The Miami Dolphins kept busy after the waiver wire and kept it going into the practice squad phase, adding two more former first-round picks on Tuesday.
Defensive tackle Mazi Smith and edge rusher Clelin Ferrell are among eight players the team signed to the practice squad. To make room, the Dolphins released quarterback Mark Gronowski from the practice squad.
“Roster Moves | We have signed the following players to the practice squad,” the Dolphins said. “ILB Liam Anderson, EDGE Clelin Ferrell, EDGE Amari Gainer, DL Jordan Miller, WR Will Sheppard, CB Jaylin Simpson, DL Mazi Smith, TE Tre Watson. We have also released QB Mark Gronowski from the practice squad.”
Smith arrives after a short path through the league. He was a first-round pick of the Dallas Cowboys in the 2023 NFL Draft, then was moved to the New York Jets as part of the deal that sent Quinnen Williams to Dallas. The Jets let the 25-year-old go when they trimmed their roster this offseason.
Over his career, Smith has appeared in 42 games and made 20 starts. He has 57 combined tackles, including 31 solo stops, and two sacks.
Ferrell brings a longer resume and even more draft pedigree. The former Clemson star went No. 4 overall to the then-Oakland Raiders in the 2019 NFL Draft.
After four seasons there, he moved to the San Francisco 49ers in 2023. From there, he logged time with the Washington Commanders in 2024-25, played one game for the Los Angeles Chargers, and then returned to San Francisco last year for eight games.
Ferrell now lands on Miami’s practice squad with 98 career games played and 57 starts. He has totaled 184 tackles, 97 of them solo, along with 21 sacks, four forced fumbles, and two fumble recoveries.
In Other News...
Dolphins Final Roster Has A Few Unexpected Winners To Watch
The Dolphins have set their 53-man roster, and a few names that might not have been penciled in a month ago are suddenly part of the conversation. Jackson Woodard, Keith Cooper Jr. and D.J. Herman all played their way into jobs with steady camp work, and their inclusion says plenty about how Miami weighed performance, consistency and versatility as it built out the back end of the roster.
Kenneth Grants injury also shaped some of those decisions, leaving the Dolphins to sort through a few unexpected options as they head into the season. For players like Woodard, Cooper and Herman, the challenge now shifts from surviving camp to proving they can carry that momentum into a much different stage, where roster spots are earned all over again once the games count. [Read more 🡒]
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 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 🡒]