Jamal Perry

Dolphins Reduce Roster To 53 Players

The Dolphins began trimming their roster yesterday, cutting 14 players. That made today’s daunting task a bit more bearable, but the team still had to cut a number of players to get to the 53-player roster limit:

Released:

Waived:

Waived/injured:

Placed on reserve/PUP:

Placed on IR:

Nik Needham, a 2019 UDFA out of UTEP, has spent his entire career with the Dolphins, appearing in 51 games (27 starts). He started five of his six appearances in 2022 before landing on IT in October with a torn Achilles tendon. His placement on PUP means he can’t make his season debut until at least Week 5.

Tight end Tyler Kroft signed with the Dolphins back in May, but the veteran was unable to beat our younger options for a roster spot. Kroft has seen time in 92 career games (52 starts), hauling in 105 catches for 1,081 yards and 13 touchdowns. He spent the 2022 campaign with the 49ers, collecting four receptions in 11 games (four starts).

Dolphins Sign WR Keke Coutee, CB Jamal Perry

Keke Coutee has not needed to wait long to find his next NFL home. The depth wideout has landed a deal with the Dolphins, the team announced on Sunday.

Coutee signed with the Saints in June, but he was released on Friday. That allowed him to search for a better opportunity with respect to securing a 53-man roster spot, and he will look to earn one in Miami. Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle are comfortably set atop the Dolphins’ WR depth chart, while Cedrick Wilson and Braxton Berrios should be considered roster locks as key complimentary players.

The latter required stitches after a collision on a punt return during Miami’s preseason opener, writes Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. Berrios is expected to miss a few days as a result, which could leave training camp snaps available for Coutee right away. The 26-year-old’s most productive seasons came with the Texans to begin his career, including a 400-yard campaign in 2020. Coutee played sparingly with the Colts over the past two years.

The former fourth-rounder will compete with the likes of Chosen Anderson and Erik Ezukanma for a depth receiver spot. Coutee has experience as a returner, having handled 17 punts with the Colts in 2022. That special teams value could help him avoid roster cutdowns at the end of the preseason as he looks to secure a full-time spot late in the offseason.

The Dolphins also announced the return of cornerback Jamal Perry. The 28-year-old first joined the team in 2019, and he made 17 appearances between the two following seasons. Perry’s 2021 campaign was cut short by a season-ending knee injury, and he spent part of 2022 on Miami’s practice squad. The Iowa State alum will aim to return to the lineup and remain healthy as he resumes his tenure in South Beach.

To make room for Coutee and Perry, wideout Freddie Swain and corner Mark Gilbert were each waived with an injury designation. Jackson notes that Swain suffered a hamstring injury on Friday. Gilbert, meanwhile, signed with the Dolphins earlier this month after bouncing around Pittsburgh and Detroit earlier in his career.

Dolphins Work Out CB Malcolm Butler

It’s been quiet on the Malcolm Butler front, but the veteran cornerback did get a look from an NFL team earlier today. ESPN’s Field Yates reports (via Twitter) that Butler worked out for the Dolphins.

[RELATED: Patriots Release CB Malcolm Butler From IR]

The Dolphins recently lost cornerback Nik Needham for the season, and Byron Jones has yet to hit the practice field after starting the season on PUP. Kader Kohou and Keion Crossen also missed Sunday’s game with injuries, and safety Brandon Jones went down during Sunday’s win over the Steelers.

Butler would be a logical target considering he played under Dolphins DC Josh Boyer when the two were in New England. The cornerback joined the Patriots for a second stint with the organization this past offseason, but after mostly working with the backups during the preseason, he landed on IR before final roster cuts, meaning he wouldn’t see the field for New England in 2021. The Patriots ended up cutting Butler from IR, allowing him to sign with another team during the 2022 campaign.

The 32-year-old hasn’t taken the field since the 2020 season, when he had a career-high 100 tackles in 16 starts for the Titans. After earning his walking papers from Tennessee, he caught on with the Cardinals for the 2021 campaign, but right before the start of the regular season, he announced that he was retiring from the NFL for personal reasons.

The Dolphins also auditioned Jamal Perry, who was ultimately signed to the practice squad. It’s uncertain whether the addition of Perry would rule out a Butler signing. Wide receivers Alex Bachman, Calvin Jackson, and Dede Westbrook also worked out for Miami today, per Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com (on Twitter).

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/25/22

Today’s practice squad moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Cleveland Browns

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Indianapolis Colts

  • Signed: P Nolan Cooney, LB Forrest Rhyne
  • Released: WR DeMichael Harris, CB Ryan Smith

Las Vegas Raiders

Miami Dolphins

New York Giants

  • Signed: TE Andre Miller

New York Jets

Seattle Seahawks

Dolphins’ Jamal Perry Done For Year

Jamal Perry‘s knee injury will be a season-ender, as Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald tweets. Unfortunately, this was the expected news after Perry was carted off the field last week against the Jets. 

[RELATED: Dolphins, Howard Restructure Deal]

Perry, 27, jockeyed between the Dolphins’ practice squad and active roster throughout the year. His season will end after four tackles in four appearances with the bulk of his time coming on special teams. Perry has seen more significant action in the past, however, including 2019 season when he made six starts. The Dolphins have replenished their defensive back depth by signing safety Will Parks off of the 49ers’ practice squad, but they may look to add a corner in the coming days.

Meanwhile, linebacker Brennan Scarlett‘s knee injury isn’t quite as serious, according to Jackson. He also placed on injured reserve following Sunday’s game, but he could return in as little as three weeks.

The Dolphins are riding a three-game winning streak heading into this week’s game against the Panthers. While they face long odds of winning the Wild Card, they still have a ~6% chance of pulling out a playoff berth, according to Five Thirty Eight.

Minor NFL Transactions: 11/24/21

Here are Wednesday’s minor moves:

Chicago Bears

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New York Giants

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

Tennessee Titans

Minor NFL Transactions: 11/17/21

Today’s minor moves:

Carolina Panthers

Jacksonville Jaguars

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

Miami Dolphins

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

New York Jets

San Francisco 49ers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Washington Football Team

Minor NFL Transactions: 10/30/21

Here is the Week 8 Saturday minor move blitz:

Atlanta Falcons

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Jets 

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Washington Football Team

Minor NFL Transactions: 9/18/21

The customary Saturday minor moves avalanche:

Arizona Cardinals

Baltimore Ravens

Chicago Bears

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

  • Promoted: WR DeMichael Harris

Jacksonville Jaguars

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Jets

San Francisco 49ers

Tennessee Titans

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/14/21

Today’s practice squad moves:

Atlanta Falcons

Carolina Panthers

  • Released: OL Mike Hortond

Dallas Cowboysmia

Denver Broncos

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Kansas City Chiefs

Miami Dolphins

New Orleans Saints

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

San Francisco 49ers

Tennessee Titans