LB Kelvin Smith waived/injured

For the third time this offseason, the Dolphins have waived/injured a player. This time, it's second-year linebacker Kelvin Smith.

Smith, 24, was entering his second season with the Dolphins. He was drafted by the team in the seventh round (219th overall) out of Syracuse in 2007. He spent most of last season on the team's practice squad before finishing the year on the active roster. The Dolphins waived/injured Smith today after he suffered a serious knee injury covering a punt in Saturday's preseason opener against Tampa Bay.

Analysis

This isn't a very big loss for the Dolphins because I didn't have Smith making the team anyway. He had no chance at cracking the top three at inside linebacker behind Crowder, Ayodele and Torbor, so he was essentially competing with Edmond Miles for a roster spot. While I do think Smith is a better fit for the 3-4 than Miles, he is not a very good fit and is not the special teams player Miles is. His injury the other day looked to me like a torn ACL and if that's the case he'll miss the whole season. I doubt he is with the team next year, though he should get another opportunity if his rehab goes well.

Waived/Injured revisited

As I've had to discuss twice this offseason due to the media's incompetence in understanding or explain this process, "waived/injured" is not the same thing as being "waived." A player that is waived goes through waivers (where other teams can claim him and add him to their roster), after which time they become a free agent if unclaimed. A player that is waived/injured is exposed to waivers, then reverts to the team's injured reserve list if unclaimed. Since players who are waived/injured often have a serious injury like Smith, they are very rarely ever claimed by other teams. This has already happened twice on the Dolphins with wide receiver Tab Perry and tight end Aaron Halterman, both of which are currently on I.R. Smith is unlikely to be claimed in this case so he will likely land on I.R. for the team. An injury settlement is a possibility, but for now he's still a member of the team.

Dolphins add AFL pass rusher

With linebackers Joey Porter, Kelvin Smith and Charlie Anderson all nursing injuries following the team's preseason opener, the Dolphins used their open roster spot on a pass-rushing linebacker from the Arena Football League by signing Maurice Fountain of the Utah Blaze to a contract. Fountain is the second AFL player signed by the Dolphins in the past month, following Dallas Desperados wideout Anthony Armstrong who was added on July 26.

Background

A college defensive end, the 25-year-old Fountain was a four-year letterman at Clemson from 2001-2004. (In case you're wondering, Dolphins second-rounder Phillip Merling didn't arrive at Clemson until 2005, so the two never played together.) I'd love to tell you about his senior college statistics, but I was unable to find them because the Clemson's website 2004 statistics PDF wasn't working. You can see his bio through 2003 here. He clearly wasn't a real standout through his junior season.

I've also been unable to find out what he was up to from 2005-2006 after his college career ended. Maybe he was recovering from a college injury, or maybe he simply wasn't viewed as a professional prospect. Whatever it was, he didn't play professional football in the two years following his tenure at Clemson, unless it was a very minor indoor league or something to that effect.

In 2007, Fountain signed with the Manchester Wolves of af2 (the Arena football's "minor league"). That season he recorded 29.5 tackles, a franchise-record 13 sacks, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery and four passes defensed.

Fountain was then signed by the Utah Blaze of the Arena Football League in 2008. He recorded recorded 13 tackles (10 solo), four sacks, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery and two passes defensed on the year. For his efforts he was named to the AFL All-Rookie Team.

Analysis

Fountain's only real production at the professional level was in af2 in 2007, which doesn't make him much of an NFL prospect. The fact it's taken him this long to get here probably isn't a good sign and while it is true that some guys can come out of nowhere those instances are few and far between. He's a prototypical 3-4 linebacker (a college football defensive end and measuring in at around 6-4 and 270 lb.) so he fits the scheme, but the college and pro production to this point really isn't there. He's a long shot to make the team even with all the injuries and is probably nothing more than a camp body. He's likely still under contract with the Blaze (when signed by an NFL team, AFL players go to the other league/exempt list) and would probably return to them if cut by Miami.

