Dolphins elevate Cracraft, McKinley for Pats
The Dolphins elevated wide receiver River Cracraft and rookie safety
Verone McKinley III from the practice squad for Sunday’s season opener against the New England Patriots.
NFL rules allow teams to elevate up to two players from the 16-man practice squad to the gameday roster each week. A player on the practice squad can be elevated up to three times per season, up from twice last season.
Both Cracraft and McKinley were part of the team’s 90-man roster in training camp and resigned to the practice squad after being released in the final wave of cuts to 53 players.
Cracraft originally signed to the team in February. A five-year veteran, Cracraft spent parts of the past two seasons with Dolphins coach
Mike McDaniel as a member of the San Francisco 49ers. Cracraft has seven career receptions for 85 yards, as well as experience as a return specialist. He emerged as a reliable pass-catcher during camp and caught a touchdown pass from quarterback Tua Tagovailoa in the preseason finale.
McKinley originally signed to the team in April as an undrafted free agent out of Oregon. A college teammate of starting safety Jevon Holland, McKinley played 128 defensive snaps and 23 special teams snaps in the preseason, recording seven tackles. With veteran safety Eric Rowe questionable to play because of a pectoral injury, McKinley could contribute on special teams or see defensive snaps in sub packages.
COWBOYS’ PRESCOTT EMBRACES CHALLENGE
Tom Brady retired and then returned to Tampa Bay in the offseason before skipping a big chunk of training camp for personal reasons.
Dak Prescott didn’t miss a day anywhere along the way while getting in what he says is the best shape of his life.
Oh, how the gap is still so great for Dallas’ star quarterback as he gets ready to face the seventime Super Bowl winner in the opener for the second consecutive year, this time at home Sunday night in Arlington, Texas.
Prescott is the face of a storied franchise with five championships, but stuck in a 27-year Super Bowl hiatus.
“You definitely have to embrace it,” Prescott said.
“A guy whose résumé speaks for itself, who shows up at his age and is still better than most who do this. The greatest to do this, honestly, to play this position.”
Prescott embraced it last season in Tampa, throwing for 403 yards and three touchdowns in a 31-29 loss when Brady, who had four TD tosses, led the Buccaneers to Ryan Succop’s short field goal in the final seconds.
That showing by Prescott came after he missed almost the entire preseason because of a strained shoulder. At the time, he felt he was still in comeback mode from the gruesome ankle injury that ended his 2020 season.
No such setbacks for the 29-year-old this year, except for the surgically repaired ankle getting sore in practice Thursday, an issue the QB blamed on a change in cleats. He was changing back, and said he was fine for the opener.
“I still feel the best that I’ve felt in a very, very long time,” said Prescott, whose team lost a wildcard game at home to San Francisco last season.
Brady opened defense of his seventh title against Dallas last season. He retired earlier this year after a divisional-round loss to the champion Los Angeles Rams despite throwing for a career- and league-high 5,316 yards at age 44.
After an 11-day absence during camp for personal reasons, Brady is set to become the first 45-yearold starting quarterback in NFL history.
“I’m going out there with a lot of good players,” Brady said. “That’s the best part for me as a competitor. It’s going with a group of teammates you really believe in. It’s not one player they’re dealing with. They’re dealing with all of us.”
ELSEWHERE
Raiders: Star tight end Darren Waller has agreed on a three-year contract extension with Las Vegas. Agent Drew Rosenhaus said the sides reached the deal on Saturday that adds $51 million to Waller’s existing contract that was previously set to pay him about $7 million in each of the next two seasons. The reworked deal will pay Waller an average of a little more than $13 million a season through 2026.
Titans: Tennessee agreed to terms on a multiyear contract extension with safety Amani Hooker. Terms of the deal were not announced.
The Titans open the season on Sunday while hosting the New York Giants.
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