Here’s how the Miami Dolphins can manipulate NFL’s roster rules. And Tua out Sunday
The NFL has made it difficult for teams to use the injured reserve list as a vehicle to stash players and create room on the 53-man roster for other players.
But there is one narrow path available for the Dolphins to circumvent that rule, to an extent.
For injured players to be available to return to play this season, they must be placed on the team’s initial 53-man roster at 4 p.m. next Tuesday. Any injured players who are on the 53 could then immediately be moved to injured reserve and be eligible to return after missing a minimum of three regular season games. Moving a player to IR on Sept. 2 naturally would create a 53-man roster spot for another player.
So teams sometimes will cut a healthy player with the hope of re-signing that player soon after that, after moving an injured player to injured reserve to create an open roster spot.
The obstacle, though, is that some of those released players can be claimed off waivers by another team without having the chance to re-sign with the Dolphins. But that’s not the case for every player.
A league spokesman confirmed this week that released players with less than four years of NFL experience go on the waiver wire and can be claimed by another team. But players with at least four years of NFL experience aren’t; if they’re cut, they become free agents, eligible to sign with the team of their choice.
So here’s how that would work. Say the Dolphins want to keep injured players Cethan Carter and Vince Biegel but move them to IR after final cutdowns next week so that they could return by early October. Both players, in that situation, would need to be on the initial 53-man roster.
And let’s say the Dolphins want to create room on the initial 53 for those two players by hypothetically releasing rookie running back Gerrid Doaks and defensive tackle John Jenkins with the intent of re-signing them.
That approach might not work with Doaks, because he would be exposed on waivers and could be claimed by another team. But it could work with the nine-year veteran Jenkins, because if the Dolphins cut him next Tuesday, they could then re-sign him after that, presuming he agrees to that wink-wink deal that is commonplace.
Dolphins considered on the bubble or slated for backup jobs who have at least four years of NFL experience and could thus conspire with the Dolphins to legally manipulate the system include, among others, Jenkins, Biegel, receiver Mack Hollins, center Matt Skura, offensive lineman Adam Pankey, linebackers Duke Riley and Brennan Scarlett and Elandon Roberts and defensive backs Clayton Fejedeem and Cre’von LeBlanc.
Several of those players figure to be on the team, including Hollins and Roberts.
TUA UPDATE
Flores said Tua Tagovailoa will not play against Cincinnati at 4 p.m. Sunday on CBS.
“We will try to rest most of the starters,” Flores said.
The decision not to play Tagovailoa on Sunday was made before last Saturday’s game against Atlanta. Flores wants to give a lot of time to players competing for roster spots.
▪ Players who missed practice Thursday: Receivers Preston Williams and Albert Wilson (nothing serious for either), Biegel (foot), Carter (knee), safety Jevon Holland (undisclosed) and tight end Adam Shaheen (undisclosed).
Two players left during practice with injuries: cornerback LeBlanc (foot; was able to stand) and right tackle Liam Eichenberg (stood on sideline for duration of practice after experiencing leg discomfort).
Tight end Hunter Long received substantial first-team work and made several catches.
Here’s my Thursday piece with 17 takeaways from watching all 17 Dolphins training camp practices in Miami Gardens.
Here’s my Thursday piece with a live blog from Thursday’s practice and news from Brian Flores’ news conference.
This story was originally published August 26, 2021 at 5:15 PM.
