2008 cutdown and roster additions

[DolFan619]

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/blogs/content/shared-blogs/palmbeach/miamidolphins/entries/2008/08/30/s_bryan_let_go.html

S Bryan let go

By Edgar Thompson | Saturday, August 30, 2008, 02:27 PM

Last season, Courtney Bryan was one of the surprise members of the 53-man roster.

This time around, Bryan wasn’t so lucky.

He said a bit ago through a text message that he’d been let go earlier today as the Dolphins trim down to the NFL limit.

The move leaves the Dolphins with four safeties: Yeremiah Bell, Jason Allen, Chris Crocker and Renaldo Hill.

The team also cut Keith Davis this week.

Bryan, 23, was an undrafted free agent out of New Mexico State. He was one of six undrafted free agents to appear on the Dolphins’ 53-man roster last season and played in 12 games - second-most among the group.

Since Bryan played so much last season, he isn’t eligible for the team’s eight-man practice squad.

[DolFan619]

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/blogs/content/shared-blogs/palmbeach/miamidolphins/entries/2008/08/30/dolphins_cut_mauia.html

Dolphins cut Mauia

By Edgar Thompson | Saturday, August 30, 2008, 03:33 PM

Fullback Reagan Mauia, who entered Dolphins camp last summer as a YouTube folk hero, won’t be back for a second season.

Mauia was released earlier today, according to a source close to the situation.

The team has decided to keep Boomer Grigsby as the Dolphins lone fullback. Grigsby, who the team signed as a free agent in March, has shown better ball skills than Mauia - who has dropped a lot of passes - and is a member of the team’s kickoff coverage unit.

Mauia, a sixth-round pick last season, started nine games in 2007. He finished with 10 yards from scrimmage on six touches.

But Mauia, a.k.a. The Juggernaut, was probably best know for a YouTube video where he ran through a wall while training in Arizona.

If you’re feeling nostalgic, go check it out.

[DolFan619]

Dolphins terminate Peelle, cut Mauia, Hilliard

I've always believed that the more painful the final cuts are for an NFL team, the better that team is. The Dolphins have just made their final round of cuts and, seriously, it doesn't seem like it is that painful.

Among the players the Dolphins have cut are tight end Justin Peelle, fullback Reagan Mauia and running back Lex Hilliard, who was the only draft pick from this year's class to be let go. Hilliard, a sixth-round selection, is a good candidate to be added to the practice squad.

Mauia does not make the team because he doesn't catch the football with any consistency and while he is advertised as a great blocker, he's not better than Sean Ryan, a tight end that can be used in Miami's offense as a lead blocker, if it comes to it. It also didn't hurt that Ryan had a nice catch against New Orleans Thursday.

I know safety Courtney Bryan is gone also.

Here is the complete list of the 17 moves the Dolphins made to pare the roster to 53:

Waived

CB Will Billingsley

LB Titus Brown

S Courtney Bryan

C Mike Byrne

WR Jayson Foster

LB Maurice Fountain

LB Junior Glymph

T Daren Heerspink

RB Lex Hilliard

FB Reagan Mauia

LB Edmond Miles

TE Matthew Mulligan

LB Kelly Poppinga

G/T Pedro Sosa

C Matt Spanos

DT Anthony Toribio


Contract Terminated

TE Justin Peelle

This means players such as receiver Anthony Armstrong, Davone Bess, Ikechuku Ndukwe, Lionel Dotson, Quentin Moses, and Rob Ninkovich have made the team. That's good for them for the time being.

But I know the Dolphins are looking through the waiver wire for receivers, offensive linemen and outside linebackers to improve the bottom of the roster. So guys that are on the team this evening might not be on the team by Monday evening.

[DolFan619]

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/southflorida/sfl-0830dolphincuts,0,859305.story

Dolphins' Mauia, Peelle among 17 cuts; rookie receivers Bess, Armstrong survive

Harvey Fialkov
South Florida Sun-Sentinel

8:06 PM EDT, August 30, 2008

The, 'Juggernaut,' or better known as fullback Reagan Mauia, was one of 17 players asked to return their playbooks Saturday as the Dolphins got down to the league mandated 53-man roster.

However, because of the Dolphins' league-worst 1-15 record last season they have first dibs on all released players who have less than four years of accrued experience until Sept. 23.

So General Manager Jeff Ireland and vice president of football operations Bill Parcells are far from done shaping the roster that will open up against the New York Jets next week in the season opener. They are no doubt poring over the waiver wire tonight and will put in several claims by the Sunday's noon deadline.

