Eight from defunct AAF will vie for spots with Miami
The Dolphins rummaged through the shuttered Alliance of American Football more aggressively than any other team, plucking eight players who played in that doomed spring league earlier this season.
None of the eight did anything in particular to jump out to the naked eye in the five practices open to reporters in May or June, and it remains to be seen if a single one of them will make the team.
But at least a couple have a legitimate chance to stick if they’re impressive in training camp and preseason.
“The guys we brought in, they had some success in the AAF,” coach Brian Flores said. “They’re good players. They’re good people. They’ll come in and have an opportunity to show what they can do, and if they can help this team win games, then they’ll be out there, that’s for sure.”
Where each of the eight stands, and what the Dolphins see in each of them: Linebacker/edge rusher ●
Tyrone Holmes, who was a 2016 sixth-round pick by Jacksonville out of Montana, got some first-team work early in the offseason program, and the Dolphins want a long look at him in camp.
“Can stand up, do a lot of things, defend the run, drop into coverage if you need it,” Dolphins co-director of player personnel Anthony Hunt told the team’s website.
He had nine tackles and a sack in 15 NFL games for Cleveland in 2016 and
2017.
The Dolphins are intrigued by Holmes, who got a $15,000 signing bonus and $50,000 guaranteed. Linebacker/edge rusher ●
Jayrone Elliott, the AAF’s best pass rusher with 7.5 sacks, wasn’t particularly noticeable in any of the practices open to reporters, but he has the most NFL experience of the bunch.
He has played in 39 NFL games, mostly with Green Bay, and has four career sacks. But he has appeared in just one NFL game the past two seasons (for Dallas in 2017).
Defensive tackle Joey
●
Mbu is battling Adolphus Washington, Jamiyus Pittman and others for potentially one job behind tackles Christian Wilkins, Davon Godchaux, Akeem Spence and Vincent Taylor.
Miami could keep five tackles because the Dolphins will use their tackles as ends in a 3-4.
Mbu has seven tackles in nine NFL games — two for Atlanta in 2015 and seven for the Colts in 2017.
“Another big man, 36inch arms, heavy body,” Hunt said.
Receiver Reece Horn,
● who was a fairly obscure prospect coming out of Indianapolis College in 2016, is battling undrafted rookies Preston Williams and Trenton Irwin, as well as Brice Butler and Isaiah Ford, for a fifth and possible sixth receiving jobs. Maryland alum Michael
● Dunn got some second-team and third-team guard snaps in the offseason program, and Pittsburgh alum Jaryd JonesSmith also got backup reps at tackle. Both are underdogs to stick entering camp. Kenneth Farrow ,a
●
University of Houston alum, is competing with Mark Walton and rookies Myles Gaskin and Patrick Laird for a third and potential fourth running back job.
Farrow’s NFL experience all came in 2016, when he appeared in 13 games and started two for the Chargers, rushing 60 times for 192 yards (a modest 3.2 average) with 13 catches for 70 yards.
“Very versatile, can run, can catch,” Hunt said.
“Pass protection is probably one of his better attributes.” Cornerback Jamar
●
Summers, undrafted out of Connecticut in 2018, is an underdog to stick.
SUPER BOWL CHANGE
Less than seven months before South Florida hosts the Super Bowl (Feb. 3, 2020), there has been a change in leadership in the committee overseeing South Florida’s organizing team.
Ray Martinez, the former police chief for the city of Miami Beach, is the new executive director of the Miami Super Bowl Host Committee. He replaces Mike Zimmer, who resigned for personal reasons.
Rodney Barreto, the committee’s chairman, said Zimmer was not asked to leave the position and said the transition will be smooth because Martinez has been working as the committee’s vice president of operations for the past year.
“Ray intimately knows everybody, knows the politicians and the administration and the NFL,” Barreto said. “He’s well-informed. We won’t miss a beat.”
Six months ago, the NFL asked Barreto to sign documents if Miami had interest in hosting the Super Bowl in 2025, 2026 and 2027. He signed those documents and now awaits the next step in the process.
It’s unclear how many cities are competing for those games.