Dolphins waive offseason trade acquisition, activate veteran WR

Acquiring Kelvin Joseph via a cornerback-for-cornerback trade just before 53-man rosters were due, the Dolphins are bailing on the corner they obtained. Miami waived Joseph on Tuesday, clearing a roster spot for an IR activation, per a team announcement.

The Dolphins will bring wide receiver River Cracraft off IR to take Joseph’s spot on the 53-man roster. Miami had until Wednesday to activate Cracraft, or he would have been moved to season-ending IR. Barring a move down to Miami’s practice squad post-waivers, Joseph’s time with the team will end.

Even as the Dolphins have played most of this season without Jalen Ramsey, Joseph did not earn much playing time. The former Cowboys second-round pick has logged only 21 defensive snaps this season. Dallas and Miami exchanged Joseph and ex-first-rounder Noah Igbinoghene. The latter, who is in a contract year, has not played regularly in Dallas. The Cowboys have given Igbinoghene only 25 defensive snaps, but the Auburn alum remains on Dallas’ roster.

Joseph’s rookie deal runs through 2024. The Dolphins will save roughly $600K by making this cut. Joseph, who turned 23 over the weekend, is due a nonguaranteed $1.72M base salary in 2024. The Cowboys gave up on Joseph after two seasons, doing so after trying him in the slot this offseason. The LSU and Kentucky alum logged 164- and 166-snap seasons in Dallas, being unable to carve out a regular role on Dan Quinn‘s defense. An off-field incident in March, in which Joseph was a passenger in a vehicle from which fatal shots were fired, did not produce any charges. Joseph has not received a suspension. On the field, however, he was unable to gain traction in Vic Fangio‘s defense.

Cracraft has been with the Dolphins for the past two seasons. While he has some return experience, Miami has used the former UDFA as an auxiliary receiver. The 29-year-old pass-catcher, who landed on IR in late September with a shoulder injury, will rejoin the likes of Braxton Berrios, Cedrick Wilson, Chase Claypool and Robbie Chosen among Miami’s Tyreek Hill–Jaylen Waddle supporting cast.