One of the top offseason additions for the Utah Hockey Club appears set to make his season debut as defenseman John Marino was activated from the injured reserve Tuesday.
Acquired from the New Jersey Devils in a June deal in exchange for a pair of second-round draft choices, Marino has yet to suit up in Salt Lake City after suffering a back injury prior to training camp and then undergoing back surgery that has sidelined him for the first 42 games of Utah’s inaugural season.
Prior to Tuesday’s contest against the Montreal Canadiens , Utah head coach Andre Tourigny told Brogan Houston of the Deseret News that Marino is a game-time decision and that an evaluation will be made following warmups. Should Marino enter the lineup, practice lines showed him skating alongside veteran rearguard Juuso Valimaki.
A noted defensive defenseman, Marino made 75 appearances with the Devils last season in which he registered four goals and 21 assists for 25 points, one short of his career-high 26-point finish with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2019-20. In all, Marino has seen 328 career contests between the Penguins and Devils in which he has tallied 18 goals and 89 assists for 107 points with a plus-38 rating.
“We have big plans for [Marino]. He is a top-four defenseman for us that can impact the second-unit powerplay and the No. 1 penalty kill,” Utah general manager Bill Armstrong told Cole Bagley of KSL Sports. “If we can bring him in the right way and not overload him with minutes or situational play, it will help him grow and get comfortable.”
A 27-year-old native of North Easton, Mass., Marino is in the fourth year of a six-year pact that carries a $4.4-million annual average value, per PuckPedia . To create a space for Marino on its 23-man roster, Utah made a corresponding move Tuesday, adding right winger Dylan Guenther to the injured reserve retroactive to January 8.
More must-reads:
CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz reports the Packers are expected to release LB Isaiah Simmons. Simmons, 27, was a two-year starter at Clemson and won the Butkus Award as college football’s best linebacker in 2019. The Cardinals used the No. 8 overall pick in the 2020 draft on him. Simmons signed a four-year, $20,664,055 rookie contract that includes a $12,588,404 signing bonus. Arizona wound up trading him to the Giants in exchange for a 2024 seventh-round pick. He was testing the market as an unrestricted free agent after the Cardinals declined his fifth-year option in May 2023, and he opted to remain in New York on a one-year deal. Simmons then signed with Green Bay this offseason. In 2024, Simmons appeared in all 17 games for the Giants and made one start. He recorded 21 tackles and one forced fumble.
The Chicago Bears took another big step toward slashing their roster to the final 53-man squad on Tuesday morning. According to team insider Brad Biggs, the Bears have waived training camp favorite J.P. Richardson, and undrafted rookie wide reciever from TCU. Poles also cut ties with offensive lineman Ricky Stromberg, a former third-round pick who some presumed would offer interior line depth at the time he was added. The Chicago Bears were 20 roster moves away from the 53-man limit before these two transactions. Richardson made an early impression at Bears training camp and emerged as the summer's fan-favorite in late-July. His momentum cooled quite a bit once the preseason schedule rolled around, and with so much depth at receiver on Chicago's roster, Richardson's chances never seemed strong. There is, however, a possibility he returns to the Bears on the practice squad. It's highly unlikely another team will put a waiver claim in for him (it guarantees an active roster spot). Once Richardson clears waivers, he's a name to monitor for Chicago's practice team. Richardson finished the 2024 season with 57 catches for 733 yards and two touchdowns for the Horned Frogs.
