Dolphins cut three rookies

[DolFan619]

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/football/pro/dolphins/sfl-0815dolphins-rookies,0,2358539.story

Dolphins cut three rookies

Omar Kelly
South Florida Sun-Sentinel

11:09 AM EDT, August 15, 2008

The Dolphins have released a trio of undrafted rookie free agents on Friday.

Outside linebacker Keith Saunders and receivers John Dunlap and Selwyn Lymon were cut before Friday's walk through for Saturday night's exhibition game against Jacksonville.

All three were signed during the summer and participated in training camp for the past three weeks.

Saunders, who played at Alabama, became expendable when the Dolphins added Arena Football League alumnus Maurice Fountain on Monday.

Cutting Dunlap, who starred at Chaminade-Madonna before playing at North Carolina State, and Lymon, a Purdue standout, leaves the Dolphins with eight receivers for the Jacksonville game.

The Dolphins now have 76 players on the 80-man training camp roster. That means there's room to add four new players before the roster must be trimmed to 75 players on Aug. 26.

On Aug. 30 all NFL teams must make enough cuts to create a 53-man roster they'll carry into the regular season.

[DolFan619]

http://miamiherald.typepad.com/dolphins_in_depth/2008/08/dolphins-releas.html

Dolphins release three players, more stuff

The Dolphins have just announced they released receivers John Dunlap and Selwyn Lymon and linebacker Keith Saunders.

Huge news, I know.

But, in truth, the receivers have been prominent on my mind of late. First, let me say they seemed to catch the football much better in practice this week. Derek Hagan had a very good week of practice in my estimation. Ted Ginn Jr. continues to catch the football well, although I've yet to see his deep-threat ability.

And then there is the third receiver situation.

It seemed settled coming into camp that the three would be Ginn, Hagan and Ernest Wilford. Except that before this week of practice, Wilford was dropping on the depth chart like a brick in water. I know that General Manager Jeff Ireland has been frustrated with Wilford because it doesn't seem to be a talent issue, but perhaps more of a concentration and focus issue.

The result has been that not only has Wilford dropped behind Hagan as a starter, he is losing ground to undrafted free agent rookie Davone Bess for the third receiver role. On Saturday when the Dolphins play the Jaguars, rather than celebrating his return to his old haunts, Wilford will return as Miami's fourth receiver.

This is not, however, a permanent situation. While Bess is expected to get first-team snaps in the multiple receiver sets and Wilford gets a lot of second-team snaps, what happens Saturday night will be telling as to how long this situation lasts.

If Bess is impressive, it could be a while. If Wilford recovers, he'll be back in better graces.

By the way, I get asked a lot if it is possible the Dolphins might cut Wilford. At this point, I don't see that. He got a $6 million guarantee and that is hard to simply swallow by cutting a guy. I also don't think there is a big trade market for him. And despite his early camp inconsistencies, he remains Miami's most experienced and accomplished receiver.

So patience will be the order of the day for now.