2020 Dolphins roster cuts: News, rumors, instant analysis, more

The end of the summer means the NFL calendar is moving from the training camp/preseason to the regular season. While that means games will start counting (or in 2020’s case, start being played), it also means we are reaching the deadline for teams to reduce their rosters to the in-season 53-man limit.

This year’s deadline is Saturday, September 5th at 4pm ET. Hundreds of players from all around the league will be hitting the waiver wire or free agency, hoping they can get picked up by another team. Over the next few days, there will be trades, releases, reserve list moves, signings, waiver claims, and, ultimately, a 16-man practice squad will be signed by each club. It will be a busy weekend all around the league.

To make sure you can keep up with all the Miami Dolphins news, we will continually update this article with the latest rumors, news, speculation, analysis, and everything else you will need to know about what it happening.

Dolphins roster status

53 players (as of 5:31pm, 9/5)

Full 53-man roster:
2020 Dolphins 53-man roster: Young, attacking, and ready for the season

Reserve list players

Vince Biegel (IR)
Jonathan Ledbetter (NFI)
Ray Smith (Retired)
Allen Hurns (Opt-Out)
Albert Wilson (Opt-Out)

Trade Rumors

• 9/5 - According to Ian Rapoport, the Dolphins have sent the fourth-round pick they received from the Las Vegas Raiders last week in the Raekwon McMillan trade back to the Raiders for Lynn Bowden, Jr. and a sixth-round pick. Bowden, officially listed as a running back, is a versatile player who can be a returner, a wide receiver, and a quarterback. It also means the McMillan trade was essentially the linebacker and a 2021 fifth-round pick for a 2020 third-round pick (Bowden) and a 2021 sixth-round pick. - KN More: Dolphins trade for Lynn Bowden, Jr. from Raiders
• 9/3 - The Dolphins have “fielded trade inquiries” for Josh Rosen, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. This really should not be a surprise as the Dolphins have Ryan Fitzpatrick and Tua Tagovailoa both locks to make the roster. Teams are going to call the Dolphins to see if they have any interest in trading Rosen, the Arizona Cardinals’ tenth-overall draft choice just two years ago. Unless a team comes in with an overwhleming offer, the Dolphins do not seem to be in a rush to trade Rosen, but it is definitely a possibility at this point. - KN More: Dolphins fielding trade offers for Josh Rosen

Releases

• 9/5 (5:31pm ET) - The Dolphins have announced all of their roster moves. In addition to the below reports, the Dolphins released linebacker Tae Hayes, linebacker Kylan Johnson, defensive tackle Benito Jones, defensive tackle Durval Queiroz Neto, and running back Kalen Ballage (injury settlement). They also listed Nate Brooks as waived/injured. You can get the full 53-man roster, including the confirmed trade for Bowden, here.
• 9/5 (12:10pm ET) - The Dolphins are at practice, with some players noticably missing, though it does not mean they are cut. Barry Jackson has confirmed another cut, however, with wide receiver Gary Jennings no longer with the team. Another wide receiver out from a group where there is not a lot of room for extra players behind DeVante Parker, Preston Williams, Jakeem Grant, and Isaiah Ford. Jackson also speculates that linebacker Kylan Johnson could be a cut, though that does not seem to be confirmed yet. - KN9/
• 9/5 (8:37am ET) - Barry Jackson has another cut, this time wide receiver Andy Jones. A deep position to start the offseason, Jones, who spent 2019 on the practice squad, had an uphill battle to try to make the roster. Even with Albert Wilson and Allen Hurns opting-out of the season, Jones seemed more like a camp body, and possible practice squad player, than someone who was going to make the team. - KN
• 9/5 (8:28am ET) - Barry Jackson is already up and reporting cuts. He has now added edge rusher Trent Harris to the list of moves. A little bit of a surprise here, given how shallow the Dolphins’ roster seems to be at edge rusher. Jackson adds there is a “good chance” Harris lands on the practice squad if he clears waivers, and that would make sense. - KN
• 9/4 (8:44pm ET) - Along with the Rosen news (below), the Dolphins have also released defensive end Tyshun Render, cornerback Ken Webster, safety Nate Holley, and guard Shaq Calhoun, all according to Barry Jackson (@flasportsbuzz). Holley was a flyer on trying to find another gem out of the CFL as they added the 2019 CFL Most Outstanding Rookie, but it does not appear it panned out. I thought Webster might make the roster as a depth option at cornerback, but he was the 53rd player on my projection, so no real surprise there. I am kind of surprised about Calhoun, though. An undrafted free agent in 2019, he had potential and he got a lot of experience last year with ten appearances including seven starts. - KN
• 9/4 (8:33pm ET) - WHOA! The Dolphins are releasing quarterback Josh Rosen, according to Adam Schefter. This is a huge surprise. I would have expected the Dolphins to at least hold on to him for this season if no one wanted to trade him, simply so they coudl see if he could be the backup to Tua Tagovailoa in the future. It appears they have their answer and are willing to give up on a player that cost them second- and fifth-round picks last year to acquire, without getting anything back for him. Seems like they made up their mind on what the future looks like for Rosen. - KN More: Dolphins releasing Josh Rosen
• 9/4 (7:55pm ET) - Barry Jackson continues to report releases. He has now added guard Keaton Sutherland to the list of cuts. Nothing surprising with this move. - KN
• 9/4 (7:03pm ET) - The cuts are beginning. While the Dolphins have yet to confirm anything, the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson has ten cuts over the last hour. In various tweets (@flasportsbuzz), Jackson has reported the Dolphins have released tight end Chris Myarick, cornerback Breon Borders, defensive tackle Brandon Bryant, guard Danny Isidora, tight end Nate Wieting, wide receiver Matt Cole, tackle Jonathan Hubbard, defensive back Nate Brooks, running back Salvon Ahmed, and wide receiver Kirk Merritt. Several of those players could be practice squad additions if they pass waivers. - KN
• 9/1 - The Dolphins waived safety Jeremiah Dinson, defensive end Avery Moss, and cornerback Deatrick Nichols and released wide receiver Ricardo Louis. None of these are shocking moves, though Moss could probably have been a defensive end depth option. The moves are the first real cuts as the team moves toward the 53-man roster. - KN More: Dolphins roster cuts 2020: Team begins trim to 53 with Dinson, Moss, Nichols, Louis

Tryouts

• 9/4 - The Dolphins, according to the NFL’s official release, had visits with wide receiver Antonio Callaway, defensive end Nick Coe, defensive back Brian Cole, running back Alex Collins, defensive back Javaris Davis, wide receiver Janarion Grant, tight end Michael Roberts, and quarterback Jake Rudock. The team brining back Rudock for the second time in the last two weeks is interesting, as they could look to make him a practice squad player, essentially having a “quarantine” quarterback in case anything happens to the top quarterbacks during the season, or he could be the third quarterback if a trade of Rosen does come to fruition. - KN