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The Miami Dolphins have continued their roster moves the day after their 17-10 win over the Washington Redskins in Week 1 of the NFL 2015 season. After releasing running back LaMike James and promoting tight end Jake Stoneburner earlier in the day, the team also announced the return of offensive lineman Jacques McClendon this afternoon. The team waived center Sam Brenner and running back Jonas Gray in the corresponding roster moves.
McClendon was released on Friday, clearing him off the roster prior to the team's Week 1 contest. Under NFL rules, any vested veteran on the roster for a team's Week 1 contest has their entire 2015 salary become guaranteed. If a player is not on a roster for Week 1, but is signed after it, he essentially becomes a week-to-week player, with the team able to release him without eating the rest of the cost of the contract. That seems to be why Miami made the move with McClendon on Friday, only to bring him back to the team on Monday.
Brenner, who was promoted when McClendon was released and backed up starting center Mike Pouncey during the Redskins game, had been on the practice squad. If he clears waivers tomorrow, the team will likely try to re-sign him to the practice squad, though they had to pay him above the practice squad minimum to keep him in Miami last time, with multiple other teams interested in signing him.
Gray, who was waived by the New England Patriots at the end of the Preseason, returned to Miami this year after having spent the 2012 season with the Dolphins, who signed him as an undrafted free agent out of Notre Dame. He saw his first playing time last year in eight games with the Patriots last year. He was initially signed to the practice squad, then promoted ahead of Sunday's game. Now, it appears Miami will try to put him back on the practice squad.
The move of waiving Gray makes roster space for Raheem Mostert, a practice squad player from the Philadelphia Eagles who it was earlier reported will sign with the Dolphins.