Tag: Patrick McMorris

Dolphins announce 6 inactives for Week 13 vs. Packers

Dolphins rookies Mohamed Kamara and Patrick McMorris are both in the lineup Thursday against the Packers.

The Miami Dolphins will have left tackle Terron Armstead in the lineup Thursday night against the Green Bay Packers.

While the team ruled out three defensive players — linebacker Tyus Bowser, cornerback Kendall Fuller, and linebacker Anthony Walker Jr. — Armstead was the only player for Miami who was listed as questionable for the Thanksgiving game. The five-time Pro Bowl left tackle was also listed as questionable for Weeks 11 and 12, but also played in those two games.

The Dolphins also have fifth-round and sixth-round rookies Mohamed Kamara and Patrick McMorris in the lineup. Kamara has only appeared in two prior games, but is playing with Bowser out of action. McMorris was activated from the injured reserve earlier this week and will make his NFL debut Thursday.

With kickoff 90 minutes away, here are the players ruled out by each team:

Dolphins inactives

  • CB Ethan Bonner
  • CB Kendall Fuller
  • QB Tyler Huntley (3rd QB)
  • TE Jack Stoll
  • WR Dee Eskridge
  • LB Anthony Walker Jr.

Packers inactives

  • CB Jaire Alexander
  • LB Edgerrin Cooper
  • OL Jacob Monk
  • WR Romeo Doubs

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Dolphins activate rookie safety from injured reserve

A member of the Dolphins’ 2024 rookie class may make his NFL debut soon.

Miami Dolphins rookie safety Patrick McMorris may soon make his NFL debut after he was activated from the injured reserve to the team’s 53-man roster Tuesday. Earlier in the day, the team waived veteran safety Marcus Maye to make room.

McMorris, 23, was a sixth-round pick in the 2024 NFL draft and made impressive plays in preseason before earning a spot on the team’s initial 53-man roster. However, that was short-lived and he was moved to the IR before the end of August.

The Dolphins opened the 21-day practice window for McMorris earlier in November, but were down to their last couple days before the deadline to move him to the active roster. If the rookie safety was still on IR for the team’s Week 13 game against the Green Bay Packers, McMorris would’ve been done for the year and unable to practice with the team until the offseason.

It’s possible that the reps on the practice field are the reason the Dolphins want McMorris on the active roster. But the decision to waive Maye leaves the team without depth on the back-end of their secondary aside from McMorris and special teams ace Elijah Campbell.

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Dolphins waive veteran safety who started 3 games this season

The Dolphins are shaking up their secondary to make room for a rookie to make his NFL debut.

The Miami Dolphins are waiving veteran safety Marcus Maye, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, who has been called upon to start three games this season for the team.

Maye, 31, previously spent five seasons with the New York Jets and two seasons with the New Orleans Saints, starting in all 77 games he played with the teams. While he joined the Dolphins on a one-year deal to serve as the backup for starters Jordan Poyer and Jevón Holland, injuries for the latter moved Maye into the starting lineup.

While the decision to part with the reliable backup is a bit of a surprise, it likely means the team plans to move sixth-round rookie Patrick McMorris to the active roster.

McMorris, 23, impressed in preseason but suffered an injury that landed him on injured reserve at the end of August. Earlier this month, the Dolphins opened the rookie’s 21-day window to return from IR. With only a couple days before the deadline to move him to the 53-man roster, Miami was facing the choice to make room for McMorris or lose the rookie for the rest of the season.

While Maye is now subject to waivers, Pelissero says the Dolphins are interested in retaining the veteran on their practice squad if he clears.

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Dolphins leave 2 players nearing return on IR for Week 11

The Dolphins didn’t do any roster tinkering Saturday and ruled two players out.

Miami Dolphins offensive lineman Isaiah Wynn and safety Patrick McMorris are both staying on injured reserve and have been ruled out for a Week 11 game against the Las Vegas Raiders.

