Dolphins Weren’t Done: Miami Signs DE Malik Herring

Herring’s Short Stay in Tennessee

After spending his first five NFL seasons with Kansas City, Herring signed with the Tennessee Titans in March.

His stay in Tennessee turned out to be brief.

The Titans released Herring on August 30 as part of their roster reduction, opening the door for Miami to move quickly.

The fact that the Dolphins reportedly made Herring a priority after his release makes this transaction particularly interesting.

This wasn’t simply Miami picking through the remaining free-agent market looking for another body. The Dolphins apparently identified Herring as someone they specifically wanted if he became available.

Why Herring Makes Sense for Miami

Defensive-line depth has become an issue for the Dolphins as the regular season approaches.

Miami placed defensive lineman Kenneth Grant and edge defender Trey Moore on injured reserve while designating both to return. That means neither will be available during the opening portion of the season.

The Dolphins also released edge defenders David Ojabo and Cameron Goode during their roster cuts.

Adding Herring gives Miami another experienced player for a defensive front that suddenly needs some reinforcements.

He also brings a different body type to the group. At 6-foot-3 and approximately 275 pounds, Herring has enough size to potentially move around the defensive front rather than being limited to playing exclusively on the edge.

And while Herring has never been a high-volume sack producer, his experience could prove valuable.

He spent several years learning and playing in Kansas City’s championship-caliber defense. For a Dolphins team undergoing a significant roster transition and leaning heavily on younger players, adding someone with that background makes sense.

Dolphins Continue Aggressive Roster Overhaul

Perhaps the biggest takeaway isn’t simply that Miami signed Herring.

It’s how aggressively the Dolphins are turning over the roster.

Miami already made seven successful waiver claims Monday, and Herring now becomes another addition immediately following the initial cutdown to 53 players.

In other words, the Dolphins’ initial 53-man roster lasted less than 24 hours before major changes began.

That’s not necessarily surprising.

This is the time of year when NFL teams study every player released around the league and determine whether someone else’s roster casualty represents an upgrade over one of their own players.

Miami appears to be taking that process particularly seriously.

Herring may not arrive with the name recognition of a star pass rusher, but he’s an experienced NFL defensive lineman who has played meaningful football for championship teams. More importantly, the Dolphins apparently had him targeted and moved quickly once Tennessee made him available.

For a team still searching for the right pieces to fit Hafley’s defense, Herring will now get an opportunity to show Miami why its front office was so eager to bring him aboard.