The Miami Dolphins continue to shuffle their defensive line with preseason games on the verge of beginning, reportedly parting ways with a promising rookie while searching for veteran reinforcements.
#Dolphins cutting undrafted rookie DT Anthony Montalvo afte a strong performance at training camp that included sacks and tackles for losses, per a league source. Dolphins adding veteran DT after working out Da'Shawn Hand, Roderick Perry and Marvin Wilson on Saturday @KPRC2
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) August 6, 2023
Anthony Montalvo was not drafted coming out of the University of Central Florida. An older rookie at 25 years old, Montalvo had a six-year career with UCF, recording 43 total tackles and two sacks in the 2022 campaign.
Da’Shawn Hand is a 27-year-old with 31 games of NFL experience, including 11 starts for the Detroit Lions. He played one game for the Tennessee Titans last season.
Roderick Perry is a 25-year-old who played two games for the Cleveland Browns in the 2022 campaign, and Marvin Wilson is a 24-year-old who was released by the Philadelphia Eagles in April.
The Dolphins are looking for some depth on the defensive line in their first season under defensive coordinator Vic Fangio. The 64-year-old assistant coach has been drawing strong reviews this offseason, with some players reportedly believing he can mold them into a top-five unit in the NFL.
The D-line is expected to be led by Christian Wilkins, Raekwon Davis and Emmanuel Ogbah, who has called Fangio a “genius on the defense.” Wilkins has been called a “complete player” by one high-ranking NFL official in ESPN’s recent survey of the best defensive tackles in the league.
The Dolphins’ defense did suffer a significant setback early in training camp when it lost star cornerback Jalen Ramsey to a knee injury that required surgery and could keep him sidelined for many months. But the 28-year-old has remained abundantly positive and recently provided an upbeat update on his recovery.
While Miami tries to make some acquisitions on the fringes of its roster, a larger transaction remains possible, with free agent running back Dalvin Cook still unsigned as he shops for an NFL team to join. Cook recently visited the New York Jets, but there has been little reported movement in his situation since then.
The Dolphins will continue to tweak their roster in preparation of the season opener on Sept. 10 against the Los Angeles Chargers, giving a chance to some players and parting with others as the preseason moves along.
