The Miami Dolphins’ latest practice squad moves was most noteworthy for the player they let go than the one they brought back.
The team announced Tuesday morning they had signed quarterback Brady Cook to the practice and released running back Jarquez Hunter to make room.
The move with Cook should have been expected (and was predicted here) because the Dolphins need three quarterbacks, even if one of them is on the practice squad.
Cook was on the 53-man roster for the first four games before he was waived Saturday to make room for defensive tackle Kenneth Grant being activated off injured reserve.
The Dolphins did not a minor gamble in another team claiming Cook off waivers, though it seemed pretty safe that it wouldn’t happen.
THE HUNTER MOVE
While it’s always a possibility that he will be brought back to the practice squad, this move seems to end the Jarquez Hunter experiment that began when he was acquired in a summer trade from the Los Angeles Rams in exchange for veteran wide receiver.
A fourth-round pick out of Auburn in 2025, Hunter represented the kind of player the Dolphins have been looking to investigate and evaluate as they look for hidden gems to carry along beyond this season.
But Hunter never made enough of an impression to earn playing time in Miami.
While he didn’t have a chance for the 53-man roster because he was acquired the day before the preseason finale, Hunter saw training camp running back Carlos Washington Jr. overtake him on the depth chart, with Washington getting the call the last two games with injuries at running back.
And then it really was over for Hunter when the Dolphins claimed rookie running back Kaytron Allen off waivers from the New Orleans Saints late last week.
While the move didn’t pan out, acquiring Hunter still was a good move because it was a no-risk deal with the potential for good value, and that’s because Atwell wasn’t going to make the 53-man roster coming out of training camp. He was going to be released, and the trade actually took the Dolphins off the hook for the small guaranteed salary they had committed to Atwell.
Hunter panning out would have been a great bonus. That it didn’t happen was no big deal, but it again proved the idea that we’ve repeated many times about tempering expectations whenever the Dolphins bring in a player who basically was discarded by another organization.
October 3 — Signed RB Carlos Washington Jr. to the active roster off the practice squad. … Elevated DL Mazi Smith and EDGE Rodney McGraw to the active roster for the Week 4 game at Minnesota
October 5 — Waived RB Carlos Washington Jr.
October 6 — Released EDGE Amari Gainer from the practice squad … Signed EDGE Eric Watts to the practice squad
October 7 — Signed RB Carlos Washington Jr. to the practice squad. … DL Kenneth Grant returned to practice.
October 8 — Signed EGE Amari Gainer to the practice squad … Released DL Keith Cooper Jr. from the practice squad
October 9 — Claimed RB Kaytron Allen off waivers from Washington
October 10 — Activated DL Kenneth Grant off the injured reserve list … Waived QB Brady Cook. … Elevated EDGE Rodney McGraw and RB Carlos Washington Jr. to the active roster for the Week 5 game against Cincinnati
October 13 — Signed QB Brady Cook to the practice squad … Released RB Jarquez Hunter from the practice squad
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