Keeping tabs on all the roster moves the Miami Dolphins are making on this Tuesday, August 26 as they get down to the NFL-mandate limit of 53 players by 4 p.m. ET. McLendon Comes Up Short Among the young edge defenders who impressed during training camp, you could have put Derrick McLendon at or near the top of the list. But it wasn't enough to earn him a roster spot. McLendon will be waived, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. As was the case with Quinton Bell, McLendon was hurt by the arrival of veteran Matthew Judon and his lack of special teams experience probably didn't help his cause, either. But McLendon clearly has pass-rushing ability, which is why it would make sense to see the Dolphins re-sign him to the practice squad if he clears waivers, which will be revealed by Wednesday at noon. McLendon, the former Florida State and University of Colorado player who spent last season on the Dolphins practice squad, tied with Grayson Murphy for the team lead in sacks this preseason with two. Along with the McLendon news, the Dolphins also will be released interior defensive lineman Matt Dickerson, per Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. Dickerson, like McLendon, has a solid training camp but his spot on the roster became tenuous once the Dolphins spent three draft picks on interior defensive linemen this year — Kenneth Grant, Jordan Philllips and Zeek Biggers. Saying Bye to Bell The first reported cut of the day can be classified as a bit of a surprise because it involved linebacker Quinton Bell being waived, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. This comes after Bell played all 17 games in 2024 and made three starts on defense while playing 84 percent of the snaps on special teams. While he's never been a dynamic player, Bell is a solid two-way defender, and that combined with his special teams work figured to make him a good bet to make the initial 53-man roster. Of course, Bell wasn't helped by the signing last week of veteran edge defender Matthew Judon, who brings double-digit-sack potential to what has the makings of an elite group if Bradley Chubb and Jaelan Phillips can stay healthy and Chop Robinson builds on his strong rookie season of 2024. Along with the aforementioned quartet, others in the mix at edge defender/outside linebacker for the Dolphins include fellow special teams standout Cameron Goode, along with promising young pass rushers Derrick McLendon and Grayson Murphy. Bell originally joined the Dolphins in October 2023 when they signed him to the practice squad. He was a star at training camp in the early going last summer, though never was able to deliver that kind of impact in the regular season. Dolphins Add Douglas After what’s been a drawn-out process, the Miami Dolphins are finally adding a veteran cornerback to whom they’ve been linked for a few months. The team is signing former Buffalo Bills cornerback Rasul Douglas to a one-year, $3 million deal. Miami has had an interest in Douglas since it dealt Jalen Ramsey to the Steelers. Douglas made 15 starts for the Bills last season, recording 43 total tackles, five passes defended, and one forced fumble. He’s definitely one of the better options available, and he won’t turn 30 until Aug. 29. Douglas will come in and immediately be a starting-caliber option on the outside. That’s obviously valuable at a position like cornerback. He’s also a primary zone cornerback, which is what the Dolphins like to run under defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver. The Dolphins’ cornerback room wasn’t great coming into camp, and it’s been hit by injuries this summer. Kader Kohou and Artie Burns are out for the year with ACL injuries, while Ethan Bonner and Kendall Sheffield are also injured as Week 1 approaches. More Miami Dolphins Coverage:
Hours after the NFL Network reported Jakobi Meyers requested a trade from the Las Vegas Raiders amid a contract dispute, the team added a veteran wide receiver. Per Ian Rapoport, the Raiders are signing Amari Cooper. "Reunion: Former Bills WR Amari Cooper, one of the NFL’s top free agents still available, is signing with the Raiders on a 1-year deal, per source," Rapoport posted on X. "Some late, big-time pass-catching help for the team that once drafted him in the first round." Cooper helps provide depth to a receiver room that was light at the position, even if the situation with Meyers was cleared up. Behind Meyers on the depth chart are receivers Tre Tucker and Dont'e Thornton Jr., a rookie fourth-round pick. The Oakland Raiders selected Cooper with the No. 4 pick in the 2015 draft. He's earned five Pro Bowl nominations, with his last appearance coming in 2023. Cooper has spent time with the Dallas Cowboys, Cleveland Browns, and Buffalo Bills. The 31-year-old has appeared in 154 games and started 143, recording 711 receptions for 10,033 yards and 64 touchdowns. He recorded 297 yards receiving and two touchdowns in 2024. The signing gives Geno Smith another talented receiver to throw to this season. The Raiders have three solid targets with Meyers and second-year tight end Brock Bowers. Signing Cooper also gives the Raiders flexibility if they want to trade Meyers (or if he holds out), unhappy with playing in Las Vegas on the final season of his three-year, $33 million deal he signed in 2023.
Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!