The Dolphins announced today they waived 23 players from the roster. Each player has 20 hours to clear waivers. At the point, players can be re-signed to the expanded practice squad, which allows each team to keep 16 such players.
Additionally, two practice squad players are eligible to dress each week, expanding the roster from 53 players up to 55 on game day.
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Quarterbacks (2) – Ryan Fitzpatrick, Tua Tagovailoa
Fitzpatrick – Entering his second year with the Dolphins and 16th of his NFL career, Fitzpatrick threw for 3,226 yards from Weeks 6-17 – the third-most in the NFL. He also threw for the second-most first downs and was the 10th-highest graded quarterback over that time.
Tagovailoa – Miami's rookie southpaw had a career 199.4 passer rating in college, the best in the history of the NCAA. He was the highest-selected quarterback by Miami since Bob Griese went fourth overall in 1967.
Running Backs (6) – Matt Breida, Chandler Cox, Myles Gaskin, Jordan Howard, Patrick Laird, Malcolm Perry
Breida – Averaging 5.0 yards per rush on 381 career carries, Breida registered the fastest recorded speeds per NFL Next Gen Stats each of the last two years at 22.3 and 22.1 MPH.
Cox – The lone fullback on the roster enters Year 2 with Miami. As a rookie, Cox surrendered only one quarterback pressure in pass-blocking situations.
Howard – The fifth-year pro enters his first in Miami. Howard has the third-most rushing yards (3,895) and seventh-most rushing touchdowns (30) since entering the NFL in 2016.
Gaskin – As a rookie in 2019, Gaskin led the Dolphins with 3.28 yards after contact, according to Pro Football Focus. In college, Gaskin produced four consecutive 1,200-yard rushing seasons at the University of Washington.
Laird – An undrafted rookie, Laird played in a multitude of capacities for the 2019 Dolphins. He totaled 546 snaps, including 221 on special teams. He was a factor both as a runner and in the passing game, as he gained 372 yards from scrimmage (168 rushing and 204 receiving).
Perry – A former slot back and running back in college, Malcolm Perry finished his career as the Navy quarterback in emphatic fashion. His 65 runs of 10-or-more yards was best in college football and his 2,017 rushing yards finished second in the nation last season.
Wide receivers (6) – Lynn Bowden Jr., Isaiah Ford, Jakeem Grant, Mack Hollins, DeVante Parker, Preston Williams
Bowden Jr. — A college football enigma, Bowden Jr. played slot receiver and quarterback durng his three-year Kentucky career. In 2019, as a quarterback, he had the highest PFF rushing grade (87.2) for non-running backs. As a receiver in 2018, he forced 17 missed tackles on 67 receptions with an average of 7.7 yards after the catch.
Ford – Over the final four games of 2019, Ford caught 21 of 29 pass targets (72 percent completion) for 234 yards (8.1 yards per target) and 15 first downs. Four of those chain-moving plays came on the critical third down.
Grant – As a receiver, Grant averages 9.2 yards per target over his four-year Dolphins career. Possessing big-play ability, Grant has touchdowns of 102, 101, 74, 71, 65 and 52 yards as a pro.
Hollins – On offense, Hollins has 26 receptions for 351 yards and one touchdown on his three-year NFL resume. He's also played 365 snaps with five tackles on special teams.
Parker – With a breakthrough performance in 2019, Parker finished fifth in the NFL in receiving yards (1,202) and fourth in touchdown receptions (9). In December, Parker put together the best five-game stretch for a Miami receiver since Chris Chambers in 2005. Parker posted 507 receiving yards and five touchdowns as the Dolphins finished 3-2 with a pair of wins over eventual division winners.
Williams – Prior to an ACL injury that cost Williams the final eight games of his rookie season, he led the Dolphins with 32 receptions and 428 receiving yards. He was also tied for the lead with all 2019 rookies in receptions (32, Terry McLaurin) and ranked third in receiving yards (428) and touchdowns (4) at that time.
Tight Ends (3) – Mike Gesicki, Adam Shaheen, Durham Smythe
Gesicki – Gesicki tied for seventh in touchdowns (5) and 12th in the receiving yards (570) among 2019 NFL tight ends. From the Week 6 game vs. Washington to the finale in New England, Gesicki ranked fourth among tight ends in touchdowns (5) and 10th in yards (519).
Shaheen – Coming over in a July trade, Shaheen adds size and athleticism to the Miami tight end room. He ran a 4.8 40-yard dash time at the 2017 Scouting Combine..
Smythe – Referred to as the leader in the room by tight ends coach George Godsey, Smythe does a little bit of everything. He's allowed only five quarterback pressures on 132 pass-blocking reps, his PFF run-blocking grade improved by 11 points from his rookie year to Year 2, and he was tied for third on the Dolphins with five special teams tackles in 2019.
