Miami Dolphins News & Rumors

Minor NFL Transactions: 12/11/24

Wednesday’s minor roster updates:

Atlanta Falcons

  • Signed to active roster: RB Carlos Washington Jr.
  • Placed on IR: RB Jase McClellan

Buffalo Bills

Chicago Bears

Cleveland Browns

Los Angeles Rams

  • Reverted to season-ending IR: G KT Leveston

Miami Dolphins

New York Giants

New York Jets

Seattle Seahawks

It’s unfortunate news for the rookie second-round safety, Nubin. After starting the first 13 games of his first season in the NFL, the top-drafted safety in the 2024 NFL Draft will end the year on injured reserve with an ankle injury. Nubin had graded out as the 34th-best safety in the league, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required), before the injury.

Charles will miss the remainer of the season, as well, and perhaps some of next year. The former undrafted receiver will be undergoing surgery for a torn ACL.

Panthers G Robert Hunt Felt Dolphins’ Extension Offer Was “Disrespectful”

In order to convince Robert Hunt to come to Charlotte this offseason, the Panthers made him just the fourth guard in league history to enjoy a $20MM/year contract, authorizing a five-year, $100MM accord that features $44MM in fully-guaranteed money. While Hunt’s original team, the Dolphins, were interested in retaining their 2020 second-rounder, it sounds as if Miami stopped well short of where Carolina was willing to go.

Although Hunt did not talk details, he acknowledged that the ‘Fins made an extension offer near the tail end of the 2023 campaign.

“Late in December they made an offer,” Hunt said (via Joseph Person of The Athletic (subscription required)). “I just thought it was a little disrespectful. It screamed that we’re not gonna pay.”

Hunt, 28, played in just 11 games last year due to injury, but he established himself as one of the game’s better guards after the Dolphins moved him from right tackle to the interior of the line in 2021. Pro Football Focus considered him a top-12 guard in both 2022 and 2023, and with the Panthers anxious to give second-year quarterback Bryce Young adequate protection and to improve their rushing attack, they were prepared to pay top dollar for Hunt’s services.

At 3-9, Carolina is suffering through another difficult season, but as Person notes, the club is pleased with the return on its Hunt investment. His pass-blocking metrics have regressed to a degree, so he is presently ranked as PFF’s 21st-best guard out of 73 qualified players. Those struggles in the passing game were on display during the Panthers’ recent loss to the Chiefs and defensive lineman Chris Jones, who is one of the game’s most fearsome interior rushers.

Of course, Jones gets the best of many opposing blockers, and the Panthers’ staff is not concerned about Hunt moving forward.

Said run game coordinator Harold Goodwin, “Rob had some good battles with [Jones]. Rob won some. [Jones] won some. So it was good ebb and flow to the competition. We’ve just gotta get Rob’s hands and feet more coordinated. I think … Rob was pressing because he knew who it was.”

Even with the downturn in the pass-blocking component of his game, it appears that Hunt’s efforts this season — to say nothing of his contract status — have entrenched him as one of the foundational pieces of the roster for the foreseeable future.

Minor NFL Transactions: 12/7/24

Saturday’s minor transactions, including gameday practice squad elevations:

Atlanta Falcons

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Jacksonville Jaguars

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Eagles starting tight end Dallas Goedert has been placed on injured reserve, so Jenkins will come up from the practice squad for a little added depth.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/4/24

Today’s practice squad transactions:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Dallas Cowboys

Las Vegas Raiders

Miami Dolphins

  • Signed: CB Jason Maitre

Minnesota Vikings

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

San Francisco 49ers

Minor NFL Transactions: 12/4/24

Today’s minor moves:

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Detroit Lions

Kansas City Chiefs

Miami Dolphins

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

  • Designated for return: LB Dyontae Johnson

Philadelphia Eagles

San Francisco 49ers

Tennessee Titans

Spencer Shrader‘s hamstring injury will knock him out for the next four weeks, and with Harrison Butker eventually set to return, the fill-in kicker’s stint with the Chiefs has likely come to an end. Temporarily, the team will turn to their third kicker in Matthew Wright. The veteran filled in for Shrader this past weekend, connecting on four of his five field goal tries.

Former Dolphins second-round pick Cam Smith landed on IR today, likely ending his disappointing sophomore campaign. The cornerback did get more run in 2024 vs. his rookie season, but he was still limited to only 16 tackles in six games thanks to a pair of IR stints. This time, it’s a shoulder issue that will put the South Carolina product on the shelf.

