Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Dolphins pare down
Roster cuts include fullback Jorvorskie Lane. Eight other players also were released.
DAVIE— Veteran guard Lance Louis, who only had $100,000 guaranteed on his $1.6 million contract, was cut by the Dolphins on Tuesday as NFL teams pared their rosters to 75 players.
Fullback Jorvorskie Lane, who started five games last season and played in all 16, was also among the Dolphins’ nine roster cuts.
The other seven players released were linebackers Michael Clay, Nathan Williams and David Hinds, who attended Florida Atlantic University; defensive end Emeka Onyenekwu and wide receivers Jeff Fuller, Julius Pruitt and Andrell Smith.
Louis, signed during the offseason, was recovering from a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his knee. Hewas running with the second-team offensive line at right guard as recently as Tuesday morning.
Louis would have received a roster bonus of $763,750 if he’d have been on the opening day roster.
Lane was partly a victim of a disappearing position in the pass-happy NFL. With three-receiver offenses and the tight end now a necessity, fullbacks are rare in the league. Lane was competing with fellow fullback Evan Rodriguez, but there’s no assurance the Dolphins will keep a fullback.
Teams have to reduce their rosters to the final 53 by 6 p.m. Saturday.
Jordan returns
Dolphins rookie defensive end Dion Jordan (shoulder) practiced Tuesday for the first time since Aug. 9, but there’s no word from coach Joe Philbin whether the No. 3 pick in the draft will play Thursday againstNewOrleans or in the Sept. 8 season opener at Cleveland.
“We haven’t finalized any of our play time yet for New Orleans,” Philbin said. “We’ll do that [Wednesday] and we’ll see. I wouldn’t rule anything out.”
There’s also no word from Philbin how much Jordan did on Tuesday. As a matter of policy, Philbin doesn’t comment on injuries; the media is only allowed to watch the first 15-20 minutes of practice.
Asked if Jordan participated in any team (11-on-11) drills, Philbin didn’t expound.
“He worked on some drills out there and that’s all we’ll say right now,” Philbin said.
Jordan acknowledged his return to practice by saying, “Iwas out there and did a little bit more, and that’s the plan, to continue towork.” Jordan and left tackle
Dallas Thomas, the thirdround pick from Tennessee, had similar surgeries around the same time to repair similar injuries — a torn labrum in the right shoulder. Thomas seems 100 percent healthy. Philbin said he’s not sure whether Jordan’s injury was more severe.
“I didn’t examine them,” he said. “I can’t speak to that.”
Davis missing
Rookie cornerback Will
Davis, the third-round pick from Utah State, missed his second consecutive practice Tuesday. Davis appeared to sustain an injury to his left foot in the fourth quarter of Saturday’s 17-16 loss to Tampa Bay. Davis has been running with the second team as the backup to starter Brent Grimes.
Carroll OK
Veteran cornerback Nolan Carroll, the starter in the nickel (five defensive backs) package and a key special teams player, stopped practicing early Tuesday and received attention from trainer Kevin
O’Neill regarding an apparent back ailment. Safety
Jimmy Wilson took snaps with the first-team nickel defense in Carroll’s place.
After practice, Carroll said he was OK.