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Why Is Duke Riley Still On The Roster?

Originally posted on Dolphins Talk | By Ryan VanHoover | Last updated Oct 11, 2024 3:53 PM ET

The Miami Dolphins special teams have had an eventful few weeks, to say the least. There have been mistakes in key moments of the game.

Many people feel that the Dolphins should fire special teams coach Danny Crossman, and I won’t argue that because the special teams have regressed the last few years with him. However, one player has been involved in special teams blunders the last few weeks: linebacker Duke Riley. It’s made me wonder why he is still on the roster.

Riley is 30 years old and has been with the team for the last 4 or 5 years. He’s been more of a special team player and backup linebacker. The problem I have is that the Dolphins have a younger inside linebacker in Channing Tatum, who was drafted in the 3rd round and is mostly inactive.

He also plays special teams, and I’m sure if given the opportunity, he could fill that role just as well and possibly better than Riley. The Dolphins should consider this rather than stunt the growth of a young player and make him inactive.

I know the argument could be that the Dolphins should cut Tatum since he’s not progressing, but the Dolphins aren’t giving him the opportunity to see what he can do during the season. I’ve seen him play in the preseason, and I’ve liked what I’ve seen, but I would like to see him get an opportunity to play in the regular season, and the veteran Riley is stopping that.

In week three against the Seattle Seahawks, the Dolphins pinned the Seahawks at the 1-yard line on a punt by Jake Bailey, but it was for nothing as Riley committed a personal foul, and the Dolphins had to re-kick and lost 30 yards of field position.

Then, in the following game on a Monday Night against the Tennessee Titans, the Titans had a short punt, and everybody on the Dolphins receiving team tried to stay away, but yet Riley tried to field the punt, and it was muffed and recovered by the Titans. The play was overturned by replay because it showed the Titans players with a different colored glove touched the ball, and they had first touched, but Riley, being a veteran, shouldn’t have been anywhere near that ball, and he got away with it. That’s something a young player makes and not a 7-year veteran.

Finally, on Sunday against the New England Patriots, the player Riley was supposed to block beat him around the edge and blocked Bailey’s punt. The Patriots missed a field goal, but still another mistake by the veteran.

The Dolphins made other mistakes, like short punts, missed field goals, and botched snaps. Those things happen from time to time, but Riley’s mistakes have been a pattern for three weeks in a row. I think the Dolphins should let him go and allow Tatum to play in his spot. He can play special teams, so why not?

Otherwise, you wonder if Riley will continue to make mistakes like the last three games. The Dolphins need to see what they have in their younger players, like Tatum, especially with their salary cap in the next few years and rookies playing on cheaper deals, to see what they can do.

This article first appeared on Dolphins Talk and was syndicated with permission.

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