Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
A few Dolphins who should see fewer opportunities in 2024.
Miami Dolphins general manager Chris Grier has put together a talented roster loaded with superstar veterans and rising youngsters that was good enough to make the postseason in 2023.
While Grier will have his work cut out for him over the next several months through free agency and draft season, there are some players on the roster who should see their playing time go down next year.
Let’s take a look at three Dolphins who should get fewer opportunities in 2024.
A look at Miami’s offensive linemen, and the year they had in 2023.
The Miami Dolphins finished their 2023 campaign with an 11-6 record and made the postseason for the second time in as many years under head coach Mike McDaniel. Unfortunately, it came to an end with a loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in the wild-card round.
While other teams are in the midst of their playoff run, it’s time to do some reflecting on the team in South Florida.
Over the next couple of weeks, we’ll be reviewing and evaluating different positions for the Dolphins in 2023. Today, we’ll look at the offensive linemen.
We are only 66 days away from the start of Alabama’s 2023 football season.
The Alabama Crimson Tide will take the field for the 2023 college football season in 66 days, as Middle Tennessee State visits Bryant Denny Stadium on Sept. 2.
Here at Roll Tide Wire, we will be counting down the days until [autotag]Nick Saban[/autotag] and his team take the field.
Today, with just 66 days remaining, we will take a look at a former Alabama offensive lineman that wore No. 66, [autotag]Lester Cotton[/autotag].
Cotton played at Alabama from 2015-18 and finished his career with 28 starts. Cotton is currently a member of the Miami Dolphins.
At the moment there is not a No. 66 on the current Alabama football roster.
Here’s who’s sticking around from the practice squad.
With the Miami Dolphins 2022 season officially coming to a close on Sunday, the restrictions that force teams to keep their active rosters at 53 players are lifted, allowing teams to sign up to 90 players.
Once a team is eliminated they can sign a number of players to reserve/future contracts which adds them to the active roster through the spring and summer.
On Monday, the Dolphins signed these seven players from their practice squad to such deals:
This could mean bad news on one of the three questionable tackles.
Heading into their Sunday afternoon, win-and-advance matchup with the Buffalo Bills, the Miami Dolphins have brought up some help from the practice squad.
Miami elevated offensive lineman Lester Cotton and running back La’Mical Perine on Saturday.
Perine joins Jeff Wilson Jr. and Salvon Ahmed on the active roster for the weekend with Raheem Mostert out due to a broken thumb. Wilson and Ahmed have both been solid in their action this season, so it’s likely that Perine would only see the field if one of them were to go down.
For Cotton, his elevation could mean bad news for the offensive line. Offensive tackles Terron Armstead, Kendall Lamm and Brandon Shell are all questionable with injuries, and left guard Liam Eichenberg was recently downgraded from doubtful to out due to a hand injury.
While Cotton has only played guard at the NFL level, he could fill in for Eichenberg or Robert Hunt, allowing one of them to kick out to tackle.
[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbwhebtqp7ahdjt player_id=01eqbvhghtkmz2182d image=]
[listicle id=457155]
Miami has dealt with injuries along the line this year.
While the Miami Dolphins opted to sign offensive lineman Lester Cotton to their practice squad, replacing Lamont Gaillard, he wasn’t the only player they worked out on Tuesday.
Miami also hosted offensive tackle Derek Kerstetter and center Jon Toth for tryouts.
Toth, 28, was originally undrafted in 2017 out of Kentucky. He’s bounced around from the Philadelphia Eagles, New York Jets, Cleveland Browns, Detroit Lions and Washington Football Team/Commanders during his six-year career, appearing in six games. Toth is currently rostered by the St. Louis Battlehawks of the XFL after playing for the DC Defenders back in 2020.
Kerstetter, 24, signed with the Buffalo Bills after going undrafted this year out of Texas. He played started in 49 of his 58 games played at Texas earning All-Big 12 second-team honors in 2021.
The practice squad may be full now, but that’s not to say that one of these guys couldn’t find their way to Miami if an injury were to occur.
[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbwhebtqp7ahdjt player_id=01eqbvhghtkmz2182d image=]
[listicle id=456299]
Miami trades out OL depth.
With the 2022 season coming down to the last three games, the Miami Dolphins are doing their best to maintain quality depth along the offensive line.
On Tuesday, Miami released practice squad offensive lineman Lamont Gaillard and signed Lester Cotton to take his spot.
Gaillard only signed with the Dolphins at the beginning of November. He was never elevated to the active roster.
Cotton, 26, was originally undrafted out of Alabama in 2019. He signed with the Las Vegas Raiders and spent his last four seasons with them, appearing in 15 games and starting one.
The Dolphins have been lucky on the interior with only Liam Eichenberg missing significant time, and even he should be ready to come back soon. Cotton gives them another depth piece with some at least some NFL experience.
[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbwhebtqp7ahdjt player_id=01eqbvhghtkmz2182d image=]
[listicle id=456299]
Lester Cotton was recently released by the Las Vegas Raiders. He was a three-year starter on the Alabama offensive line during his college career.
