Miami Dolphins make roster moves
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August 29, 2023
Miami Dolphins make roster moves
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – The Miami Dolphins announced they have released cornerback Justin Bethel, wide receiver Robbie Chosen, running back Myles Gaskin, defensive tackle Da’Shawn Hand, tight end Tyler Kroft, cornerback Parry Nickerson, tackle Cedric Ogbuehi, defensive back Jamal Perry and linebacker Malik Reed. The team waived cornerback Ethan Bonner, tight end Tanner Conner, linebacker Cameron Goode, tackle Ryan Hayes, tight end Elijah Higgins, wide receiver Braylon Sanders, cornerback Bryce Thompson, offensive lineman Alama Uluave and cornerback Trill Williams. Miami also waived/injury settlement wide receiver Daewood Davis, placed cornerback Nik Needham on the reserve/physically unable to perform list and placed defensive back Keion Crossen and tight end Eric Saubert on injured reserve.
Bethel joined the Dolphins on Sept. 1, 2022 and played in all 17 games for Miami, totaling 16 tackles (11 solo), one interception and four passes defensed. He also had 10 special teams tackles (six solo). He’s entering his 12th NFL season, having played in 176 career games with 14 starts for Arizona (2012-17), Atlanta (2018), Baltimore (2019), New England (2019-21) and Miami (2022). He’s a three time Pro Bowl selection (2013-15) and earned first-team All-Pro honors twice (2013, 2015) on special teams. Bethel originally entered the league as a sixth-round pick (177th overall) by Arizona in the 2012 NFL Draft following a collegiate career at Presbyterian.
Bonner signed with Miami as an undrafted college free agent on May 12, 2023. He was a four-year letterman at Stanford, where he played in 21 games with 15 starts. As a senior in 2022, Bonner started 10 games, recording 29 tackles (20 solo) and five passes defensed.
Chosen joined the Dolphins on April 17, 2023. He’s played seven NFL seasons with the N.Y. Jets (2016-19), Carolina (2020-22) and Arizona (2022), totaling 111 games played and 86 starts with 375 receptions for 4,956 yards (13.2 avg.) and 29 touchdowns. Chosen also has 16 career rushing attempts for 98 yards (6.1 avg.). He originally entered the NFL as an undrafted college free agent with the N.Y. Jets on May 6, 2016. Chosen is a Fort Lauderdale native and played at South Plantation High School.
Conner appeared in 13 games as a rookie for Miami in 2022. He joined the team as an undrafted college free agent from Idaho State on May 13, 2022, where he was a first-team All-Big Sky selection at wide receiver in the spring of 2021. Conner also earned all-conference honors in track and field. He transitioned to tight end when he was signed by the Dolphins last year.
Crossen joined the Dolphins on March 17, 2022 and played in 16 games with two starts for Miami last year, totaling 25 tackles (16 solo) and four passes defensed. He also added seven special teams tackles (four solo). Crossen originally entered the NFL as a seventh-round pick (243rd overall) by New England in the 2018 NFL Draft. He’s played in 75 career games with six starts, appearing in contests for New England (2018), Houston (2019-20), the N.Y. Giants (2021) and Miami (2022). Crossen played collegiately at Western Carolina.
Davis signed with Miami as an undrafted college free agent on May 12, 2023. He earned All-Conference USA honorable mention recognition after he caught 63 passes for 872 yards (13.8 avg.) and seven touchdowns for Western Kentucky as a senior in 2022. In two seasons with the Hilltoppers, Davis totaled 106 receptions for 1,635 yards (15.4 avg.) and 15 touchdowns. He began his collegiate career at Oregon, where he played wide receiver and cornerback. A South Florida native, Davis prepped at Deerfield Beach High School.
Gaskin was a seventh-round pick (234th overall) by Miami in the 2019 NFL Draft. He led the Dolphins in rushing in 2020 (584 yards) and 2021 (612 yards). In four seasons with the Dolphins, he’s played in 38 games with 17 starts, totaling 361 carries for 1,355 yards (3.8 avg.) and seven touchdowns. He also recorded 101 catches for 701 yards (6.9 avg.) and six touchdowns. Gaskin played collegiately at Washington.
Goode spent the 2022 season on Miami’s practice squad after he was drafted by the Dolphins in the seventh round (224th overall) of the 2022 NFL Draft. He lettered five times (2017-21) and was a three-year starter at California, where he earned second-team All-Pac-12 honors as a graduate student in 2021. In his collegiate career, Goode totaled 170 tackles (97 solo), 21.0 sacks, two interceptions, 12 passes defensed, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries.
Hand signed with Miami on Aug. 6, 2023. He’s appeared in 31 career games with 11 starts, having played for Detroit (2018-21) and Tennessee (2021-22). Hand has 54 career tackles (39 solo), 3.0 sacks, two passes defensed, three forced fumbles and one fumble recovery. He originally entered the NFL as a fourth-round pick (114th overall) by Detroit in the 2018 NFL Draft. Hand played collegiately at Alabama.
Hayes was selected by Miami with the 238th overall pick of the 2023 NFL Draft. He played four seasons (2019-22) at Michigan, appearing in 40 career games with 30 starts, all at left tackle. He earned second-team All-Big Ten honors both as a senior in 2021 and as a graduate student in 2022, starting 26 games in those two seasons. In both years, Hayes was the starting left tackle for a unit that won the Joe Moore Award, given to the nation’s top offensive line.
