CB Roberson signed, two waived/injured

I'm a little late on one of these moves, but right on time in another. The Dolphins made a swap at cornerback on July 30, waiving undrafted rookie Scorpio Babers and signing free agent Chris Roberson. Meanwhile today, the team also waived tight end Aaron Halterman and offensive lineman Rueben Riley.

As for the cornerback moves, this transaction is of little importance. Babers probably isn't a legitimate NFL prospect, while Roberson is a former seventh-rounder who has struggled with injuries. An Eastern Michigan alum, Roberson spent two seasons with the Jaguars from 2005-2006 before being cut prior the last season. While I do consider this an upgrade, Roberson is a long shot to make the team and will have to battle guys like Joey Thomas and Will Billingsley for the final cornerback spot.

Meanwhile, I'm still waiting for confirmation on just exactly what happened with Halterman and Billingsley. You see, when players are hurt they are usually waived/injured, which is a precursor to going on injured reserve. However, the media usually get this wrong and just say a guy was "waived." (see the Tab Perry situation earlier this offseason.) This causes confusion because if a guy is just waived, he becomes a free agent if not claimed. If a guy is waived/injured, he goes to I.R. once he clears waivers and is still with the team. Since Halterman and Riley weren't practicing due to injuries, I'm going to have to keep on eye on the situation to see if they were actually waive/injured. I'll update when I confirm.

I should also point out that even if Halterman and Riley do go to injured reserve, they will be strong candidates to be let go with injury settlements and it seems unlikely they'll spend the entire season with the team. Teams just can't release injured players without the fear of grievances, so this is typically how things go with "scrubs" this time of year.

Regardless of whether or not they become free agents or go to I.R., the losses of Halterman and Riley aren't terribly significant. Halterman was a long shot to make the team at a crowded tight end position, while Riley was just a recent pickup for offensive line depth. One thing I will say, and it's something I've touched on often lately, is that the Dolphins are still very thin at the backup tackle spots. Riley's departure makes it even thinner and it's something they still need to address. With two open roster spots now, it seems likely at least one will be used on the line.

Most Intriguing Training Camp Battles, No. 7: Backup CB

The Dolphins' secondary is probably one of its weakest areas, and it's one they hope to prevent having exposed often by the presence of a quality strong front seven. The recurring problem at the position is that everybody there is playing higher than they should. No. 1 corner Will Allen is more of a No. 2. Michael Lehan, the No. 2 corner coming off a strong 2007 campaign, is really more of a No. 3 at best. Free agent acquisition Nathan Jones might be given more responsibility than he ever has in his career as a dime corner.

While Allen and Lehan are probably locks to make the team, the rest of the depth chart is uncertain. Goodman is one of the better players at this position so he's probably safe, but his injury history is a concern. Jones has a good chance to make the team as well given his history with the staff and management.

Meanwhile, Travis Daniels is one guy that I feel could be on the way out. After a solid rookie campaign as a fourth-rounder out of LSU in 2005, Daniels has shown little progression and perhaps even regression. He's not a viable candidate to start and doesn't seem to be getting much better, which could make him expendable.

If you got out on the limb (more like twig) I am and cut Daniels, you probably have one open spot at corner - the fifth and final spot. Left over are Joey Thomas, Will Billingsley and Scorpio Babers. Thomas is the only one with NFL experience as a former third-round pick by the Packers in 2004. He also has the Cowboys connection, as he the played with the team in the preseason last year.

Additionally, Thomas is quite frankly the only one that's currently NFL-ready. Billingsley has blazing speed but is very raw, and Babers just isn't much of a pro prospect. Thomas has the talent, experience and connections to earn the job, while the others are really just auditioning for a practice squad gig.

The position(s):Backup CB spots
Number of spots: 1-2
The contenders:Travis Daniels, Nathan Jones, Joey Thomas, Will Billingsley, Scorpio Babers
Predicted winner(s): Jones and Thomas
Reason: The Dolphins' secondary is very much a work-in-progress and will continue to be until 2009 at the earliest, so I think the Dolphins go with the experience and familiarity provided by Jones and Thomas. Billingsley and Babers just aren't NFL-ready right now, though I wouldn't be surprised to see the speedster Billingsley land on the practice squad for development.

Analysis Video: Cornerback Nathan Jones signed

On March 14, the Dolphins signed cornerback Nathan Jones. Watch the following video for more info and analysis. Enjoy!

Dolphins re-sign CB Michael Lehan

Dolphins management has made their first move to retain a player held over from the previous regime, re-signing unrestricted free agent cornerback Michael Lehan to a three-year deal. Watch the following video for more info on Lehan and analysis on the move. Enjoy!

2008 Offseason Preview: Cornerbacks

As discussed in the video, I felt it was best to break up the video on the Dolphins' defensive backs into two - cornerbacks and safeties. This video discusses the Dolphins' cornerback situation, while the one in the post above talks about their safety situation. Enjoy!