The Miami Dolphins’ 20-7 loss against the Washington Commanders in the team’s first preseason game showcased that the team lacks depth on the roster.
After an impressive opening series that resulted in a touchdown by the team’s first-string offense against Washington backups, Miami was outscored 20-0 during the loss.
The depth issues are no secret. The Dolphins entered the 2026 offseason with over 20 free agents, most of whom the team let walk. While Miami’s new front office, led by general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan, has gone after young players with potential, not all of them have panned out and some have been given a shorter leash than others.
Now, after the team’s first preseason game, the Dolphins announced they had cut ties with a player they signed during the first week of training camp.
Miami Dolphins Announce Roster Moves
The Miami Dolphins announced via X: “Roster Moves | We have signed defensive lineman Cam Rice and waived safety Tanner Wall.”
Wall was signed by the Dolphins on Aug. 7, but after 10 days with the team, it appears the Dolphins had seen enough. Wall was signed by the Las Vegas Raiders as an undrafted free agent this offseason, but was waived two days prior to Miami signing him.
Regarding Wall’s journey prior to the NFL, BYU Cougars Wire’s Jeremy Mauss wrote: “Wall’s story starts as a walk-on at BYU to becoming a co-captain in 2024 and a team captain in 2025. He was up for a lot of awards that are off-field, such as being a finalist for the Wuerffel Trophy, which honors leadership and community service off the field, Jason Witten Man of the Year Semifinalist, and others for off-field achievements.
That does not mean he is not a great athlete or an NFL prospect.
Wall has played in 45 career games at BYU, including 37 starts over the past two years. In his two years as a starter, Wall had seven interceptions, eight pass breakups, and 124 total tackles.”
As an undrafted free agent who did not spend the first part of the offseason with the Dolphins, he was likely always a long shot to make Miami’s roster. Wall played 15 snaps in Miami’s preseason opener. He was given a solid 64.5 grade from Pro Football Focus as he registered two tackles.
Miami Dolphins’ Roster
Wall’s release and addition of Cam Rice continue Miami’s large number of roster moves this offseason. It appears the team is still searching for depth ahead of the regular season.
Regarding Miami’s depth, The Miami Herald’s Omar Kelly wrote: “When a team has committed $179 million in cap space to paying off past debts, it’s understandable why there will be roster challenges in a rebuilding season. Miami’s roster is full of youngsters who are still cutting their teeth, and journeymen taking their last shot at becoming starters, or continuing their NFL career. Still, the Dolphins’ backups leave plenty to be desired, and must be improved through the use of the waiver wire, and the signing of free agents when 1000-plus players get cut on Aug. 30. The team Jon-Eric Sullivan is building is about 10 legitimate NFL players away from having a respectable roster, and have $16 million in cap space to use for enhancements to the roster.”
Dolphins Cut Ties With Recently Signed Ex-Raiders DB