Dolphins release DT Vincent Taylor

No one is safe when it comes to the 2019 Miami Dolphins roster. After trading Laremy Tunsil, Kenny Stills and Kiko Alonso, then releasing longtime long snapper John Denney, Miami’s purge continues with the release of Vincent Taylor.

With that release, only 22 players who were on the 2018 squad remain, and it’s possible more moves are on the way.

What makes this move so surprising is that Taylor was clearly productive during his two season tenure.

Vincent Taylor earned strong grades over his first two seasons in the league:

2017 – 84.1 overall (185 snaps)
2018 – 76.3 overall (204 snaps)

*In that time Taylor racked up 28 defensive stops and missed just 1 tackle #Dolphins #FinsUp https://t.co/O0zAbQaSTZ

— PFF MIA Dolphins (@PFF_Dolphins) September 2, 2019

In his 21 games, he made 45 tackles, hit the QB three times, made four tackles for a loss, two sacks, and his real claim to fame is blocking field goals. He has a strange knack for that, but he ended 2018 on injured reserve with a foot injury. Perhaps that has something to do with his lack of production in preseason.

New Face

To replace the 25-year old, the Dolphins signed veteran nose tackle John Jenkins, who spent his first four seasons with the Saints after being drafted in the third round of the 2013 NFL draft. He was a top performer at the combine that year, and unlike Taylor, the 30-year old Jenkins fits a niche role that’s necessary for Miami’s 3-4 defensive alignment.

Since being released by New Orleans in 2016, Jenkins has spent time with a different team each following year. In 2016, he played with the Seattle Seahawks. The next year was spent with the Bears, and in 2018 he was a member of the New York Giants. He played seven games for the Giants, and contributed almost nothing. No tackles, no sacks. To be fair, however, nose tackles aren’t meant to put up stats. They’re meant to clear the way for other defenders. If he can do that, then his contribution will be on tape, not on a stat sheet.

So is this the end of Vincent Taylor with the Dolphins? Not necessarily. Should he clear waivers, Taylor is still technically eligible for Miami’s practice squad. He could be brought back that way. But if not, some team somewhere is going to get real bang for their buck. Taylor isn’t the most well-conditioned player, but when he’s on the football field, he makes things happen.

Luis Sung has covered the Miami Dolphins for numerous outlets such as Dolphins Wire for six years. Follow him on Twitter: @LuisDSung