Both Wynn and McMorris have returned to practices and were listed as questionable for Sunday, but have been downgraded to out on the team’s injury report. It’s an expected decision for the Dolphins after head coach Mike McDaniel told reporters that a move to the active roster was unlikely for either player.

“I think it’s a more likely week-by-week,” McDaniel said. “But I think that’s more likely a possibility in the next coming weeks than this week.”

Wynn, 28, joined the Dolphins in 2023 after beginning his career with the New England Patriots as a first-round pick in 2018. He earned starting left guard duties with Miami, but suffered a season-ending quad injury after playing in seven games.

The Dolphins have turned to Robert Jones to handle left guard duties so far in 2024 with veteran utility lineman Liam Eichenberg at right guard.

McMorris, 23, was a sixth-round pick in the 2024 NFL draft and had strong moments in preseason before he was sidelined with a foot injury.

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Dolphins open practice window for 6th-round rookie to return from IR

The Dolphins are working one of their 2024 draft picks back into the mix.

Miami Dolphins rookie safety Patrick McMorris will begin working toward making his NFL debut. Head coach Mike McDaniel told reporters Thursday that the sixth-round pick will begin practicing to eventually return from the injured reserve.

McMorris, 23, made the Dolphins’ initial 53-man roster at the end of August, but was placed on injured reserve just two days later. While it was reportedly a foot injury suffered in preseason that sent the rookie safety to IR, McMorris was listed as limited due to a calf injury Thursday.

Prior to his injury, McMorris impressed in his limited snaps in preseason. His 73.2 grade on Pro Football Focus in the Dolphins’ first exhibition game in August was among the best on the team, and he was credited with allowing only nine yards on four targets.

The Dolphins have been without safety Jevón Holland in two of their last three games due to hand and knee injuries. Behind the starting duo of Holland and Jordan Poyer, the Dolphins have veteran Marcus Maye and special teamer Elijah Campbell.

McMorris was a two-time First Team All-Mountain West selection at San Diego State before transferring to Cal in 2023.

Dolphins place rookie S Patrick McMorris on IR, re-sign Blake Ferguson

Blake Ferguson is back, but rookie safety Patrick McMorris will be out of action to begin his NFL career.

Miami Dolphins rookie safety Patrick McMorris was placed on the injured reserve Thursday morning.

McMorris, 22, is now slated to miss at least four games in his rookie year, but — barring injuries in the secondary — it may make sense for the Dolphins to keep the sixth-round pick on the IR.

For one, the Dolphins are allowed to bring a maximum of eight players back from the IR in a season. Two of those designations are expected to be used to bring back wide receiver River Cracraft and cornerback Cam Smith, who landed on the IR on Tuesday. Additionally, the Dolphins can only carry 48 active players on game days and there’s not a significant need for McMorris with four veteran safeties on the roster.

McMorris impressed in the Dolphins’ preseason debut, receiving a 73.2 grade from PFF against the Atlanta Falcons. On four targets, McMorris was credited with allowing only nine receiving yards.

The Dolphins used the roster spot freed up by the McMorris transaction to bring back long snapper Blake Ferguson. An expected move, the fifth-year specialist was released Tuesday as a procedural to move to open an additional roster space for two days.

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Dolphins reportedly signing former Jets, Saints safety Marcus Maye

The Dolphins are reportedly adding veteran safety Marcus Maye to the mix in their secondary.

The Miami Dolphins are addressing their lackluster safety depth by signing veteran Marcus Maye, according to Jordan Schultz of Bleacher Report.

Maye, 31, spent the first five seasons of his career with the New York Jets after he was picked in the second round of the 2017 NFL draft by the team. He started 60 games with the team before joining the New Orleans Saints as a free agent in 2022 on a three-year, $28.5 million deal.

While Maye only played two seasons on that contract, he was released after starting 17 games with the Saints. He finished 2023 on the team’s injured reserve due to a shoulder issue and served a three-game suspension earlier in the year due to a violation of the NFL’s substance abuse policy.