Perhaps the most significant cut was veteran tight end Justin Peelle, whose contract was terminated. It appears that his hefty $1.3 million salary might've played into the decision that cost him a roster spot. Peelle's exodus paves the way for Sean Ryan to stick as the third tight end behind Anthony Fasano and David Martin, although Peelle is clearly the more complete receiver.

The only victim of the new regime's nine draft picks was running back Lex Hilliard. However, it's likely the sixth-rounder out of Montana will end up on the eight-man practice squad, which can begin forming after noon today.

Arguably the most surprising cut was linebacker Edmond Miles, who led the Dolphins with 15 special teams tackles last season. Also, veteran safety Courtney Bryan, who played 12 games last year, was waived. Another solid special teams player, linebacker Junior Glymph was released.

In the no-surprise category, 11 of the 17 players cut were undrafted rookies, including: receiver Jayson Foster, linebackers Kelly Poppinga, Maurice Fountain and Titus Brown, tight end Matt Mulligan, defensive tackle Anthony Toribio of Miami, cornerback Will Billingsley, centers Mike Byrne and Matt Spanos, tackles Daren Heerspink and Pedro Sosa, who was signed earlier this week.

Along with Hilliard, several of today's released players will probably wind up on the practice squad, with Foster, Billingsley, Miles, Brown and Sosa all strong candidates.

The Dolphins kept six receivers, including undrafted rookies Davone Bess and Anthony Armstrong.

Mauia, a sixth round pick out of Hawaii last year, became a YouTube legend last summer when he was taped running through a dri-wall and claiming he was the Juggernaut.

The powerfully built 6-foot, 260-pound Mauia, was beaten out by a more versatile Boomer Grigsby for the fullback role. Grigsby, a free-agent pickup from the Chiefs last March, excels on special teams and is a more dependable receiver.

[DolFan619]

http://blogs.sun-sentinel.com/sports_seasonticket/2008/08/fins-down-to-53.html

Fins: Down to 53

No huge surprises here, especially if you've seen my comments over the past few weeks about Justin Peelle and his salary, and about the team's fascination with Anthony Armstrong's potential.

Peelle's contract was terminated.

Armstrong sticks, for now.

The other cuts:

CB Will Billingsley

LB Titus Brown

S Courtney Bryan

C Mike Byrne

WR Jayson Foster

LB Maurice Fountain

LB Junior Glymph

OT Darren Heerspink

RB Lex Hilliard (only draft pick cut)

FB Reagan Mauia

LB Edmond Miles

TE Matthew Mulligan

LB Kelly Poppinga

C Matt Spanos

OL Pedro Sosa

DT Anthony Toribio

Making it: WR Davone Bess, WR Ernest Wilford, TE Sean Ryan, S Renaldo Hill.

But no one should feel comfortable.

The back end of the roster should turn over significantly.

> Posted by Ethan J. Skolnick at 6:54:19 PM

[DolFan619]

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/dolphins/content/sports/epaper/2008/08/30/0830dolphins.html

Dolphins cut 17 players, but roster isn't set yet

By EDGAR THOMPSON
Palm Beach Post Staff Writer

Saturday, August 30, 2008

DAVIE — The Miami Dolphins are down to the NFL limit of 53 players, but work likely remains to be done.

The Dolphins, who cut 17 players by Saturday's 6 p.m. deadline, have until noon Sunday to finalize their roster for Week 1 of the regular season.

Head of football operations Bill Parcells and GM Jeff Ireland will use the time to examine the waiver wire to see if any of the cast-offs from the other 31 teams would be a better fit than the team's current players.

Given the Dolphins have six wide receivers and seven defensive ends - a high number at each position - the sense of relief might be fleeting for players who had received good news a day earlier.

If the Dolphins decide to pick up any players off the waiver wire, an extra wide receiver, such as 25-year-old rookie Anthony Armstrong, or a defensive end, such as seventh-round pick Lionel Dotson, might become expendable.

Armstrong might be a former Arena Football League player, but he knows how the NFL works.

"You have to understand there's guys being let go on other teams, too," he said this week. "Anybody can be let go at any time. If you don't perform, there's a possibility you'll be leaving."

Fullback Reagan Mauia, who started nine games as a rookie last season, headlines the group the Dolphins sent packing on Saturday.

Mauia, a sixth-round pick in 2007, was beaten out by Boomer Grigsby, who signed as a free agent in March.

Among the players who didn't make the team, tight end Justin Peelle had the most NFL experience. The Dolphins terminated the contract of Peelle, a six-year veteran with 39 starts, including 20 the past two seasons for Miami.

