The Miami Dolphins aren’t in a position to pass up the opportunity to add talent.
The recent NFL roster cuts provide plenty of opportunities, and in some ways, the Dolphins have already taken advantage.
They picked up rookie tight end Justin Joly, for example, the former North Carolina State standout and fifth-round 2026 pick who was surprisingly cut by the Denver Broncos.
They also added Brady Cook, the former Mizzou star QB who spent his undrafted rookie season in 2025 with the New York Jets before they recently parted ways.
In some points of view, the Dolphins shouldn’t stop there. There’s still talent available that could help Miami improve its roster.
Take, for example, Evan Neal.
Mike Masala of Dolphins Wire believes that Neal would be a good add for Miami, pitching him as part of an article after initial roster cuts.
Masala was on point, too, urging the Dolphins to add Joly, and then Miami went out and did just that.
The Case for Evan Neal for the Dolphins
Everything about Neal’s pedigree seems positive.
The offensive tackle went to Alabama to play his college football as a well-regarded recruit. With the Crimson Tide, Neal won a national championship and was named an All-American.
The New York Giants liked what they saw, and they drafted Neal in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft.
Neal struggled at tackle for the Giants, though, and was slated to play guard in 2025, although he didn’t end up getting on the field at all.
“Miami needs depth along their offensive line, and Neal has started at offensive tackle in the past, and if he could play guard, that could make him more valuable,” Masala writes.
The Case Against Evan Neal
Neal was moved from tackle to guard with the Giants because he simply didn’t get the job done on the outside.
He was too easy for defensive players to beat, and often, Neal had to commit penalties to try and bail himself out of tough situations that he had put himself into.
Neal started 13 games as a rookie, then seven in 2023, then seven in 2024 (with two additional appearances off the bench).
Injuries can also make life tougher on offensive linemen, but in general, Neal simply struggled.
He was called for six false start penalties as a rookie.
In his seven games in year two, he had one holding, two false starts and one penalty that was offset by a defensive call.
In 2024, Neal had six false starts, proving that to be a frequent problem when he was aligned at tackle.
Putting him inside at guard would hopefully mitigate that, but there’s no way to know for sure.
As of Wednesday morning, Sept. 2, Neal had yet to be reported as signing anywhere. Given his background, he’ll likely at least get a chance with a new team. Will it be the Dolphins? That remains to be seen.
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