Saints safety Roderic Teamer was hit with a three-game ban today for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy, per Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 in Houston. Mike Triplett of NewOrleans.football notes that Teamer’s unpaid ban is “the conclusion of his DUI arrest” in 2023 (when he was with the Raiders). Teamer was limited to only a pair of appearances this season, with all of his snaps coming on special teams.

Titans lineman Jaelyn Duncan returned to practice today after missing the past six games while nursing a hamstring injury. The former sixth-round pick could actually see a significant role upon his return, with Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com noting that the second-year player could get a look at right tackle once he’s fully healthy.

Dolphins’ Bradley Chubb, Cameron Goode To Return To Practice

The Dolphins’ front seven is set to receive a pair of reinforcements in the near future. Both Bradley Chubb and Cameron Goode could be back in the lineup as early as Week 14.

Chubb and Goode will return to practice Wednesday, head coach Mike McDaniel said (via Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald). That will start their respective 21-day activation windows; provided both players are moved to the active roster within that span, they will be eligible to suit up down the stretch. Chubb and Goode are on the reserve/PUP list, so bringing them back will not affect Miami’s remaining injured reserve activations.

Chubb suffered an ACL tear last December, making him one of several key defenders who was unavailable to the Dolphins during the playoffs. McDaniel recently expressed optimism the former Bronco would be able to play at some point in 2024, and today’s update is an encouraging one in that respect. Goode, meanwhile, was believed to be further ahead of Chubb in his rehab from a torn patellar tendon, but he will see his practice window opened at the same time.

Miami’s pass rush has been shorthanded all year, and Chubb’s absence has been key in that regard. The two-time Pro Bowler amassed 11 sacks last season, his first full one with the Dolphins. Expectations were high that he and Jaelan Phillips would be able to remain productive upon returning to health from their respective 2023 injuries. Phillips went down with a season-ending knee injury in Week 4, though, which exacerbated Chubb’s absence.

The Dolphins sit 29th in the NFL with only 21 sacks on the year. Getting Chubb back in particular will help in that department (although expectations in his case will be tempered given his long time out of the fold), especially since Tyus Bowser is on injured reserve. Miami could have added a veteran presence along the edge in the form of Shaquil Barrett, but the team declined to activate him from the reserve/retired list last week.

Goode 26, was selected in the seventh round of the 2022 draft but he did not make his regular season debut until last year. The Cal product played 17 games in 2023, handling a heavy special teams workload. That will likely remain the case for the closing stages of the campaign once he is activated.

Mike McDaniel Addresses Dolphins’ Shaq Barrett Decision

When Shaq Barrett retired in July, it appeared his playing days were over. That decision came not long after he had signed a one-year Dolphins deal, a pact he could have played out over the closing weeks of the campaign had he been reinstated before yesterday’s deadline.

Instead, Miami elected to keep Barrett on the reserve/retired list, choosing to take that route rather than waiving him and therefore opening the door to finishing out the season on a different team. The situation developed quickly, with the two-time Super Bowl champion’s application for reinstatement only taking place on Tuesday. The Dolphins were caught off guard by the move and ultimately committed to their edge rush options already on the roster.

As detailed by Adam Beasley of Pro Football Network, Miami was unaware of Barrett’s desire to play in 2024 until his attempt to be reinstated was made. He adds that many around the league were of the belief the two-time Pro Bowler intended to be let go upon being activated and join another team, something the Dolphins prevented. When speaking about the matter, head coach Mike McDaniel said “the timing wasn’t necessarily ideal” to bring Barrett in, adding his preference that “the players who deserve to be here” remain on the active roster.

“It wasn’t any measured situation like that posturing one way or the other,” McDaniel added when speaking to the media about the Barrett situation. “Like I said we just found out on a day that I had a press conference… It wasn’t whether he wanted to play there or here. He knew we had his contractual rights, so it was more of where we are at, and let’s look at our roster.”

Barrett’s contract will toll, meaning Miami will still control his rights next season. For now, the team will move forward with an edge rush group which lost Jaelan Phillips for the season and will be without Tyus Bowser for the foreseeable futureBradley Chubb has yet to make his season debut, but that could happen before the campaign is over. Chubb continues to rehab his 2023 ACL tear, and if he returns to action he will take on a notable role alongside first-round rookie Chop Robinson. Regardless of if that happens or not, Barrett will not play a part down the stretch.

