The Miami Dolphins turned to the linebacker market again Friday, adding rookie Stephen Dix Jr. while also making an injury-related move on the offensive line.
Dix takes the roster spot left open when the team waived/injured guard James Ester, who was hurt Thursday during the joint practice with the New York Giants at the Baptist Health Training Complex. Ester went down while blocking on a running play and had trouble putting weight on his left leg as he left the field, eventually heading toward a cart with two trainers helping him.
The Dolphins had listed Ester second on the depth chart, but he still looked like a long shot to survive the cut to 53.
Dix comes in as an undrafted rookie who finished his college career at Arkansas after earlier stops at Florida State and Marshall. He spent the offseason with the Arizona Cardinals before being waived in June and going unclaimed until Miami brought him in.
Miami also had worked out Dix earlier this week as part of a group of six players that included Brenden Rice, the son of NFL legend Jerry Rice.
A native of Orlando, Dix posted his best college season at Arkansas in 2025, when he finished with 79 tackles. He was not invited to the scouting combine.
The Dolphins are back to 10 linebackers with the move, but they still appear to need bodies at the position for Saturday afternoon’s preseason game against the Giants. Rookie fourth-round pick Kyle Louis is listed as a linebacker, though he spent the week getting work at safety. Jordyn Brooks has not practiced all week because of an undisclosed injury, and Tyrel Dodson finished the joint practice barefoot and without his helmet and pads.
The rest of the linebacker group includes rookies Trey Moore and Jacob Rodriguez, along with Willie Gay Jr., Jackson Woodard, Ronnie Harrison Jr. and another newcomer, Cam Riley.
Dix is arriving with very little time to make a case for himself before the 53-man roster cuts, so the most realistic path may be convincing the coaching staff he belongs on the practice squad.
The Dolphins have been busy throughout August:
August 5 - Claimed TE Jeremiah Franklin off waivers from New England ... signed DL Fatorma Mulbah ... waived EDGE Seth Coleman-Lyles ... placed DL Rene Konga on injured reserve
August 7 - Signed S Tanner Wall ... claimed CB Ahmari Harvey off waivers from Pittsburgh ... waived QB Mark Gronowski ... waived/injured S Omar Brown
August 10 - Acquired G/T Caedan Wallace and a 2029 7th-round pick from New England for a 2028 6th-round pick ... signed CB Nick McCloud ... placed K Zane Gonzalez on IR ... waived RB Anthony Hankerson
August 16 - Signed QB Mark Gronowski and LB Cam Riley ... placed G/T Jamaree Salyer on IR ... waived/injured CB Ethan Robinson
August 17 - Activated WR Chris Bell off the Non-Football Injury list ... signed DL Cam Rice ... waived S Tanner Wall
August 18 - Signed EDGE Seth Coleman-Lyles ... waived/injured EDGE Mason Rieger
August 21 - Signed LB Stephen Dix Jr. ... waived/injured G James Ester
In Other News...
Jacob Rodriguez Is Giving Dolphins Fans One Real Reason For Optimism
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Rodriguez, the Dolphins second-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, has already put himself in position to keep building momentum in a bigger setting. He will get another chance to show what he can do in the upcoming preseason game against New York, where the Dolphins will be looking for more of the same from a young defender who has started to stand out. [Read more 🡒]
Kenneth Grant Is Already Facing A Tough Dolphins Reality Check
The Dolphins long view is already running through their young defensive front, and Kenneth Grant sits right in the middle of it. The 2025 first-round pick had a rocky rookie season, but Pro Football Focus still tabbed him as Miamis most likely breakout candidate for 2026, a sign that the intrigue around him has not gone away. Even with the roster adding more depth and the organization evaluating its second- and third-year players, Grant remains one of the names that could shape how this defense looks next season.
The problem is that he is also dealing with an injury, and Jeff Hafley has described the situation as week-to-week. That leaves Grant in an awkward spot, trying to build momentum while the Dolphins sort out where he fits compared with the other defensive tackles on the roster. For a player the team clearly wants to see take a step, the next few weeks will matter just as much as the long-term projection. [Read more 🡒]
Dolphins Rebuild Looks Even Deeper Than Fans Wanted To Admit
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Miami has already traded away players such as Minkah Fitzpatrick and Darren Waller, and the remaining options at those spots are viewed as short on depth and upside. Clays overall ranking of the roster at 32nd does not settle anything on the field, but it does underline the size of the job ahead for a team that still has to rebuild more than patch holes if it wants to climb back into contention. [Read more 🡒]