Dolphins make four roster moves. And key evaluation coming for Marshall, Trader
One of new Dolphins starting quarterback Quinn Ewers’ favorite targets in training camp is poised to make his NFL debut on Sunday against visiting Cincinnati (1 p.m., CBS 4).
Rookie receiver Theo Wease, who caught a bunch of passes from Ewers in August, was elevated from the practice squad Saturday, giving Miami potentially a chance to get a look at a coveted undrafted player who was the best of the team’s four rookie receivers in August.
The Dolphins also elevated offensive lineman Kion Smith from the practice squad, placed Elijah Campbell on injured reserve and signed former Minnesota Golden Gophers cornerback Ethan Robinson, who spent the offseason and training camp with the Dolphins and has been on the team’s practice squad recently.
The 6-2 Wease spent his final two college seasons at Missouri (2023-24), where he started 26 games and produced 109 receptions for 1,566 yards (14.4 average) and 10 touchdowns. He was named a team captain in 2024 and was a two-time SEC Academic Honor Roll recipient (2023, 2024) during his time with the Tigers.
Prior to Missouri, he spent four seasons at Oklahoma (2019-22), where he had 64 receptions for 1,044 yards (16.3 yards per catch) and 10 touchdowns in 36 games with 17 starts.
Safety news
With Minkah Fitzpatrick out, Sunday will present a big opportunity for rookies Dante Trader Jr. and Jason Marshall Jr., who both have poor 142 passer ratings in their coverage area (per Pro Football Focus) but also have skill sets and versatility that coaches like.
PFF ranks Trader 22nd among 34 Dolphins who have played defensive snaps this season. His 329 snaps are 15th most among Dolphins defenders, but he has permitted 10 of 12 targets to be caught for 172 yards and a touchdown.
He said this week that more than anything, he must show coaches that he can play with “consistency. I’ve had some good games. I’ve put together some [good plays] and there’s always one game, a couple plays in the game” that he would like to have back.
“In the NFL, you’ve got to have consistency. Last game, I had two good tackles and then I missed one in the end. I need to show consistency of who I am and limit my mistakes.”
As for Marshall, he said he needs to show coaches that he can play “with physicality, getting hands on receivers, being disruptive.”
He said “technique, I have down pat” but coaches want to see physicality.
He said he practiced a lot this week in the slot; he was the team’s top nickel corner to begin the season before Fitzpatrick took over a lot of those responsibilities after Marshall was injured.
Though Marshall was a boundary cornerback with the Gators, he said his comfort level in the slot is “10 out of 10. Everything has slowed down for me. I’ll be fine out there.”
PFF rates Marshall 33rd among 34 Dolphins defenders this season, ahead of only Campbell. He has logged 130 snaps and has permitted 12 completions in 16 targets for 161 yards and two touchdowns, equal to a 146.1 passer rating.
But he played well late in Miami’s win against Washington in Spain.
IR updates
The Dolphins opted not to activate kicker Jason Sanders or center Andrew Meyer from injured reserve on Saturday. But coach Mike McDaniel suggested both would play this season.
“He’s doing a great job,” McDaniel said of Sanders working his way back from an August hip injury. “What you don’t want to do is do wrong by him and do it a little too early, and we’re very fortunate to have a kicker in Riley Patterson, that’s allowing for him to come back at the appropriate time. I don’t think it will be this week, but I would say look for next week, week after, something like that.”
Meyer has been sidelined with a triceps injury sustained in preseason.
“You have to execute some roster moves to get him available,” McDaniel said. “He hasn’t had any setbacks and he’s doing well. I would just look more for those roster moves to absorb his roster spot probably next week or the following.”
The Dolphins will play host to Tampa Bay on Dec. 28 before closing the season Jan. 3 or 4 at New England.
This story was originally published December 20, 2025 at 4:08 PM.