The Dolphins have a rising star at safety in Jevon Holland, but it’s been a revolving door next to him in the secondary. The team plugged DeShon Elliott into the starting lineup on a one-year deal in 2023 and signed Jordan Poyer earlier this offseason to take over in 2024.

Behind the starting duo of Holland and Poyer, the Dolphins have veteran special teamer Elijah Campbell and sixth-round rookie Patrick McMorris who will compete with Maye for snaps.

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Dolphins sign Jaylen Wright, 4 other draft picks

The Dolphins got most of their 2024 NFL draft class officially under contract Tuesday.

The Miami Dolphins announced contracts for five of their seven 2024 NFL draft picks Tuesday morning.

Running back Jaylen Wright, pass rusher Mohamed Kamara, wide receiver Malik Washington, safety Patrick McMorris, and wide receiver Tahj Washington are all under contract now. Only first-round pick Chop Robinson and second-rounder Patrick Paul remain unsigned.

The Dolphins’ decision to wait until June to begin signing its 2024 draft class wasn’t surprising as the team had limited salary cap space until Saturday when Xavien Howard officially came off the team’s books. With an additional $18.5 million at its disposal, Miami likely won’t wait long to get Robinson and Paul under contract too.

All five players signed Tuesday were taken on the third day of the 2024 NFL draft. Wright was selected first of the group with a fourth-round pick that was acquired in a trade with the Philadelphia Eagles.

The Dolphins’ 2024 offseason program will wrap up this week with a three-day mandatory minicamp that runs from Tuesday to Thursday.

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WATCH: Highlights of Dolphins 6th-round draft pick Patrick McMorris

Dolphins general manager Chris Grier says members of the coaching staff were begging him to draft Patrick McMorris.

The Miami Dolphins entered the 2024 NFL draft without much safety depth on the roster. While they have a rising star in Jevon Holland and signed former Pro Bowler Jordan Poyer to start alongside him, the only other safety on the roster last week was Elijah Campbell, a career backup and special teamer.

So the team amended those issues by picking former San Diego State and Cal safety Patrick McMorris in the sixth round of the 2024 NFL draft.

McMorris, a two-time All-Mountain West selection during his time at SDSU, finished his collegiate career with 11 tackles for loss, six interceptions, two forced fumbles, and 252 tackles.

“[McMorris] was a player that the coaching staff and scouts have kind of identified, focusing on,” Dolphins general manager Chris Grier said Saturday. “So they were blowing up Mike [McDaniel] and I here before that pick like, ‘Get this guy. Get this guy.’ And they appreciate how he’s a smart player, he’s competitive, and plays hard.”

Those qualities show up on his highlights:

Patrick McMorris thought the Dolphins were a spam caller so he hung up

Dolphins sixth-round pick Patrick McMorris immediately hung up on the team when they called him Saturday.

Every prospective NFL draft pick waits for their phone to ring with a team on the other line. But when the Miami Dolphins called up Cal safety Patrick McMorris to tell him he’d be taken with one of their sixth-round picks, he immediately hung up.

“I’ve been getting spam calls, and I thought this was just another one because I picked up and nothing went through for a couple seconds so I hung up,” McMorris told reporters Saturday.

Fortunately, he was ready to pick up when the Dolphins gave his number another try.

“The whole phone call, it’s just so surreal,” McMorris said. “You watch it on TV, you watch these guys get picked year-in and year-out seeing those videos of them getting the call. Now you’re being in that moment, it’s definitely a crazy experience.

“It was a dream of mine to get drafted and be able to play in the NFL. So just kind of continuously living out that dream, it was definitely an exciting moment.”

Amazingly, McMorris wasn’t the only draft pick to hang up on the Dolphins on Saturday. The team’s very next selection, USC wide receiver Tahj Washington, was so excited to celebrate with his family that he hung up before general manager Chris Grier could pass the phone to head coach Mike McDaniel.

McMorris was a two-time First Team All-Mountain West selection during his time at San Diego State. After transferring to Cal for the 2023 season, he recorded an interception, 4.5 tackles for loss, and sack and 90 tackles for the Golden Bears.

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