Dolphins Release Brent Grimes

WEDNESDAY, 3:00pm: The Dolphins have tweeted confirmation of Grimes’ release.

2:52pm: The Dolphins are cutting Grimes, per Albert Breer of NFL.com (Twitter link).

9:15am: According to Kelly (via Twitter), the Dolphins have now asked Grimes if he’d be willing to stay in Miami. With the Dolphins/Eagles trade in jeopardy, Miami is presumably exploring a contingency plan in case that deal falls through. As Kelly notes though, the “damage is done” with Grimes, so it’s hard to imagine him wearing a Dolphins uniform in 2016. We’ll see how the situation plays out.

MONDAY, 1:26pm: The Dolphins are expected to release cornerback Brent Grimes in the near future, sources tell Omar Kelly of the South Florida Sun Sentinel. According to Kelly, the Dolphins approached Grimes about restructuring his contract, and the defensive back declined, preferring to his unrestricted free agency.

While the move has not yet been made official, it seems the two sides are “past the point of no return,” Kelly writes. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com chimes in on the story as well, tweeting that the Dolphins figure to officially cut Grimes when they acquire his replacement.

[RELATED: Dolphins, Eagles discussing Byron Maxwell trade]

Of course, it was Rapoport who reported earlier today that the Dolphins have engaged in discussions with the Eagles about a possible trade for cornerback Byron Maxwell. If Maxwell heads to Miami, releasing Grimes would make sense, both in terms of creating a spot on the depth chart and freeing up some cap room to accommodate the move.

Still, it doesn’t sound like anything is done yet between the Dolphins and Eagles, and it’s possible Miami has another replacement in mind for Grimes. Pro Football Talk tweets that the decision to cut Grimes could mean that the Dolphins are confident they have a shot to land free agent cornerback Adam Jones, who played under new Miami defensive coordinator Vance Joseph in Cincinnati. Because the legal tampering window is now open, the Dolphins can engage in talks with Jones’ reps.

Grimes is coming off his third straight Pro Bowl season, so if Miami cuts him, it would be a bit of a surprise. Still, he’ll turn 33 this July, his cap hit is one of the team’s largest, and the new coaching staff may not view him as an ideal fit.

If and when Grimes’ release becomes official, the Dolphins would create $6.5MM in cap savings, or $8MM if he’s designated a post-June 1 cut. He’s currently set to count for $9.5MM against the team’s 2016 cap, with $3MM in total dead money.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.