Offensive Line (9) – Julie'n Davenport, Jesse Davis, Michael Deiter, Ereck Flowers, Robert Hunt, Austin Jackson, Ted Karras, Adam Pankey, Solomon Kindley
Davenport – Arriving in Miami last Labor Day weekend, Davenport started the opener and suffered an injury. He returned later in the season and allowed just only one sack and two quarterback hits over the final four games of 2019.
Davis – During Miami's 3-2 finish to the 2019 season, Davis pitched a clean sheet with zero sacks allowed. He also committed just one penalty and a total of nine quarterback pressures over that period. Davis has played in 47 of a possible 48 career games in his three years on the Dolphins offensive line.
Deiter – After starting 53 consecutive games at Wisconsin, Deiter started 15 games as a rookie for Miami. He didn't allow a sack from Week 12 on.
Flowers – Last year in Washington, Flowers played 588 snaps in pass protection. With just four plays resulting in a hit on the quarterback from the left guard position, Flowers is in rarified air. Just one other guard, who had more than 500 pass-blocking snaps, allowed fewer QB hits than Flowers (Dallas' four-time All-Pro Zack Martin).
Hunt – On draft night, ESPN relayed Hunt's college statistics upon his Miami selection. In his final season at Louisiana Lafayette, the Ragin' Cajun coaches say he allowed only two quarterback pressures and never missed a run-blocking assignment.
Jackson – During his final season at USC, Jackson played 926 snaps for the Trojans – all at left tackle. In a three-year career, he played 1,923 snaps with 1,152 of them in pass protection. Jackson allowed 33 quarterback pressures and a QB hit rate allowed of .009.
Karras – After a four-year career in New England, Karras joins the Dolphins to anchor the interior offensive line. He was Pro Football Focus' No. 2 overall graded center over the final six games of the season. On the year, Karras allowed only 14 pressures, which ranked sixth among all centers who played at least 500 snaps in pass protection.
Kindley – The Dolphins rookie, by way of Georgia, played on the right side early in his college career, but moved to left guard in 2018 where he started each of the last two seasons. Kindley played 2,005 snaps in his Bulldogs career and allowed just four sacks and 14 hurries on 901 pass-blocking reps.
Pankey – An in-season waiver claim for Miami in 2019, Pankey saw 12 snaps playing as the sixth offensive lineman in the heavy personnel package. He didn't allow a quarterback pressure on those 12 snaps.
Defensive Line (7) – Raekwon Davis, Davon Godchaux, Shaq Lawson, Emmanuel Ogbah, Zach Sieler, Jason Strowbridge, Christian Wilkins
Davis – At 6-foot-7, 330 pounds the Dolphins rookie posted gaudy college numbers. He registered 86 pressures in his three-year career at Alabama with 73 run stops. Across 1,849 career snaps, Davis earned consistent PFF grades with an 84.9 in 2017, 81.9 in 2018 and 83.2 in 2019.
Godchaux – Entering his fourth year in Miami, Godchaux has been a consistent force against the run. His 33 run stops (tackles within two yards of the line of scrimmage) led all defensive tackles in 2019, according to Pro Football Focus.
Lawson – Miami's new defensive end finished his four-year Buffalo career with a bang. Lawson notched career highs in sacks (6.5), quarterback pressures (40), run stops (25) tackles for loss (13) and snaps played (520) last season.
Ogbah – Entering his fifth-year as a pro and first as a Dolphin, Ogbah's been a consistent producer. With 125 pressures spread across his four seasons, Ogbah's career pass rush productivity rate is 8.3 percent. Last year in Kansas City, Ogbah produced a 10.7 percent pressure rate.
Sieler – A December waiver claim last year, Sieler made the most of his biggest workload in a Week 16 win over Cincinnati. He made seven tackles (five within two yards of the line of scrimmage), three quarterback pressures, a sack and two passes defensed.
Strowbridge – The rookie from North Carolina has impressive size, athleticism and position flexibility. At the Combine, he tested in the 93rd percentile in the 40-yard dash (4.89), 94th in the 20-yard shuttle (4.37) and better than the 82nd percentile in 10-yard split (1.72), three-cone (7.45) and broad jump (9'5").
Wilkins – Year 1 was a productive one for Wilkins. He led all of rookie defensive tackles with 56 stops. He also had 30 quarterback pressures per PFF, which were the most for a rookie interior defensive lineman since 2016.
Linebacker (7) – Jerome Baker, Sam Eguavoen, Kamu Grugier-Hill, Calvin Munson, Elandon Roberts, Andrew Van Ginkel, Kyle Van Noy
Baker — In just his second year as a pro, Baker logged over 1,200 snaps on defense and special teams combined. He finished 13th among linebackers with 16 quarterback pressures and 11th with 46 run stops in 2019.
Eguavoen – Playing his first year in the NFL after spending time in the Canadian Football League, Eguavoen was second among all NFL off-ball linebackers in pass-rush reps with 232. The result of those rush opportunities was 23 pressures, 3.5 sacks and nine quarterback hits. Eguavoen also contributed in the run game with seven tackles for loss and 18 run stops.
