Kendall Langford back in Miami.
DAVIE — Veteran defensive tackle Kendall Langford signed with the Miami Dolphins on Tuesday, returning to the franchise he spent his first four seasons with as a starter.
Langford, who the Dolphins drafted in the third round in 2008, has started 113 games in his 10 seasons in the NFL. He’s worked as a both a 3-4 defensive end and a 4-3 defensive tackle throughout his career. His experience should strengthen one of Miami’s thinnest positions on the roster.
The Dolphins waived defensive tackle Gabe Wright on Tuesday following an altercation he had with
tailback Kenyan Drake, and that release created a roster spot for Langford, who only played in one game last season because he was dealing with the death of a child.
After leaving the Dolphins in 2011, the 32-year-old spent the next four seasons as a starter with the St. Louis Rams. He then spent the 2015 and 2016 as a starter with the Indianapolis Colts before he landed on injured reserve with an injury. The Colts released Langford at the end of the 2016 season to create cap space.
The Dolphins have a need on the interior of their defensive line because Jordan Phillips is nursing a shoulder injury that has kept him from practicing this week, and Akeem Spence, Davon Godchaux
and Vincent Taylor are the only other veteran defensive tackles on the roster.
Godchaux and Taylor, who played sparingly as a rookies in 2017, are entering their second seasons in the NFL.
Langford, who has contributed 290 tackles, 22.5 sacks and four forced fumbles during his career, is a respected run stopper who has some position versatility.
He’ll have two weeks to show Miami’s coaches what he can bring to the team before the Dolphins must trim their 90-player training camp roster down to 53 on Sept. 1.