Dolphins picked him up on waivers in 2013. The 24-year-old Hull was one of Miami’s final preseason roster cuts.
  • The Raiders have promoted tight end Gabe Holmes from the practice squad, reports Scott Bair of CSNCalifornia.com (via Twitter). Holmes will presumably be filling the hole left by previously-waived Tevin McDonald, meaning the team will have to make another move to accommodate the returning Nate Allen.
  • The Cowboys have promoted linebacker Keith Smith from the practice squad, tweets David Moore of the Dallas Morning News. The former San Jose State standout has appeared in 14 career games, compiling seven tackles and one forced fumble.

Sunday NFL Transactions: AFC East

September 6th, 2015 at 5:08pm CST by Luke Adams

Listed below are the Sunday roster moves for the four AFC East teams. Following the 53-man roster cutdown deadline yesterday, many teams will make slight tweaks to their rosters, claiming players off waivers or signing guys who clear waivers. Those transactions for the Bills, Dolphins, Patriots, and Jets are noted below.

Additionally, as of 11:00am today, teams can begin constructing their 10-man practice squads. For the 2014 and 2015 seasons, changes were made to practice squad rules that allow teams to carry eight players instead of 10, and the eligibility requirements for those extra two spots were also loosened. You can check out our glossary entry on practice squads to brush up on those changes, as well as all the other guidelines that govern the 10-man units, whose players practice with the team but aren’t eligible to suit up on Sundays.

Here are Sunday’s AFC East transactions, which will continue to be updated throughout the day:

Buffalo Bills

Miami Dolphins

New England Patriots

  • Claimed off waivers:
  • Cut:
  • Signed to practice squad:

New York Jets

  • Signed:
  • Claimed off waivers:
  • Cut:
  • Signed to practice squad (press release):
    • LB Deion Barnes
    • FB Julian Howsare
    • LB Taiwan Jones
    • CB Keon Lyn
    • WR Walter Powell
    • TE Wes Saxton
    • T Wesley Johnson (Twitter link via Adam Caplan)
    • DL Jordan Williams

Dolphins Pare Roster Down To 53

September 5th, 2015 at 5:18pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Dolphins removed 20 players from their roster in order to reach the mandated 53-man limit, with the most notable of the team’s releases coming at kicker.

Caleb Sturgis will not begin a third season as the Dolphins’ kicker, as Andrew Franks won competition for the spot, according to the team’s website.

In going with rookie undrafted free agent Franks over Sturgis, a third-year veteran, it marks the first time in eight years Miami will deploy two new specialists. Rookie Matt Darr supplanted eight-year punter Brandon Fields, a 2013 Pro Bowler, earlier this week.

Sturgis missed eight kicks in each of his two campaigns.

Miami’s additional cuts are as follows:

  • Damarr Aultman, WR
  • McLeod Bethel-Thompson, QB
  • Sam Brenner, C
  • Deandre Coleman, DT
  • James Davidson, LB
  • Emmanuel Dieke, DE
  • Mike Gillislee, RB
  • Cobi Hamilton, WR
  • Donald Hawkins, T
  • Mike Hull, LB
  • Anthony Johnson, DT
  • Christion Jones, WR (Waived/injured)
  • Don Jones, S
  • Mike Liedtke, G/T
  • Jeff Luc, LB
  • Jordan Tripp, LB
  • Cedric Thompson, S
  • Jake Stoneburner, TE
  • Tim Semisch, TE
  • Aundrey Walker, T