Higgins was selected by Miami with the 197th overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. He played four seasons (2019-22) as a wide receiver at Stanford, appearing in 40 career games with 23 starts. He earned honorable mention All-Pac 12 honors in back-to-back seasons after leading the team with 45 receptions in 2021 and 704 receiving yards in 2022. Higgins finished his collegiate career with 119 receptions for 1,380 yards (11.6 avg.) and six touchdowns.
Kroft joined the Dolphins on May 9, 2023. He’s played for four different franchises in Cincinnati (2015-18), Buffalo (2019-20), the N.Y. Jets (2021) and San Francisco (2022). Kroft has appeared in 92 career games with 52 starts, catching 105 passes for 1,081 yards (10.3 avg.) and 13 touchdowns. He has started at least two games in all eight of his NFL seasons. Kroft played at Rutgers before becoming a third-round pick (85th overall) by Cincinnati in the 2015 NFL Draft.
Needham has played in 51 games with 27 starts for the Dolphins since signing as an undrafted college free agent with the team on May 9, 2019. He’s totaled 192 tackles (140 solo), 3.0 sacks, six interceptions, 25 passes defensed, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery in his career, including a pick-six in Miami’s win over New Orleans on Monday Night Football on Dec. 27, 2021. As a rookie in 2019, Needham’s 11 passes defensed ranked second among the league’s first-year players that season.
Nickerson signed with Miami on Aug. 7, 2023. He’s played in 25 career games with three starts, totaling 23 tackles (19 solo), one pass defensed and five special teams stops (four solo). Nickerson has appeared in games with the N.Y. Jets (2018), Jacksonville (2019), Green Bay (2020) and Minnesota (2021). He also spent time with Minnesota’s practice squad in 2022. Nickerson originally entered the NFL as a sixth-round pick (179th overall) by the N.Y. Jets in the 2018 NFL Draft after playing collegiately at Tulane.
Ogbuehi joined the Dolphins on May 15, 2023. He’s played eight NFL seasons for five different franchises, spending time with Cincinnati (2015-18), Jacksonville (2019), Seattle (2020-21), Baltimore (2021) and the N.Y. Jets (2022). Ogbuehi’s appeared in 67 career games with 35 starts – 21 at right tackle and 14 at left tackle – and has played two postseason games. He was a first-round pick (21st overall) by Cincinnati in the 2015 NFL Draft after playing collegiately at Texas A&M.
Perry re-signed with Miami on Aug. 13, 2023. He played in 31 games with seven starts for the Dolphins over three seasons (2019-21) and spent time on Miami’s practice squad in 2022. Perry has totaled 72 tackles (47 solo), one interception and seven passes defensed. He’s played in four games for the Dolphins in 2021, making two special teams tackles, before being placed on injured reserve on Nov. 23, 2021. Perry first joined the team on Feb. 15, 2019. He originally entered the NFL as an undrafted college free agent with Philadelphia on May 11, 2017 and played collegiately at Iowa State.
Reed joined the Dolphins on March 20, 2023. He’s played four NFL seasons for two franchises, spending three years with Denver (2019-21) and one with Pittsburgh (2022). Reed has appeared in 59 career games with 36 starts, totaling 143 tackles (79 solo), 16.0 sacks, six passes defensed, three forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. His most productive season came in 2020 when he started 13 games and recorded eight sacks. Reed was originally an undrafted college free agent out of Nevada when he signed with Denver on May 2, 2019.
Sanders first signed with the Dolphins as an undrafted college free agent on May 13, 2022 and spent the season on Miami’s practice squad. He was elevated three times in 2022, appearing in three games and catching two passes for 17 yards (8.5 avg.). Sanders was a five-year letterman (2017-21) for Mississippi, where he played in 46 games with 18 starts.
Saubert signed with Miami on March 17, 2023. He’s played six seasons for four different teams, spending time with Atlanta (2017-18), Chicago (2019), Jacksonville (2020) and Denver (2021-22). Saubert has played in 74 career games with 15 starts, catching 33 passes for 280 yards (8.5 avg.) and two touchdowns. He posted career highs in receptions (15) and receiving yards (148) for Denver in 2022, playing in all 17 games with a career-best six starts. Saubert originally entered the NFL as a fifth-round pick (174th overall) by Atlanta in the 2017 NFL Draft following a collegiate career at Drake.
Thompson joined the Dolphins on May 16, 2023. He’s played in eight NFL games over two seasons (2021-22) for New Orleans, spending time on the team’s active roster and practice squad. Thompson originally entered the NFL as an undrafted college free agent with the Saints on May 2, 2021. He played for the Seattle Sea Dragons in the XFL this spring, appearing in 10 games with nine starts, totaling 34 tackles (21 solo) and two interceptions. Thompson played collegiately at Tennessee.
Uluave signed with Miami as an undrafted college free agent on May 12, 2023. He was a first-team All-Mountain West selection in 2022 after starting all 13 games at center. Uluave finished his career with 35 consecutive starts and made 54 total appearances in five seasons (2018-22) at San Diego State. He also earned honorable mention All-Mountain West recognition in 2021.
Williams was awarded off waivers to Miami on May 17, 2021 and played in one game for the Dolphins during the 2021 season after spending the entire season on the active roster. He missed the 2022 campaign due to injury. Williams originally entered the NFL as an undrafted college free agent with New Orleans on May 11, 2021. He played collegiately at Syracuse.
