DAVIE, Fla. — The Miami Dolphins‘ veteran exodus continued Tuesday as the team said goodbye to four more, including former starting defensive tackle Akeem Spence and recently signed right tackle Jordan Mills.
Reserve linebacker Chase Allen was waived/injured by the team as well. Mills and tight end Clive Walford were released via a short-term injury settlement, a source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
“Every team is going to have to make some decisions over the next five days. We’re not exempt from that,” coach Brian Flores said Tuesday. “You can do everything right — work hard, put the team first, come to meetings early, you can stay late — and sometimes it doesn’t work out. That’s life, not just football. When we have those conversations, they’re hard conversations.”
It’s clear with these moves that the Dolphins are going younger at many positions in what is expected to be a rebuilding 2019 season. It seems middle-age veterans have been at higher risk of being purged before cut-down day.
Spence started 16 games for the Dolphins in 2018, notching two sacks, but he lost his starting job to first-round pick Christian Wilkins this offseason and the team decided to not keep him as a reserve.
Mills was signed in May with hopes that he would be the team’s starting right tackle, but it became clear early in the offseason that he wasn’t playing well enough to fill that role.
Mills’ departure means Jesse Davis‘ switch from starting right guard to right tackle will stick for now during the regular season. Undrafted free agent Shaq Calhoun is expected to start at right guard.
Miami decided to release former starting safety T.J. McDonald on Monday and there could be more veteran cuts this week.