Report: Miami Dolphins make plethora of roster moves, bring back familiar face on defense

The Miami Dolphins have made a handful of key roster moves, waiving Freddie Swain and Mark Gilbert while signing Keke Coutee and Jamal Perry.

Wide receiver Swain has yet to catch a big break in his NFL career. After being chosen by the Seattle Seahawks in the sixth round of the 2020 draft, he has failed to secure a consistent starting spot. He started in eight games in his second year but was released by the Seahawks in the 2022 offseason.

The University of Florida product then played sporadically in the 2022 season, which saw him register brief stints with the Dolphins and Denver Broncos. In his lone game playing for Miami, he played just seven snaps.

His second Dolphins tenure, which began in the 2023 offseason, is unfortunately ending prematurely, perhaps because of a pulled hamstring.

Like Swain, Gilbert has not found his footing yet in the NFL. After going undrafted in 2021, he spent short tours of duty with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Detroit Lions. The cornerback was signed by Miami earlier this month, and his stint with the organization will end after a little over a week.

Coutee and Perry are probably hoping that their fates won’t end similarly to those of Swain and Gilbert.

Coutee has appeared in 33 regular season games since the Houston Texans drafted him in the fourth round of the 2018 draft. The wide receiver’s most successful season arguably came in the 2020 campaign, when he totaled 400 receiving yards and three receiving touchdowns over eight games.

He spent two seasons with the Indianapolis Colts after finishing three campaigns in Houston. It remains to be seen if he will remain in Miami for the long run.

Perry is probably the most notable of the players involved in Miami’s latest roster moves.

The cornerback played in three seasons with the Dolphins earlier in his career, appearing in 31 games (seven starts) from the 2019 season through the 2021 campaign.

During that stretch, he had 86 combined tackles (57 solo), seven passes defended and one interception. He was part of the franchise’s practice squad in 2022 but never saw any game action. Only time will tell if this season will be different for the 28-year-old.