Kiko Alonso rumors are nothing more than speculation at this point

Earlier this week there was a lot of social media talk about the future of Miami Dolphins linebacker Kiko Alonso but at this point, it is not a rumor.

When it comes to rumors, there are those you can believe and those you disregard. Then, like in the case of Dolphins LB Kiko Alonso, there is speculation and that is not a rumor.

Twitter was buzzing with talk about the Miami Dolphins cutting linebacker Kiko Alonso. How much truth is in that rumor? Well, none really. Not yet. But as Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald has reported, nothing is written in stone.

Jackson is one of the more reliable Dolphins beat writers in South Florida. Typically, he isn’t putting garbage under his name. So when he says that Alonso is not a lock to make the roster, it does carry some weight.

In the case of Alonso, Jackson only says that a team source would not say that Alonso is a definite to be in Miami.

"Alonso’s standing is less clear, with a club source declining to assure that he will definitely be here this season. – Barry Jackson, Miami Herald"

On the surface, releasing Alonso would make some sense. He has been injured almost the entire training camp season and hasn’t played in the pre-season games. Jerome Baker is the leader of the unit and Sam Eguavoen has been playing very well throughout.

The Dolphins are going to run a different style of defense where linebacker is not as important as it was under previous coaching staffs. That is not to say that it isn’t important, only that they will be used differently.

Miami also has Raekwon McMillan and the team is not likely ready to give up on him yet but he won’t be a focal point of the unit this year and hasn’t through camp.

The biggest problem is money. Releasing Alonso would carry $8.2 million in dead cap space with only a $25K savings. In other words, the Dolphins would be paying Alonso to play somewhere else. On the other hand if they could trade him, which is not out of the question, the dead money would drop to $1.3 million. Of course, if teams think Miami will release him, they won’t take on that contract.

For now it is nothing more than educated speculation on the part of Jackson but with only a week to go before final roster cuts, anything is possible with the Dolphins wanting to get younger.

If there is one thing that we have seen from the Patriots and something that maybe Brian Flores learned from Bill Belichick is that getting rid of players a year early often makes the team better. Alonso could become the Dolphins surprise release if Jackson is correct.