‘Tough decisions’ loom for deadline
Dolphins reportedly release McKinney, Skura as 53-man roster becomes finalized
The Miami Dolphins don’t have to finalize their 53-man regular-season roster until the NFL’s Tuesday 4 p.m. deadline for such cuts, but the team got a head start on Monday and there were two veterans among the casualties.
Linebacker Benardrick McKinney, a Pro Bowl selection in 2018, and center Matt Skura were released by the Dolphins, according to NFL Network reports.
McKinney was acquired by Miami in the offseason trade that sent edge defender Shaq Lawson to the Houston Texans. He was expected to compete to start at the inside linebacker spot opposite of Jerome Baker, but while he is a strong tackler and potent run defender, McKinney struggles in coverage and when left in space.
The Dolphins’ release of McKinney, who started 77 games and made 530 tackles over six seasons in Houston, shows trust in fellow inside linebacker Elandon Roberts in his return from his season-ending knee injury in 2020. Roberts was activated off the physically-unable-to-perform list on Aug. 19 and was also seen with the firstteam defense ahead of McKinney in the past week of practice.
Even after McKinney’s 2021 salary was reduced by $4 million, the Dolphins passed on keeping him. Incidentally, the player the Dolphins traded to acquire him this offseason, Lawson, was traded this week by the Texans to the New York Jets
Skura made 51 starts with the Baltimore Ravens over his first four NFL seasons before signing a one-year deal worth $1.75 million — $400,000 of which was guaranteed — this offseason with Miami but he had been with the second- and even third-team offensive line during training camp and preseason. Skura was unable to supplant Michael Deiter for the first-team center spot.
Complicating his place on the team further as he already appeared to be on the bubble, the Dolphins traded for another veteran center with starting experience, Greg Mancz, on Saturday.
“I saw that right before getting on the plane,” Skura said Sunday after starting and playing 37 percent of offensive snaps in
the exhibition against the Bengals. “Honestly, I just kind of put it to the back of my mind. I was like, ‘I’ve got to get ready for the Cincy game. I’ve got to focus on that. I can’t be giving that any energy because I just wanted to put my energy towards the game.’ “
Skura kept an optimistic mindset nonetheless, and now he could be a veteran acquisition for another team looking for offensive line help either at center or guard, where he played for the Ravens as a rookie in 2017.
“You’re one play away from being in the starter spot,” he said. “That’s what I’ve learned over my career. I’ve just got to stay patient and work hard.”
Said Dolphins coach Brian Flores on Sunday about Skura’s place on the team after acquiring
Mancz: “I think Matt has played well. Matt’s another guy who is an experienced player and has played a lot. We’re going to have tough decisions to make in that room. … Matt’s a good player. He’s shown leadership. So yeah, some tough decisions we have to make.”
Flores said Monday morning, before the Miami started chopping away at the 80 on the roster through Sunday’s preseason finale, the Dolphins planned to make “a few” cuts on Monday before the team practices on Tuesday with a slightly lighter group ahead of those final decisions.
“It’s always a tough day. It’s always tough decisions to make,” Flores said, looking ahead to Tuesday. “Start thinking about what you’re going to say to the player.”
The nature of those conversations?
“I just try to be honest with the guys,” Flores said. “Tell them the truth. Tell them what we saw. If I feel like that guy has a place in this league and I feel he’s going to play somewhere, I tell him that.
“I tell him, ‘Here’s what we thought,’ as far as why things didn’t work out. I tell him things he needs to improve on. … I think most players are receptive to that. Obviously, it’s a disappointing conversation for a lot of guys. I think practice squad is part of that conversation, as well.”
All players waived by teams on Tuesday afternoon can then be claimed by other teams by Wednesday at 12 p.m. Following those transactions, 16-man practice squads can then be formed.
“There’s going to be some guys that we feel like are roster players in this league,” said Flores, with a deeper roster this preseason than his first two, especially his first in Miami in 2019. “We may have to move on from them, but I think they certainly helped our team this training camp.”