The Miami Dolphins are finally beefing up their defensive line, potentially addressing a position of concern for defensive coordinator Vic Fangio as the season winds down.
Miami signed defensive tackle Justin Ellis, a nine-year veteran who has played for Oakland (2014-18), Baltimore (2019-21), and the New York Giants (2022), to the practice squad a day after he tried out alongside fellow defensive linemen Trevon Coley and Carlos Davis.
Ellis has played in 117 career games, starting 54 of them, and has 182 tackles (100 solo), 1.5 sacks, and three passes defensed. The former fourth-round draft pick in 2014 has also appeared in five postseason games.
He joins Byron Cowart and Brandon Pili on the practice squad as defensive linemen, which helps the first-team offense prepare for each opponent. During the regular season, practice squad players can be called up to the 53-man roster three times and play in games.
Christian Wilkins, Zach Sieler, Raekwon Davis, and Da’Shawn Hand are already on the Dolphins’ 53-man roster, and as far as we know, none of them are injured.
To make room for Ellis on the Dolphins’ 16-man practice squad, the team released safety Verone McKinley III, a former Oregon standout who had been with the team for the previous two seasons.
McKinley appeared in ten games with two starts for the Dolphins in 2022.
In his NFL career, he has 16 tackles (10 solo), one interception, and one pass defensed.
McKinley was Miami’s only safety on the practice squad, but the presence of starters Jevon Holland and De’Shon Elliott, as well as Brandon Jones and Nik Needham, a cornerback who also plays safety, made him the most expendable option.
Ellis participated in training camp with the Atlanta Falcons but did not make the team’s 53-man roster or practice squad.
The Dolphins are also looking for linebacker help after Jerome Baker suffered a knee injury against the Washington Commanders on Sunday.
Miami brought in a former first-round pick for a workout on Wednesday to see if Reuben Foster could help strengthen that unit’s depth, but Foster announced on Twitter that he would not be returning.
Linebacker Jermaine Carter, who has started 31 games for the Carolina Panthers and Cleveland Browns and has 194 tackles, was also brought in for a workout, as was Marcus Haynes, a former Old Dominion standout who was released from the Denver Broncos practice squad last week, and Terrell Lewis, a former Alabama standout who was selected by the Los Angeles Rams in the third round of the 2020 draft.
Lewis has 40 tackles and six sacks in 30 games played over the last three seasons, including seven starts. Lewis spent the previous two seasons on the practice squads of the Chicago Bears and the New Orleans Saints, but was released by the Saints in October.
Miami’s coaches and decision makers may be concerned about inside linebacker depth because the only healthy player behind David Long Jr. and Duke Riley is Channing Tindall, who has had a slow start to his NFL career.
Miami also has Alexander Johnson on the practice squad, and he could be added to the game day roster for three games, which is the maximum number of promotions allowed for practice squad players before being elevated to the 53-man roster.
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