Dolphins Will Not Activate Shaq Barrett

Shaq Barrett‘s attempts to resume his career in 2024 have fallen short. The veteran edge rusher will remain on the reserve/retired list past today’s activation deadline, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

The move means Barrett will not be eligible to suit up for Miami this season. Rapoport adds the team also does not intend to place Barrett on waivers, something which would have allowed him to join a new team either via a claim or as a free agent. Any further efforts on his part to play again in the NFL will need to wait until 2025 as a result. Retired players cannot reach free agency, so the two-time Pro Bowler’s contract will toll.

Barrett joined the Dolphins on a one-year deal in free agency, a move which appeared to set him up to serve a notable edge rushing role during the early portion of the campaign in particular. Bradley Chubb has still yet to make his season debut, while Jaelan Phillips is out for the year due to a knee injury. Barrett applied for reinstatement on Tuesday, and he reportedly expressed a willingness to play for Miami over the closing weeks of the season.

It was uncertain whether or not the team would reciprocate the feeling, however, and today’s update confirms Barrett is not in the Dolphins’ plans. Chubb could still play at some point this season, and the decision not to activate Barrett might be a sign of optimism he will be suiting up soon. In any case, Miami will move forward with a pass-rushing contingent including first-round rookie Chop Robinson along with veterans Emmanuel Ogbah and Tyus Bowser until Chubb is activated.

Barrett’s decision to retire came as a surprise to the Dolphins at the time, although it was one he had been contemplating. The 32-year-old won a Super Bowl with both the Broncos and Buccaneers, racking up 59 sacks in 131 career games. He could still manage to add to those totals if he elects to resume his unretirement efforts during the offseason. Failing that, however, his playing days are over.

Minor NFL Transactions: 11/28/24

Thanksgiving Day minor moves from around the NFL:

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Cincinnati Bengals

Houston Texans

Las Vegas Raiders

Miami Dolphins

Quitoriano’s injury struggles continue. The depth tight end who often appears in running plays and multi-tight end sets has yet to prove he can stay on the field for much more than half a season. After appearing in 16 games (11 starts) over his first two years in the NFL, Quitoriano was only able to appear in seven games (four starts) before hitting injured reserve this year. Signed off the Bears’ practice squad to make up for the season-ending loss of Brevin Jordan, Quitoriano’s loss leaves Dalton Schultz and Cade Stover as the only healthy tight ends on the active roster as Quitoriano joins Jordan and Dalton Keene on IR. Houston has veteran Irv Smith on the practice squad, as well.

Dolphins Activate QB Tyler Huntley, Place OLB Tyus Bowser On IR

Tua Tagovailoa will handle starting duties for the Dolphins tonight, but a different backup quarterback option will be in place. Tyler Huntley has been activated from injured reserve, per a team announcement.

[RELATED: Dolphins Decline To Activate Shaq Barrett]

A shoulder injury led Huntley onto IR in October, just as Tagovailoa returned from his concussion. The latter has remained healthy since, helping guide Miami to three straight wins as part of the team’s push for the postseason. He will of course continue operating as the Dolphins’ starter, but now Huntley will be available to serve as the backup.

The former UDFA began the season on the Ravens’ practice squad, but in the wake of Tagovailoa’s concussion he joined Miami’s roster. That move allowed Huntley to make three starts for the Dolphins prior to suffering his own injury, and in that span he did not put up notable production through the air or on the ground. Expectations will be tempered if the 26-year-old sees the field again in 2024, but he could take over from Skylar Thompson in the QB2 role. This move leaves Miami with three IR activations on the year.

In a corresponding move, edge rusher Tyus Bowser has been moved to injured reserve. Bowser made a pair of appearances with the Seahawks this season, his first regular season action since the 2022 campaign. The 29-year-old took a deal to join Miami’s active roster in October, though, reuniting with former Ravens staffer (and current Dolphins defensive coordinator) Anthony Weaver in the process.

Bowser has been a key figure at his position since arriving in Miami, logging a defensive snap share of 52%. He will now be sidelined for at least the next four games, and his absence will be felt given the team’s other injuries along the edge. Jaelan Phillips is out for the season, while Bradley Chubb has yet to suit up in 2024 as he continues rehabbing the ACL tear which ended his campaign last year. Chubb could suit up at some point this season, and with Bowser now out of the picture he could immediately step into a significant role.