Dolphins shake up defensive line room, signing veteran and releasing rookie
Two days after defensive coordinator Vic Fangio questioned the depth of the Dolphins’ defensive line, the team has shaken up the position group.
The Dolphins on Sunday waived undrafted rookie defensive tackle Anthony Montalvo and signed veteran Da’Shawn Hand, the team announced.
Hand, 27, appeared in one game last season with the Tennessee Titans, playing two defensive snaps. A fourth-round pick of the Detroit Lions in the 2018 NFL Draft, Hand has appeared in 31 games with 11 starts, recording 54 tackles and three sacks. All of his sacks came in his rookie year. Hand, an Alabama alum, also spent time on the Indianapolis Colts practice squad in 2021.
Along with the 6-3 and 297-pound Hand, the Dolphins worked out two other veterans on Saturday, Marvin Wilson and Roderick Perry.
The Dolphins originally signed Montalvo in May as part of their undrafted rookie haul.
Along the defensive line, the Dolphins have a strong core of Christian Wilkins, Zach Sieler and Raekwon Davis. However, Fangio said multiple reserve spots are still open for competition.
“We’re happy with Zach, Christian and Raekwon,” he said. “We need to find two other guys, three other guys, to surface as the fourth, fifth, and sixth defensive linemen, and so far nobody has done that. So that’s an area that we need to get better at.”
Dolphins adding CB
The Dolphins are also signing cornerback Parry Nickerson, a source told the Miami Herald, adding depth to a position group dealing with multiple injuries.
Nickerson, 28, is a 2018 sixth-round pick of the New York Jets who has appeared in 25 games (3 starts). He’s recorded 28 tackles and one pass breakup, while also contributing on special teams.
A 2017 first-team All-AAC selection at Tulane, Nickerson spent most of the 2022 season on the Minnesota Vikings practice squad. The 5-10, 182-pound defensive back has also spent time with the Seattle Seahawks, Jacksonville Jaguars and Green Bay Packers.
At cornerback, the Dolphins have been without Jalen Ramsey, who underwent meniscus surgery after injuring his knee during the second training camp practice. Keion Crossen has been sidelined since the first day of camp with an undisclosed injury and was seen at Saturday’s stadium practice with compression sleeves on both legs.
Undrafted rookie Ethan Bonner has missed the last three practices with an undisclosed injury. And Nik Needham remains on the physically unable to perform list.
Nickerson is the third cornerback the Dolphins have added since the start of training camp, along with Eli Apple and Mark Gilbert.
This story was originally published August 6, 2023 at 2:54 PM.
