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The NFL’s roster size changes at 4pm ET today, moving from the 90-man roster of the preseason down to the 53-man roster of the regular season. The Miami Dolphins got a slight head start on pairing their roster down toward the 53-man size with some moves on Friday. The team has not officially announced any of these moves, but they have all been reported by either the player’s agent or various members of the media.
The reports of cuts started with a mild surprise with the release of punter Matt Darr. Darr and undrafted rookie Matt Haack were in a position battle all summer, with the rookie staying about even, or maybe slightly ahead, of the veteran. At the end of the day, the Dolphins chose to move ahead with the left-footed Haack, in part because of his ability on the field, and in part because he is a cheaper option this year for the team, and next year when Darr was scheduled to hit free agency.
The release of Darr was reported by his agent.
The rest of the day saw a trickle of veterans and rookies the Dolphins will be releasing. Offensive lineman Avery Young, who could be a practice squad option for the team, was released, according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. Jackson also reported the Dolphins would be releasing defensive linemen Nick Williams and Lawrence Okoye, along with wide receiver Rashad Lawrence.
Jackson then added defensive lineman Julius Warmsley to the list, while the South Florida Sun-Sentinel’s Omar Kelly reported the team would be releasing offensive lineman Isame Faciane. Finally, the Palm Beach Post’s Joe Schad reported the Dolphins would be cutting linebacker Junior Sylvestre.
Those moves bring the Dolphins’ roster down to 80 players. Sometime Saturday, the team will have to release another 27 players. You can keep up with all of the moves in our live cuts tracker here.