2 Cut…More Loom As Free Agency Draws Closer

The Miami Dolphins have cut two off their roster, a day after the NFL officially allowed teams to begin making cuts to their rosters.  Gone are LB Kelvin Smith and guard Matt McChesney.  Both players were on the IR this season.  McChesney was brought in as a free agent pick up to shore up the injured line, then got injured.  Smith was a Phins 2007 draft pick who has been unable to make an impact on the roster.  The Dolphins will likely be chopping more as the free agency period draws closer.  It is now 16 days away.

For the Dolphins, the roster will once again undergo some shake-up.  While the Phins brass shake the sand sifter, the question will be what names don’t fall through the cracks and instead find themselves looking for work.  The “Trifecta” have already begun breaking down film on every one of their own players, something they began doing before the season ended, and have also begun breaking down film on potential free agents.

Names like Chris Canty the DE in Dallas are beginning to surface as possibilities for the Phins new season of changes.  Other names like Bart Scott, Karlos Dansby, and 25 year old guard Jason Brown have been thrown out there as well.

The Dolphins will have money to spend but the exact amount won’t be released until the team has had time to work contracts up on their own free agents and Bill Parcells and Jeff Ireland have already begun that process as well.  Parcells, who has been in the media often of late, assured the team and the players that he would be involved with the team through this season, despite the recent revelations that he was ready to walk out in that 30 day window.

Apparently, Parcells was blocked in, or felt to be blocked in by having to make a decision in 30 days of the official sale transferring power from Wayne Huizenga to Stephen Ross.  Prior to the sale completion, Wayne H. removed the 30 day window allowing BP to leave as he saw fit.  Parcells wanted an out in case the relationship between Ross and himself was something that Bill felt uncomfortable in.  Regardless of what and why it happened, Bill Parcells will be with the Dolphins at least through the 2009 season.

With fans and executives alike turning their attention to the pool of free agents, all must deal with the uncertain future of the Collective Bargaining Agreement which was opted out of by the owners prior to last season.  With guarantees now being accellerated into this financial year should players be cut, there is a likely possibility that some teams will not release players under larger financial guarantees to save cap money as the accelerated bonuses would be tied to the 2009 season.  Players like Ernest Wilford who made no contributions to the Dolphins this year, may find themselves still employed by their respective teams due to financial cap restraints.

For now, it’s a simple process of rumor and cheap talk.  With the Pro-Bowl history for this season, the only thing left is the crazy world of off-season swagger and outright lies.  And that, is what makes the NFL off-season so much fun.