Grugier-Hill – Through a four-year career, Grugier-Hill has 98 career tackles, 11 for loss, an interception, a sack, two passes defensed, two forced fumbles and one recovery. He has six pressures on 41 career pass-rush reps and has never allowed a touchdown on 357 coverage snaps. His passer rating against checks in at an impressive 83.6.
Munson – Signed from the Patriots practice squad in December, Munson played a significant workload in the final two games of 2019. Called upon for 98 snaps in the two victories (76 on defense, 22 on special teams), Munson had a strong debut with four tackles, two run stops and positive PFF grades in run defense, tackling and overall defense.
Roberts – Spending the first four years of his career in New England, Roberts brings leadership and physicality to the Miami defense. According to Pro Football Focus, Roberts has 1,702 defensive snaps on his resume (854 in run defense, 152 as a pass rusher and 696 in coverage). He's played 324 special teams snaps and rounded out his game with 70 snaps at fullback last year.
Van Ginkel – Missing the majority of his rookie season, Van Ginkel returned to contribute for the Dolphins defense down the stretch. Van Ginkel made 15 tackles – four for loss – with seven coming within two yards of the line of scrimmage in his first NFL season. He pressured the quarterback six times and notched his first career sack against the Jets in Week 14.
Van Noy – A jack-of-all-trades linebacker, Van Noy tallied 60 quarterback pressures (18th among edges) , 33 run stops and allowed only 95 yards on 92 coverage snaps in 2019. In 2018, he rushed the passer 159 fewer times than 2018 -- and finished second among his position group with 36 pressures.
Cornerback (5) – Xavien Howard, Noah Igbinoghene, Byron Jones, Nik Needham, Jamal Perry
Howard – Since he entered the league in 2016, Xavien Howard has as many interceptions (13) as touchdowns allowed, per Pro Football Focus. He's limited opposing quarterbacks to a 75.3 passer rating and a completion rate of only 55.4 percent.
Igbinoghene – Making the switch from wide receiver to cornerback his final two years at Auburn, Igbinoghene allowed only three touchdown receptions on 879 coverage snaps, according to Pro Football Focus.
Jones – Per PlayerProfile.com, Jones ranked second in yards per target allowed at 5.1 in 2019. He allowed the ninth-fewest receptions per game (2.2) and the fourth-fewest yards (351). Jones ranked fourth in both coverage rating and catch rate allowed. He also led the NFL in forcing tight window throws at better than 51 percent.
Needham – An undrafted rookie out of UTEP in 2019, Needham allowed only a 59.5 completion percentage, intercepted two passes and made 54 tackles with just seven missed attempts. He made 17 run stops and registered five quarterback pressures on just 15 pass rush reps, including one sack.
Perry – After spending time on the Patriots practice squad, Perry (formerly Jomal Wiltz) earned an opportunity in Miami in 2019. He made 58 tackles (2 for a loss) and tallied an interception last season.
Safety (5) – Clayton Fejedelem, Kavon Frazier, Brandon Jones, Bobby McCain, Eric Rowe
Fejedelem – In his four-year career with Cincinnati, Fejedelem has 694 career snaps on defense on his resume – 278 against the run and 392 in coverage. He has six quarterback pressures on 24 pass-rush reps, 15 run stops and a passer rating against of just 81.3.
Frazier – A four-year veteran, Frazier played in 44 games in Dallas, starting two during the 2018 season. He has 67 total tackles, a sack, forced a fumble and made four tackles for loss on 461 career defensive snaps in his career.
Jones – The Dolphins rookie safety made 198 tackles in his three seasons as a starter at Texas. Last year, he intercepted two passes and broke up seven others. He made 4.5 tackles for a loss last year with one sack and a forced fumble.
McCain – The longest-tenured member of the Dolphins defense, McCain was drafted in 2015 and has logged 3,071 snaps in his career. He's made 208 tackles (nine for loss) with 50 run stops, four sacks, six interceptions, and 25 pass breakups.
Rowe – After the Week 5 bye, Rowe transitioned to strong safety and enjoyed a breakout campaign, allowing 24 receptions on 45 targets (53 percent completion) for 227 yards (5.04 yards per target).
Specialists (3) – Blake Ferguson (LS), Matt Haack (P), Jason Sanders (K)
Ferguson – A four-year long snapper and team captain at LSU, Blake Ferguson showed off his athletic ability at the 2020 NFL Scouting Combine. He ran a 5.07 40-time and posted 31 inches on the vertical jump and 112 inches on the broad.
Haack – At 44.7 yards per punt on 239 career kicks, Matt Haack is the Dolphins all-time leader in net punting average.
Sanders – Jason Sanders is 41 for 50 on field goals in his career. His 82 percent successful field goal rate is the best in Dolphins history.
