Miami Dolphins make several cuts. And the latest on the Deshaun Watson situation
The Miami Dolphins began making cuts Monday, releasing former Baltimore center Matt Skura, according to a source.
Skura started 51 games for Baltimore but never seriously challenged Michael Deiter for the starting center job.
Among those whose releases were confirmed, via sources: Skura, running back Jordan Scarlett, cornerback Tino Ellis, defensive lineman Tyshun Render, safety Nate Holley, tight end/fullback Carl Tucker and receiver Khalil McClain.
The Dolphins began the day with 80 players and must cut to 53 by 4 p.m. Tuesday. Dolphins coach Brian Flores said Monday morning that some cuts would be made on Monday and some on Tuesday.
WATSON UPDATE
The Miami Herald reported over the weekend that while the Dolphins have interest in Houston quarterback Deshaun Watson, they have balked at the Texans’ high asking price.
And NFL Network’s Tom Peliserro said Monday that the Texans are not backing away from that asking price.
Peliserro said the Texans want “three first-round picks and more at least. The price has not changed… If they don’t get the price they want, then they are willing to wait.” He also said if Watson is suspended, it’s more likely in 2022 than 2021.
Meanwhile, longtime Texans reporter Aaron Wilson said Houston plans to put Watson on the 53-man roster but have him inactive every week and pay him $10.5 million to do nothing this season.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter suggested it’s uncertain what Houston will do but that the Texans “seem to have to make some sort of decision about whether they’re going to trade him or carry him on the roster” by 4 p.m. Tuesday.
Three national NFL insiders on Monday expressed skepticism that the Texans would trade Watson anytime soon.
▪ NBC’s Peter King wrote: “Trading Watson, and trading for Watson, is not smart now, at all, unless the Texans accept a conditional trade based on the legal case Watson is going through. I doubt they would. That would be a clear sign of desperation, and they’d never get max value for Watson by putting a deadline of, say, Tuesday on it.”
King said for the Dolphins, trading for Watson “would be the ultimate in franchise impatience, giving up on a quarterback the team anxiously picked fifth overall just 16 months ago. The Dolphins would be held up as the example of how NOT to draft and train and play a young quarterback.
“I have no idea what the outcome of Watson’s legal morass is going to be. But the interested teams can’t know either. Can any team that would trade for Watson be absolutely sure he’s not going to prison? How? Can any team be sure they know what the possible league sanction of Watson will be?
“I would far, far, far rather risk losing out on Watson than trade for him now, with so much unknown, and with the future being dangerously murky.... I doubt anything happens with Watson, but then again I’m not inside the walls of the Dolphins, Eagles, Panthers or Broncos either.”
▪ SI.com’s Albert Breer wrote: “What’s the rush to move Watson? [Texans general manager Nick] Caserio doesn’t owe Watson anything, nor does he owe other NFL teams the chance to acquire him.
“Bottom line, given Caserio is in his first year as a GM, and given what the haul for Watson would’ve been in January or February, that cost is small in comparison to what a trade should bring for a player like this….
“It’s really hard for me to see Caserio being backed into a corner here. It’s too important to the future of the franchise that it gets the highest price possible for the NFL’s most valuable commodity—a young, under-contract, superstar quarterback. If that means essentially squatting on Watson’s rights, paying him $10.45 million for the year and managing a very weird situation over the coming months, so be it.”
▪ CBS’ Jason La Canfora wrote: “A weekend full of leaks and strategic spitballing certainly got the football world a-chattering about the Texans’ defrocked starting quarterback, but color me a skeptic about it actually making the superstar anymore likely to be on another roster in the next 10 days.”
Meanwhile, NFL Net’s Ian Rapoport said one reason for the Texans to wait until next spring to trade Watson is they would then know precisely where the 2022 draft picks would fall that they’re acquiring.
“They have to make sure they get the proper value,” Rapoport said. “There is still interest from teams.”
The Texans have five options with Watson: put him on injured-reserve before 4 p.m Tuesday, thus ending his season; place him on their initial 53 and then move him to injured reserve, meaning he could return after three games; put him on the 53-man roster but tell him to stay away from the team with his blessing; put him on the 53 and play him; or trade him.
The NFL has two options: suspend him or place him on the commissioner’s exempt list.
Watson faces 22 lawsuits from women alleging sexual misconduct; Houston police are investigating claims of at least 10 of those women.
Here’s my Monday piece with news on how the Dolphins are using Jaelan Phillips and Brian Flores’ comments from his press conference, including questions about Tua Tagovailoa and Deshaun Watson.
This story was originally published August 30, 2021 at 4:26 PM.
