That saying that one man’s trash is another man’s treasure? That may as well have been printed on the walls of Dolphins headquarters in 2019 — the Dolphins consistently attacked their roster by churning the bottom of the roster and even throughout the summer months continued to sign former high-picks who have busted at the pro level. All in the name of finding a few diamonds in the rough.
They did. But the Dolphins need to transition away from being the safe haven for discarded players from other teams and instead need to focus on building up their roster with as many long-term pieces as possible.
Which is why the Dolphins would be wise to steer clear of any of the recent roster cuts across the league this week.
The Chicago Bears cut WR Taylor Gabriel and CB Prince Amukamara yesterday. Washington finally cut ties with TE Jordan Reed after several injury issues derailed the end of of his playing time in the nation’s capital. The day before that? Philadelphia cut linebacker Nigel Bradham.
Of this collective group, only Gabriel will be under 30 when the 2020 NFL season kicks off. That’s not necessarily old — and depending on the position, there may be several years of peak play left ahead of these men. But for the Dolphins, does signing veteran player cuts make a lot of sense?
Not in the case of Reed, who didn’t play at all in 2019 and has missed 29 of his last 48 possible games. Not in the case of Gabriel, who plays the position the Dolphins are probably best situated at. And not in the case of Bradham, who will be on the wrong side of 30 and likely command $6M+ annually for his next contract. It isn’t that the Dolphins couldn’t afford it — but the need, cost and longevity of the player doesn’t make him a logical fit at this point in time. Especially with so many roster spots looming towards the influx of the 2020 rookie class — which will hopefully see 10+ rookies holding down a quarter of the Dolphins’ 53-man roster come opening day.
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