Former Alabama offensive lineman Lester Cotton was waived by the Las Vegas Raiders. Cotton spent nearly four seasons with the organization after going undrafted in 2019.
He was a three-year starter at the guard position for the Crimson Tide. He saw the most playing time in 2017. Cotton started in 13 games and was listed as a finalist for the Joe Moore Award.
After spending his entire NFL career with the Raiders organization, Cotton will now look to continue playing elsewhere.
Cotton isn’t the first former Alabama lineman to be waived by the Raiders. Earlier this season, Alex Leatherwood, a former first-round selection by the team was waived and ultimately claimed by the Chicago Bears.
#Raiders roster move:
– Waived G Lester Cotton Sr.
— Raiders PR (@RAIDERS_PR) December 15, 2022
Roll Tide Wire will continue to follow Cotton’s professional career as well as former Alabama players in the NFL.
Raiders OG Lester Cotton: O-line is told every day that starting spots aren’t guaranteed
When former Raiders guard Denzelle Good unexpectedly retired during training camp in late July, Las Vegas had to adapt — though the change was more mental than physical.
When Good was slow to recover from a torn ACL, G Lester Cotton Sr. took starting snaps at right guard, a position earmarked for Good. Cotton has remained a starter after Good’s departure, as the Raiders prepare to face the Jaguars in the Hall of Fame game on Thursday.
So not much has changed as far as day-to-day operations, and Cotton has earned his teammates’ respect for climbing the depth chart. Though according to Cotton, his coaches remind the entire O-line that no spot is guaranteed.
With the offensive line the largest concern on a talented roster, competition is more important up front than anywhere else on the team. Other than left tackle Kolton Miller, the Raiders need improvement across the board. So it’s no surprise guarantees are scarce in early August.
Here’s part of what Cotton told reporters on Monday at Raiders training camp. Cotton was asked if his faith and offseason training have paid dividends.
“Most definitely. You’ve got a room full of guys that are very talented, and very smart, and they compete each and every day,” Cotton said. “And no starter is guaranteed on the line. Coach Carm (O-line coach Carmen Bricillo) and coach Josh (McDaniels), they make that clear every day.
“And so we go out there every day and we just put our best foot forward, and we compete with each other. It’s a brotherhood. It’s no ill-will toward no one. We’re all together because you never know who will be on the side of you. So we just go forward.”
One reporter followed up by asking Cotton what it would mean if he was named a Week 1 starter.
“We haven’t got there yet,” Cotton said. “But if I continue to do what I’m doing on the field and continue to compete, it would be an honor.”
Cotton was undrafted out of Alabama in 2019 and has been cut by the Raiders four times, playing just a handful of NFL snaps in his career thus far. Lately, he’s drawn rave reviews from teammates, mostly for his work ethic. Cotton trimmed down to 335 pounds in preparation for this season and earned a reputation in the weight room.
If Cotton started the season at right guard, it would be a tremendous story. But as the Raiders coaching staff reminds the offensive line every day, nothing is guaranteed, whether it’s a reshuffle of starters or perhaps even new players.
I’ve said before that the Raiders would be wise to look at newly-available linemen after rosters are cut leaguewide in late August. Cotton is a fantastic story and seemingly much improved, but the Raiders roster is flush with playmakers on offense, and Las Vegas has to look to upgrade the line if possible.
Or maybe not — if Cotton and the offensive line play well against the Jaguars, the Raiders might not make a move at all. Watch for the starting line and key reserves to get extended playing time on Thursday, as coach Josh McDaniels looks to find some guaranteed starters in the trenches.
[vertical-gallery id=94601]
[lawrence-newsletter]
[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqby7y715wxzbczy player_id=none image=https://raiderswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]
Lester Cotton expected to be the Week 1 starter at right guard for #Raiders
With the retirement of Denzelle Good, both starting guard jobs are officially up for grabs for the Las Vegas Raiders. The expectation is that John Simpson will likely win one of the jobs and rookie Dylan Parham will eventually crack the lineup.
However, that still leaves one job open going into Week 1. So who has been taking those snaps so far in practice and who should we expect to see at right guard when the Raiders open the season against the Chargers?
In a recent article by Tashan Reed of The Athletic, he believes that former Alabama offensive lineman Lester Cotton is the favorite to win the right guard job. Here is what he had to say about fourth-year veteran:
“Cotton has taken the vast majority of the snaps at right guard since OTAs. The Raiders re-signed Jordan Meredith after Good retired, but he won’t make the final roster. With Good out of the picture, Cotton is the clear favorite to win the job going into the season.
Cotton was a two-year starter at guard at Alabama but went undrafted in 2019 and signed with the Raiders. He’s bounced back and forth between the practice squad and roster since then and has only taken five offensive snaps since entering the league, but he’s displayed growth during OTAs and training camp.”
Cotton turned 26 in February, but he’s only played five offensive snaps in his career. It would be quite the step for him to go from on and off the roster all year to the team’s Week 1 starting guard.
However, the Raiders have been very impressed with his play and improvement this offseason. If he can continue that positive momentum during padded practices, we should start getting used to the idea that he will be on the field in Week 1, protecting Derek Carr.
[listicle id=94286]
[lawrence-newsletter]
