The Miami Dolphins are down to the NFL-mandated 53-man roster, and the first wave of moves has already started to reshape the bottom of the depth chart. On Monday, Miami announced a flurry of roster transactions, the kind that usually send a few players from “made the team” to “back on the market” in a hurry.
Even with that churn, three names still jump out as real camp wins: Jackson Woodard, Keith Cooper Jr. and D.J. Herman. Each one arrived with long odds, and each one did enough to force the Dolphins to keep him around.
Woodard is the one who keeps popping up in this conversation. The free agent linebacker has been described as a mini-Andrew Van Ginkel, and the comparison makes sense for the way he’s played.
He’s shown a nose for the ball, steady tackling and the kind of physical edge Jeff Hafley wants to see. His biggest issue is experience.
Last season, he bounced around three teams and appeared in just four games, including three with Miami late in the year. That made him easy to overlook heading into camp.
Instead, he used training camp to get noticed and made a case the Dolphins couldn’t brush aside.
Cooper’s path was different, but just as surprising. The defensive tackle’s play has stood out enough that making the 53 doesn’t feel like a fluke.
Miami will open the year without Kenneth Grant, who was placed on injured reserve, and Cooper showed he could help fill that gap. He got more reps than players in his position usually see because of injuries to Grant and Zach Sieler, and he made them count.
He held up in the middle, helped push running backs back outside and played with the kind of toughness that fits what the Dolphins want up front.
Then there’s Herman, the kind of player who usually disappears before the final roster is even set. Miami needed help at fullback, even though the team may not carry one at all.
Alec Ingold left in free agency when he rejoined Mike McDaniel in L.A., and Herman came in as a camp body to fill a spot that wasn’t guaranteed to exist. The undrafted rookie kept fighting anyway.
He played hard, brought physicality and didn’t hide from his mistakes. Instead, he owned them, learned from them and kept working.
His TE/FB listing also helped, because versatility under Jeff Hafley matters. Herman probably wasn’t supposed to make this team, but he did, and that says plenty about how much he impressed the staff.
In Other News...
Dolphins Roster Churn Just Created Some Unexpected Depth Battles
The Dolphins roster picture changed quickly after the initial 53-man cutdown, and the front office wasted little time adding more competition across the board. Miami landed seven players off waivers and also signed former Chiefs edge rusher Malik Herring, a clear sign the team still sees opportunities to strengthen depth and potentially improve a few spots before the season settles in.
To make room, the Dolphins released or waived eight players, including Clelin Ferrell, A.J. Green III and Max Llewellyn, underscoring how fluid the back end of the roster can be this time of year. What comes next is a fresh round of depth battles, with the newcomers arriving not just as bodies for camp, but as legitimate challengers who could push for roles in Miamis rotation. [Read more 🡒]
Dolphins Take Another Flier On Two Familiar Draft Names
The Dolphins added eight players to the practice squad, and two of the more interesting names are a pair of former first-round picks who already know what the NFL looks like. Defensive tackle Mazi Smith and edge rusher Clelin Ferrell both arrive with previous league experience, and both were picked up after being released by other teams, giving Miami a chance to take another look at players whose pro careers have not followed a straight line.
For a roster that is always searching for useful depth up front, the moves make sense as a low-risk way to widen the pool. Miami also moved on from quarterback Mark Gronowski to make room, a reminder that practice-squad churn is part of the weekly business as the Dolphins keep sorting through familiar names and trying to find help wherever it might be hiding. [Read more 🡒]
Dolphins Just Reshaped The Back End Of Their Roster Again
The Dolphins continued to churn the bottom of their roster, adding eight players to the practice squad as they look to keep options open across all three phases. Among the new additions are linebacker Liam Anderson, edge rushers Clelin Ferrell and Amari Gainer, defensive linemen Jordan Miller and Mazi Smith, wide receiver Will Sheppard, cornerback Jaylin Simpson and tight end Tre Watson, a group that gives Miami a little more depth and flexibility heading into the next stretch.
Miami also moved on from quarterback Mark Gronowski to clear a spot, and none of the players waived earlier this week to make room for waiver claims were brought back. It is the kind of quiet but constant roster maintenance that often says as much about a teams planning as any headline move, especially for a Dolphins club still sorting out its preferred mix of young developmental pieces and experienced depth. [Read more 🡒]