I’ve never been as engaged in the Miami Dolphins off-season as I have been this year. The constant drama surrounding Tua Tagovailoa, the addition of Jalen Ramsey and Vic Fangio, and the moving pieces on our rival teams have been “a movie.” It’s an exciting time to be a Miami Dolphins fan.
We’ve gotten through the frenzy of free agency, the anxiety of the NFL draft, the giddiness of OTAs and minicamps, the zeal of Training Camp, and the preseason hype, this year made for an interesting one with the NFL changing its rules on roster cuts. In previous years, NFL teams had to trim their rosters week-by-week during the preseason gradually. Now, there is a cutdown date where all NFL teams must go from 90 players on their roster to 53 players in a matter of a few days, which certainly gives fans plenty to look forward to.
That cutdown deadline is officially up as of 4 o’clock today. There have been some interesting moves made today. The Miami Dolphins’ string of moves started with the trade of newly signed offensive lineman Dan Feeney to the Chicago Bears in exchange for a 6th-round pick. It was an interesting move, to say the least, with an already thin offensive line.
There was also the restructuring of Wide Receiver Cedrick Wilson Jr.’s contract, which turned his contract from a 3-year deal to a 2-year deal. Miami Dolphins fans should rejoice with this news, being that most of us fans have been unhappy with Wilson’s lack of production with the amount of money Wilson is getting. With this move, it’ll be easier to offload Wilson’s contract. But we’re no longer overpaying him even if he stays on the team. The last move that intrigued me was probably a move that fans have been waiting for.
The trade of former 1st-round pick Cornerback Noah Igbinoghene in exchange for former Dallas Cowboys 2nd-round pick Kelvin Joseph, AKA Bossman Fat, was surprising. Noah was turning a corner under the new Dolphins Defensive Coordinator, Vic Fangio. But in the end, it just didn’t work out. The one highlight we can cherish from Inbinoghene is his game-sealing interception against the Pittsburgh Steelers last year. It seems that Noah & Kelvin Joseph could benefit from a scenery change. Much like Noah, the Baton Rouge rapper who goes by Bossman Fat hasn’t lived up to his potential. Let’s hope that the change of scenery for both players can bring out the best in both.
There were some cuts made that caught me by surprise. With the trade of Dan Feeney, cutting 7th-round pick Ryan Hayes and UDFA Alama Uluave didn’t quite make sense. (If you read my last article, you’d know I’m very disappointed that Uluave wasn’t kept on this roster.) While neither of these players was expected to play immediately, with our thin line, I thought they’d be kept on the roster simply for emergency depth. With no backup center, you’d have to believe that Miami plans to have Liam Eichenberg play that role.
Then again, we fans never know what the Front Office is doing. We’re all just guessing and wishfully thinking. I also thought Outside Linebacker Mitchell Agude could make this roster. I was impressed with his play during training camp. Wide Receiver Robbie Chosen was another player I was surprised to see cut. I thought he impressed in training camp, even though he was reticent during the preseason.
Some of these players could be brought back once the final rosters are finalized and players are placed on Injured/Reserved. Others could make the practice squad and be called up anytime throughout the season. If I’ve learned anything from last year, it’s not to get too comfortable with the current roster. Many things can change between now and the Trade Deadline on October 31st. So don’t touch that dial just yet, and stay tuned.
In my next article, I’ll cover the UDFA’s Defensive Tackle Brandon Pili, Running Back Chris Brooks, and Tight End Julian Hill, who made the 53-man roster.
Too bad about J. Taylor, but if he was going to miss the first 4 games anyway, then what the heck ? I like Chris Brooks and glad he was kept. Maybe he is the next J. Taylor right under our collective noses ?
Taylor was only left on the PUP because Indy knows he doesn’t want to play for them and now they have an extra roster spot.
If Taylor was traded to Miami they would have taken him off the list.
Taylor wouldn’t be on the PUP list if he was traded out of Indianapolis.
He was only left there because Indy knows he has no intention of playing for them so, this way they get a roster spot
The running back brooks is a good running back And The y receiver. Look good the dolphins are doing the right thing this Off-season I give them a A plus
The running back brooks is a good running back And The y receiver. Look good the dolphins are doing the right thing this Off-season I give them a A plus
The o line the o line, you always questioning Tua staying healthy, but you don’t put nobody in front of him. I absolutely mean nobody ,Jacksonville penetrated I first team offense line,At will. Offense looks one dimensional, pass happy.
Considering Fangio was talking about the lack of depth along the defensive line I’m surprised that Twyman was cut
I don’t understand why everybody raves about this roster and say the Dolphins are in “win now” mode. It’s not like the Dolphins were a player or two away from going to the super bowl last year. This roster does have a lot of good talent, but it is very thin. A few injuries here and there and it could devastate the season. Unfortunately some whiffs on major draft picks in the recent past have hurt us now. Also, the Ross tampering has also hurt us. I also do believe that we’ve traded too many draft picks away for Chub and Ramsey. But we’ll see what happens, hopefully they all play well we don’t get any more injurie. But super bowl bound, I’m not even close to being sold on that. Hey, here’s to being pleasantly surprised!
Chris Grill is one of the best general managers in the n f l and you better believe that
I don’t care,just pay Wilkins,he’s worth every damn penny!