But he was the odd man out. Starter Anthony Fasano, 2007 starter David Martin and Sean Ryan, a former draft pick by Parcells in Dallas, made the team. Ryan's leaping 8-yard catch in the back of the end zone in the final exhibition game might have been the difference.

Linebacker Edmond Miles, who led the Dolphins with 16 special-teams tackles as a rookie last season, and safety Courtney Bryan, who played in 12 games as a rookie in 2007, are the only other players with NFL experience who were cut.

Miles and Bryan played too much last season to be eligible for the eight-man practice squad. A player who plays 10 games or more on the active roster is ineligible.

Besides Armstrong and Dotson, there weren't too many surprises among those who made the 53-man roster.

Linebacker Rob Ninkovich, who was inactive for 12 of 16 games as a member of the 53-man roster a season ago, is either the fourth or fifth outside linebacker, along with second-year pro Quentin Moses. Guard Ikechuku Ndukwe, who wasn't activated the entire 2007 season, is only one of the Dolphins' eight offensive linemen who weren't selected in the NFL draft.

Running back Lex Hilliard, a sixth-round pick out of Montana, is the only member of the Dolphins' 2008 rookie class not to make the 53-man roster. He's a prime candidate for the team's practice squad.

[DolFan619]

http://blogs.sun-sentinel.com/sports_football_dolphins/2008/08/ta-ta-peelle-an.html

Ta-ta Peelle and Juggernaut

The Dolphins lopped off 17 players to get down to 53, including stone-hands FB Reagan Mauia and dependable, but highly paid TE Justin Peelle.

They're far from done.

Eleven cuts were undrafted rookies. The only draft pick cut was RB Lex Hilliard, but he'll end up on  the practice squad tomorrow.

The good news is that undrafted rookie WRs Davone Bess and Anthony Armstrong survived. Bess was a lock. Armstrong not as much but has done everything that's been asked of him and brings a ton of speed. However, he could end up on the practice squad, too, when the Fins bring in a veteran receiver like Ashley Lelie.

They cut five linebackers, with the big surprise Edmond Miles, who led them in special teams tackles last year. Three linemen got slashed. They're in bad need of OL depth. Old pal Todd Wade is out there as is gimpy Willie Anderson.

You know they'll add a couple of released Cowboys who played for them, such as LB Remi Ayodele, Akin's kid bro.

> Posted by hfialkov at 7:19:56 PM

[Brian Fein]

Just for the record, I vote "no" on Ashley Lelie

[StL FinFan]

Just for the record, I vote "no" on Ashley Lelie

Seconded.

[bsfins]

Third...The Nays have it....

[YoFuggedaboutit]

Ashley Lelie is one of the softest and most whiny players I've ever seen.  He would not fit in this systsem.

[Dphins4me]

Ashley Lelie is one of the softest and most whiny players I've ever seen.  He would not fit in this systsem.

  I think Lelie is pretty much done in the NFL.

[Brian Fein]

Lelie got cut from the Broncos, Falcons, and 49ers - three teams pretty desperate for WR help, in the span of 2 years.

Its called "work-ethic," look it up.

Buh-bye

[run_to_win]

Ashley Lelie is one of the softest and most whiny players I've ever seen.  He would not fit in this systsem.

Sounds like combining him with Sparano and Parcells would make for non-stop entertainment.

[DolFan619]

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/blogs/content/shared-blogs/palmbeach/miamidolphins/entries/2008/08/31/armstrongs_dream_ends_in_less.html

Armstrong’s dream ends in less than 24 hours

By Edgar Thompson | Sunday, August 31, 2008, 01:06 PM

Wide receiver Anthony Armstrong, one of the feel-good stories of training camp, has been placed on waivers, said a source familiar with the situation.

Armstrong, a 25-year-old rookie who used to play in the Arena League, was one of six wide receivers to make the Dolphins’ 53-man roster on Saturday, joining Ted Ginn Jr., Derek Hagan, Ernest Wilford, Greg Camarillo and Davone Bess.

Armstrong’s happiness was short-lived as the team replaced him with one of the cast-offs from one of the other 31 teams.

If another team does not pick up Armstrong from waivers, the Dolphins then could add him to their eight-man practice squad.

Armstrong, who played at West Texas A&M, was one of the surprises of training camp, outlasting a three-year NFL veteran (David Kircus) and three fellow rookies (Selwyn Lymon, John Dunlap and Jayson Foster).

Blessed with some of the best speed on the team, the 5-foot-11, 175-pound Armstrong was the Dolphins’ best deep threat along with Ginn, the team’s first-round pick in 2007.