Miami Dolphins have entered the 2018 NFL season with an intention to make significant changes to their roster. After previously trading wide receiver Jarvis Landry to the Cleveland Browns, the Dolphins now announce that they have released their defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh and tight end Julius Thomas.
Ndamukong Suh joined the Miami Dolphins in 2015, signing a six-year, $114 million contract and becoming the highest paid defensive player in the league at the moment. He didn’t manage to justify the money invested in him, however, making just one Pro-Bowl appearance and failing to have more than 6.0 sacks during his three seasons with the team. He was also a part of the defense that ended 29th in run defense and 26th in sacks in the 2017 season. With his release, the Dolphins got a large contract off their books and saved $3.9 million in cap space. If they were to release him in June, the team could have saved $17 million against the cap.
Julius Thomas, on the other side, spent just one season with the team, after being acquired from the Jacksonville Jaguars. He was featured in 14 games in 2017 season, and had 41 receptions for 388 yards, adding three touchdowns in the process.
Miami Dolphins also released linebacker Lawrence Timmons, who joined the team in 2017, signing a two-year deal worth $12 million. Before joining Dolphins, Timmons was a member of Pittsburgh Steelers for 10 years during which he had 677 tackles and 35.5 sacks. His game didn’t translate well in Miami since Timmons managed only 58 tackles and three passes defended.
Besides making these cuts, Miami Dolphins have officially confirmed the acquisition of defensive end Robert Quinn from the Los Angeles Rams. The Dolphins sent a 2018 fourth-round draft pick and agreed to swap sixth-round picks with the Rams in exchange for Quinn.