Links:

• Clemson bio
• Utah Blaze bio
• AFL stats
  
• Blaze DL Maurice Fountain named to AFL All-Rookie Team (6/24/08)

2008 Offseason Preview: Inside Linebackers

As mentioned in my previous post, I will be having two new videos today on the Dolphins' inside and outside linebacker situations. The following video is on the Dolphins' inside linebackers, with analysis on the current players under contract and what can be expected at the position during free agency and the draft. Be sure to check out the outside linebackers video as well, which can be found in the post just above this one. Enjoy!

LB Crowder placed on IR; QB Bramlet promoted to active roster

Linebacker Channing Crowder (pictured, right) was placed on season-ending injured reserve today with a knee injury, while quarterback Casey Bramlet was promoted from the practice squad to the active roster to take his place. He wear No. 7.

Crowder background

Crowder, a three-year veteran who was originally drafted by Nick Saban in the third round out of Florida in 2005, has started 37 of the 43 games in which he has appeared for the Dolphins.

Though an outside linebacker most of his career, Crowder had been starting at middle linebacker since Week 8 with Zach Thomas (migraines) out. Crowder has not played since Week 13 due to knee injury, and underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right knee Tuesday, Dec. 18. He finishes the 2007 season with 78 tackles (61 solo) and half a sack in 11 games (10 starts).

Bramlet background

Bramlet, 26, was signed to the Dolphins' practice squad on October 24 - four days after starter Trent Green went on injured reserve. The Dolphins had been going with just two quarterbacks on the active roster since Green's injury, with wide receiver Marty Booker (a high school quarterback) serving as the emergency third-stringer.

An All-Mountain West selection at Wyoming, Bramlet (pictured, left) was originally drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in the seventh round (218th overall) of the 2004 NFL Draft. He served as the Bengals' third-string quarterback most of the season behind Jon Kitna and Carson Palmer, though he finished the year No. 2 on the depth chart after Palmer suffered a sprained knee late in the season. Despite a strong showing for the Hamburg Sea Devils of NFL Europe during the 2005 offseason, Bramlet lost the third-string job to Craig Krenzel in training camp.

Bramlet was out of football during the 2005 regular season and signed a future contract with the Washington Redskins in January 2006. He was cut at the end of the preseason, and again spent the regular season out of football. He was re-signed by the Redskins in 2007 and again played for the Hamburg Sea Devils, this time earning World Bowl MVP honors after going 20-of-27 passes for 347 yards and four touchdowns. Nevertheless, he was released prior to training camp when the team opted to carry quarterbacks.

Bramlet was not unemployed for long, however, signing with the Atlanta Falcons on August 12. He released at the end of the preseason, but was re-signed to to practice squad then promoted to the active roster prior to the season opener. He served as the third-string quarterback for the Falcons' first two games of the season, but was released by the team when Byron Leftwich was signed on September 18.

Analysis

Crowder is the 14th Dolphins player, the third linebacker and second starter at the position (after Zach Thomas) to go on IR this season. While a serviceable starter, Crowder's numbers were quite pedestrian this season and the Dolphins' defense has struggled with or without him. He still has a good upside and a future in Miami, as he is under contract through 2008 and is viewed the potential long-term replacement to Thomas inside.

In his absence, the Dolphins will continue to go with the trio of Donnie Spragan, Derrick Pope (pictured, right) and Joey Porter in the starting lineup. Rookies Edmond Miles, Kelvin Smith and Mark Washington will see action in reserve roles.

Meanwhile, Bramlet is unlikely to play this season barring injuries to both Cleo Lemon and John Beck. As with most practice squad guys promoted to the active roster, it is likely he was signed to at least a two-year deal so that the team may retain him this offseason. (Practice squad players are only under contract for one season at a time.) With Lemon an unrestricted free agent at season's end and Green's future is in doubt, the Dolphins will likely bring in a body or two at the position. It seems unlikely, if Bramlet sticks around for camp at all, that he'll have a chance at anything more than the third-string job.