Sheard signed to practice squad
Hollywood Hills High grad should provide needed D-line depth
Former Hollywood Hills High standout Jabaal Sheard could get a chance to play for his hometown team.
Sheard, who has contributed 406 tackles, 53 sacks and 14 forced fumbles in the 144 games he’s played for five NFL teams over the course of 10 seasons, was signed to the Miami Dolphins’ practice squad Wednesday.
Sheard, 32, didn’t join an NFL team for training camp this year for undisclosed reasons.
He spent the 2020 season with the Jacksonville Jaguars and New York Giants, playing in one game for the Jaguars as a member of their practice squad and nine games (with three starts) for the Giants. He contributed 19 tackles, 1 ½ sacks and one forced fumble for the Giants in 2020.
Sheard, who has experience playing defensive end and outside linebacker, has history with Dolphins coach Brian Flores and defensive coordinator Josh Boyer from their time together in New England in 2015 and 2016. He’ll be one of the four vested veterans the Dolphins will carry on their practice squad unit.
He should provide some-much needed depth at defensive end and outside linebacker, positions where Miami has a ton of unproven players on the roster.
New rules created in 2020 allow NFL teams to keep four players with more than two accrued seasons of playing experience on their practice squad. The Dolphins can call up any practice squad player to the active roster, allowing him to contribute in three games this season before having to promote him to the 53-man roster.
Regular practice squad players can be elevated up and down the developmental unit for games, without having to be placed on the 53-man roster.
Along with claiming journeyman cornerback Elijah Campbell and waiving defensive back Jamal Perry, the Dolphins signed Sheard, quarterback Reid Sinnett, tailbacks Patrick Laird and Gerrid Doaks, receiver Kirk Merritt, offensive linemen Adam Pankey, linebackers Shaquem Griffin and Calvin Munson, and cornerback Javaris Davis to their 16-player practice squad.
Each team has the ability to protect up to four practice squad players per week from being signed by other teams.
Players on the practice squad with no more than two accrued seasons can earn a minimum of $8,400 per week in 2021.
Any practice squad player with more than two accrued seasons will earn $12,000 per week in 2021.
Teams are allowed to pay a player a higher salary than the minimum, and this often happens if another team comes sniffing around a player, trying to sign him.