Hidden cost from Dolphins’ joint practices emerges as Miami and the rest of NFL work to finalize their 2025 rosters
Miami enjoyed three sets of joint practice this summer but it may have come at the expense of their practice squad strategy.
The Miami Dolphins embraced the idea of competition during their 2025 training camp. In many ways, it has been used as a healthy point of reference for the start of the regular season. The ability to hit and be hit by different opponents offers a good temperature check for the team, too.
But it turns out there was a hidden cost for Miami — which the Dolphins have now paid the price for amid this week’s roster cuts. The cost of taking joint practices this summer is that Miami may have inadvertently given a few opponents an up-close look at some of the Dolphins’ bubble talent. And one such team from this month has taken advantage by signing a few of Miami’s potential practice squad candidates from roster cuts to their own unit.
Jacksonville Jaguars sign two former Dolphins to their 2025 practice squad
Both defensive tackle Matt Dickerson and wide receiver Erik Ezukanma failed to make Miami’s 53-man roster at Tuesday’s cutdown deadline. It’s an unceremonious ending for Ezukanma, a former mid-round draft choice, and Dickerson alike. Dickerson appeared to be a player who the Dolphins liked and he received some high praise from Miami’s coaches in camp. He ultimately ended up losing out on a roster spot to 2025 waiver claim Matthew Butler — and there was some clues that Miami may have only find room for one of them.
“(Butler & Dickerson), they’re just true workhorses. Both have very similar skill sets. They can set a firm edge from the three technique out. If you need them to play inside and shade in the two-eye, they can do that. Probably not where they excel, but both of them are tenacious,” said defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver earlier this month.
“They play with a fight and a mentality where they’re just not going to give up on any play. When you have that particularly from veterans, younger players both feed off that and try to do the same thing and mimic them. I love where they are at and what they are doing right now.”
Whether the Dolphins ultimately intended to retain one or both of Dickerson and Ezukanma on their practice squad, we may never know. But Jacksonville, amid the flashes both players put on display in the preseason finale between the two team, plus a little extra added intel thanks to a joint practice session held at the Baptist Health Training Complex days before, took the chance to gobble both players up and stash them on their own practice squad this week.
The Dolphins did sign players at both positions on their own first iteration of the practice squad — keeping rookie DL Alex Huntley along with wide receivers AJ Henning and Theo Wease Jr. Roster cuts mark the end of the road for Miami and both Dickerson & Ezukanma. But it would seem as though Miami’s joint practice strategy helped both find a new home in short order…whether that’s good or bad news for Miami will depend on Miami’s alternatives that made the 53-man roster this week.
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