The Dolphins entered cutdown day knowing their roster still wasn’t finished. Miami has already made its share of tough calls, but the real work now is sorting through the league-wide pile of available players and finding help where the roster still looks thin.
That matters more for this team than most. The Dolphins didn’t have a lot of room to chase upgrades in free agency, and that limited their ability to compete for the kinds of low-end veterans who usually end up filling out a roster.
Now that teams have moved on from players, Miami can at least shop with a little more urgency. There are some names out there who could help right away, and others who might be worth a longer look.
Safety is one spot that stands out. Miami released Lonnie Johnson Jr. on Sunday, and he was the most experienced player in that group.
The Dolphins’ safeties haven’t shown much growth through camp, so Geno Stone is the kind of surprising cut that could make sense. Stone has 14 interceptions and 21 passes defended in his career, and he has started 53 games over six seasons.
He signed with the Bills this offseason after spending the previous two years with the Bengals, where he started all 17 games in each season. Before that, he spent four seasons with the Ravens.
The offensive line is another area where the Dolphins could use insurance. Wanya Morris was traded to the Falcons by the Chiefs two months ago, and Atlanta then moved on from him.
Morris started 11 games for Kansas City in 2024, but only one last season. He originally came into the league as an undrafted free agent in 2023.
Miami could use a body like that if Austin Jackson were to go down, especially with the line still lacking depth.
Up front on defense, Mazi Smith is another option. The former first-round pick was part of the Cowboys’ trade for Quinnen Williams, and the Jets ended up cutting him after using him sparingly last season.
Smith started 15 games for Dallas in 2024, but he appeared in only eight games total last year, including three with New York. With the Dolphins potentially starting the season without Kenneth Grant, Smith could be a cheap way to add more interior depth.
At receiver, Cedric Tillman is the kind of cut that turns heads. Cleveland’s decision to let him go surprised most of the league, and it came before the Browns finished their 2026 preseason schedule.
Tillman was a third-round pick in 2023 and started 19 games over three seasons with the Browns. He brings good speed and solid hands, though there are some minor concerns about his attitude.
Even with that, he still looks like a better bet than the players at the bottom of Miami’s wideout room.
Cornerback is another obvious need, and Sean Murphy-Bunting would give the Dolphins an experienced option. Arizona released him after he had not played since 2024 because of an ACL injury.
He was trying to make the Cardinals’ roster this year after spending last season with them. Before that, Murphy-Bunting spent one year with the Titans and four with the Buccaneers.
He has started 62 of 85 career games and picked off 11 passes. For Miami, he would bring veteran depth to a secondary that needs it.
There’s also a name at tight end worth noting. Justin Joly, a fifth-round pick from last April, is being released by Denver, which is unusual in itself. The Broncos’ move was a surprise, and the Dolphins’ depth and injuries at tight end make him a possible fit in a room that is still very much in transition.
In Other News...
Former Dolphins Just Put Miami's Roster Depth Back In The Spotlight
Cutdown day around the league sent a few familiar names back onto the market, and it quickly turned Miamis roster depth into a live conversation again. Several former Dolphins who had landed with new teams were let go as clubs trimmed to their initial 53-man rosters, putting wide receiver Trent Sherfield, defensive lineman Emmanuel Ogbah and linebacker Elandon Roberts among the available veterans who once filled important roles in South Florida.
The most intriguing name for Dolphins fans may be cornerback Kader Kohou, whose availability adds another layer to Miamis secondary picture. With the roster always subject to late tweaks this time of year, the possibility of a reunion is the kind of back-end move that can tell you a lot about how the front office views its current depth and whether it wants more insurance before the season settles in. [Read more 🡒]
Dolphins May Have Finally Fixed Their Backup Quarterback Problem
The Dolphins spent the week reshaping the bottom of their quarterback room, moving Quinn Ewers to Jacksonville for a 2028 sixth-round pick while also waiving Cam Miller and Mark Gronowski. In return, Miami brought in Kyle McCord from Green Bay for the same kind of draft compensation, a swap that gives the team a more defined pecking order behind starter Malik Willis.
McCord is expected to handle the primary backup role, which is the part of this story Miami has been trying to settle for a while. For a team that wants stability if the starter has to miss time, the move at least gives the Dolphins a clearer answer, even if the real test will come only if Willis ever has to watch from the sideline. [Read more 🡒]
Dolphins Fringe Roster Decisions Just Put Several Jobs On Notice
The Dolphins got through the first major roster cutdown with the kind of urgency that always makes this time of year feel like a deadline and a tryout rolled into one. Led by general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan and coach Jeff Hafley, Miami trimmed the roster from 91 players to 53 as it starts shaping its 2026 squad, with the initial group giving the team a first look at how the depth chart is taking form.
Even with the first 53-man roster in place, this still feels more like a checkpoint than a final answer. Miami plans to keep working the waiver wire and the free-agent market before Week 1, which means some of the players who survived the first cut are hardly safe, and a few others who missed out could still find their way back into the mix before the opener. [Read more 🡒]