Dolphins sign CB Alexander
After Williams’ knee injury, team adds secondary help
The Miami Dolphins made a move to address cornerback depth after Trill Williams’ knee injury suffered in Saturday’s preseason win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The team signed six-year pro Mackensie Alexander on Monday, his agent, David Canter, announced on Twitter. The Dolphins later announced the signing, officially placed Williams on season-ending injured reserve and signed defensive tackle Niles Scott in other roster moves on Monday.
Alexander has 201 career tackles, three interceptions 4 ½ sacks and 32 pass deflections between five seasons with the Minnesota Vikings and one year, 2020, with the Cincinnati Bengals. He is an Immokalee, product who starred in college at Clemson before becoming a 2016 second-round draft pick of the Vikings.
Most recently, Alexander started five games and appearing in 16 for Minnesota in 2021, recording a career-high 51 tackles with five pass breakups.
Alexander is capable of playing in the nickel, which provides the Dolphins an option behind Nik Needham in that role should Needham get hurt or ever have to rotate to boundary cornerback or safety.
The Dolphins had to make an addition this week after Williams tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee in the fourth quarter of Saturday’s exhibition at Raymond James Stadium.
“We’re evaluating a couple guys, and we will be in discussion how to handle some of these injuries,” Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel said Sunday.
Miami also reportedly worked out cornerback Raleigh Texada on Monday, according to Pro Football Network.
Following Williams’ injury, Needham, a fourth-year veteran, Noah Igbinoghene, a 2020 first-round pick who has struggled in his first two NFL seasons, and Keion Crossen, a fifthyear player and special teams ace, were the Dolphins’ top remaining backup cornerbacks with two preseason games left. Miami also has Elijah Campbell, D’Angelo Ross, Tino Ellis, Kader Kohou and Elijah Hamilton competing for roster spots. The team can also look to give safeties Eric Rowe or Quincy Wilson an opportunity back at their former position.
Some veteran cornerback names that were also available as free agents: Xavier Rhodes, a three-time Pro Bowler and South Florida native; Chris Harris, a four-time Pro Bowler who started 11 games for the L.A. Chargers in 2021; Joe Haden, a three-time Pro Bowler who started 11 games for Houston last season; A.J. Bouye, a 2017 Pro Bowler who started seven games for Carolina in 2021; and Janoris Jenkins, a former Pahokee High standout who was a 2016 Pro Bowler.
Williams is a promising young player who made the Dolphins’ active roster in 2021 as an undrafted rookie. He had been performing well in training camp in an elevated role with star cornerback Xavien Howard seeing few team reps and fellow starter Byron Jones still on the physically-unable-to-perform list.
Scott (6-2, 310 pounds) has played in six NFL games, all with Cincinnati during the 2018 season. He has four tackles.
The former undrafted player out of Frostburg State first entered the league as a free agent with the San Francisco 49ers on April 30, 2018. He has spent time on the practice squads of San Francisco (2018), Denver Broncos (2018), Las Vegas Raiders (2020-21), Tennessee Titans (2021), New England Patriots (2021) and Seattle Seahawks (2021).