The Jets were awarded former Raiders tight end Clive Walford off waivers on Monday, but another AFC East club was also interested. The Dolphins put in a waiver claim for Walford, and were in fact the only other club to have done so, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
Offseason waivers claims are awarded in the same order as the NFL draft, so the Jets were able to use their higher priority in order to land Walford. Miami is clearly on the lookout for a new tight end after cutting ties with veteran Julius Thomas earlier this year, and Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald recently reported the Dolphins are prepared to explore the trade market at the position. At present, Miami’s tight end depth chart is headlined by A.J. Derby, MarQueis Gray, and Thomas Duarte.
Walford would have given the Dolphins a youthful option that also has experience, as the former third-round pick is still only 26 years old but has 44 games under his belt. Although he averaged 30 receptions, 344 yards, and three touchdowns during his first two years in Oakland, Walford cratered with only nine catches and 80 yards a season ago.