The Miami Dolphins added a running back to their roster Wednesday. To do so, the Dolphins waived an injured tight end.
According to the NFL transaction wire, Miami waived tight end Cole Turner. His injury was not disclosed before his release.
The tight end will go on waivers. If he isn’t claimed, he will return to Miami’s injured reserve. Should that happen, Turner will stay on IR for the entire regular season unless the team and player reach an injury settlement.
The Washington Commanders selected Turner at No. 149 overall in the fifth round of the 2022 NFL Draft. He is a converted college wide receiver. Early in his career, that made him more of a pass-catcher and a developmental blocker.
“The body type and jump-ball talent might be reminiscent of the NFL’s Mike Gesicki, but Turner isn’t on his level at this point,” wrote NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein in 2022. “He’s a pass-catching tight end who needs to hit the weights and add necessary functional strength to play through contact.
“He has talent but is inconsistent finishing difficult catches and needs to prove he can become a legitimate every-down catch threat against NFL defenders and not just a height mismatch in the red zone.”
In 23 career NFL games, Turner has 13 catches for 143 receiving yards.
Dolphins Waive TE Cole Turner
GettyThe Miami Dolphins waived tight end Cole Turner on Wednesday.
More than likely Turner will land back with the Dolphins. Released injured players are rarely claimed on waivers.
Unless Turner’s undisclosed injury is a minor ailment, that’s likely to be the case for him too.
But typically, injured waived players can also reach injury settlements with teams.
The Dolphins have to trim their roster to 53 players in a few days anyway. But for Week 3 in the preseason, they clearly wanted to add a running back — or perhaps just any player who would be able to suit up in the game.
Turner spent his first three NFL seasons with the Commanders. His best statistical campaign was 2023 when he posted 11 catches on 15 targets. Turner also had 120 receiving yards.
Last season, Turner played one game for the Tennessee Titans.
Miami TE Depth Entering Preseason Week 3
GettyTight end Cole Turner was a fifth-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft.
Without Turner, the Dolphins still have six tight ends on their roster. They are Greg Dulcich, Ben Sims, Seydou Traore, Will Kacmarek, Jeremiah Franklin and Ethan Conner.
Dulcich should enter the regular season as the team’s top tight end, especially in the passing game. Last season, Dulcich posted 26 catches, 335 receiving yards and one touchdown.
With the Denver Broncos during the 2022 campaign, Dulcich registered 33 receptions, 411 receiving yards and two touchdowns.
The Dolphins will host the Atlanta Falcons for their preseason finale. The game will be Friday, August 28 at Hard Rock Stadium. Kickoff will occur at 7 pm ET.
About two days later, every NFL team must cut their roster to 53 players. The deadline to do so is Sunday, August 30 at 6 pm ET.
In a corresponding move Wednesday, the Dolphins signed running back Coleman Bennett to replace Turner on the roster.
Dolphins Cut Ties with Talented Pass-Catching TE