Dolphins re-sign special teams ace; Jenkins signs with Vegas
The Dolphins have resigned cornerback Justin Bethel, the team announced Friday, bringing back a special teams ace who stepped up on defense amid injuries.
Contract details were not released.
Bethel, who turns 33 in June, signed a one-year deal with Miami shortly before the start of the
2022 season. He was a mainstay on special teams, playing a team-high 83.2 percent of the snaps and recording 10 tackles.
He also made one start on defense as injuries cut into the depth in the secondary. Bethel recorded 16 tackles on defense and intercepted a pass against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 7.
“Here’s a guy that has been known in the National Football League as a special teams player, a very good one. All he has done since he has been here is do his thing on special teams and then make plays every time he is asked,” Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel said in November. “We’ve had some injuries, given some opportunities, and he has stepped up to the plate and been around the ball. He competes, and he does a great job for us, so very, very glad that he is on our team.”
A sixth-round pick of the Cardinals in the 2012 Draft, Bethel was a threetime Pro Bowler and twotime All-Pro selection in Arizona. Bethel has also spent time with the Atlanta Falcons, Baltimore Ravens and New England Patriots. He rejoins a cornerback room that includes newly acquired All-Pro Jalen Ramsey ,as well as Xavien Howard, Kader Kohou, Noah Igbinoghene and Trill Williams. Miami also re-signed corner Nik Needham this offseason, bringing him back on a one-year deal.
JENKINS SIGNS WITH RAIDERS
Veteran defensive lineman John Jenkins, who played for the Dolphins in three seasons over a fouryear span, has signed with the Las Vegas Raiders, the team announced.
Jenkins, who turns 34 in July, originally signed with Miami in 2019 and after spending the 2020 season with the Chicago Bears, returned to the Dolphins for the past two seasons. He appeared in 39 games and made seven starts, primarily backing up Raekwon Davis. Jenkins recorded 70 tackles and one sack.
The Dolphins return Christian Wilkins, Zach Sieler and Emmanuel Ogbah, who missed most of the 2022 season with a triceps injury, to the defensive line in 2023.
WORKOUT DATES
The NFL on Friday released dates for every team’s 2023 offseason workout program. The Dolphins’ program will begin on April 17 and includes nine practices over May and June.
The team will hold organized team activities (OTAs) workouts on May 22-23, 25, 30-31 and June 2. Mandatory minicamp will be from June 6-8.
The voluntary offseason workout program — aside from mandatory minicamp — is a nine-week session divided into three phases:
Phase One is the first two weeks of the program, which is limited to meetings, strength and conditioning, and physical rehabilitation.
Phase Two is the next three weeks of the program. It consists of onfield workouts that may include individual group instruction and drills,
AAalong with “perfect play drills,” walk-through-pace drills and plays in which offensive players line up across from offensive players and defensive players line up from defensive players. No live contact or team offense vs. team defense drills are permitted.
Phase 3 is the final four weeks of the program. During this period, teams can conduct 10 days of OTAs. No live contact is permitted but 7-on-7, 9-on-7 and 11-on-11 drills are allowed.
Dates for each team’s post-draft rookie minicamp will be released at a later date. Dates for training camp, expected to begin in late July, have also not been announced yet.
A