Dolphins Make Roster Cuts

Miami will trim roster to 53 Friday, could add free agent WR before the day is over

The preseason is over, and the Miami Dolphins are making plenty of moves on Friday ahead of the NFL's 9 p.m. deadline to trim rosters from 75 players to 53.

The team has already started making the cuts necessary to finalize its roster. According to the Miami Herald, WRs Clyde Gates, BJ Cunningham, and Roberto Wallace, DE Jamaal Westerman, CB Quinten Lawrence, and LBs Cameron Collins, Ryan Baker, Gary Guyton, and Vince Agnew have been released as of Friday morning.

Though Miami must make all its cuts by 9:00, the team has a practice scheduled for 4:15, so it is likely that the team could have its roster down to 53 players by the time practice starts.

QBs David Garrard and Matt Moore have not been released, but one or both of them could be gone very soon in order to clear salary cap space. Both were expected to compete for the starting job, but were beat out by rookie Ryan Tannehill.

Garrard had been the early leader to win the starting job when training camp opened, but has been out for three weeks after undergoing knee surgery. Moore had a dreadful preseason, and could be trade bait for a team in need of a seasoned veteran backup.

While cutdown day is often overlooked by fans who are unfamiliar with many of the players losing jobs, today's roster moves have not reflected too kindly on Dolphins general manager Jeff Ireland. He drafted Gates in 2011 and Cunningham in 2012, and signed Wallace as an undrafted free agent in 2010. Now, Ireland would rather take his chances on receivers waived by other teams.

Making Ireland's past moves look even worse, the team is reportedly talking to Washington about trading RB Steve Slaton to the Redskins for WR Anthony Armstrong. Armstrong was cut from the Dolphins' practice squad in 2009, now the team must give up an asset just to get him back.

The Dolphins brought in WRs Donte Stallworth, Brian Tyms and Mike Sims-Walker for workouts on Thursday. Stallworth and Sims-Walker are both veterans who were cut earlier this preseason, while Tyms is a rookie recently released by San Francisco.

Contact Us