*** DOLPHINS NEWS ***
Dec 10, 1997: -- Update On Sims and Signings --
With the release of Keith Sims yesterday, the Dolphins now
have 8 offensive linemen on the team as well as 2 on the practice
squad. Starters Webb, Buckey, Ruddy, McIver and Brown are backed up
by Bock (at both center and guard), Mike Sheldon (who can play all
offensive line positions) and Brent Smith (who is mainly a tackle).
The release of Keith Sims yesterday will affect the Dolphins'
salary cap in one of two ways. If Sims is picked up off of waivers by
4 PM today (Wednesday), the team that picks him up will be responsible
for his contract and the remainder of his salary this year. If he
isn't claimed by 4 PM today, he will be a free agent and may be signed
by any team that can reach an agreement with him.
The effect on the Dolphins salary cap will depend on whether
or not he is claimed off of waivers. If he is claimed before 4 PM
today, 60% of his $2 million signing bonus will be accelerated to count
against this year's salary cap. That is about $1.2 million. Since
the Dolphins are only about $1 million under the cap, they will either
have to cut someone or restructure someone's contract to pick up about
$200,000. Next year, however, the Dolphins gain about $1 million that
they would have had to pay Sims.
If Sims is not claimed off of waivers today, the remainder of
his signing bonus will be counted against next year's cap. That will
subtract $1.2 million from the Dolphins' available salary pool.
However, the Dolphins will save by eliminating his base salary of
about $1 million, so the effect on the cap will be negligible.
In addition to waiving Sims yesterday, the Dolphins placed
Frank Wainwright on injured reserve with a torn pectoral muscle.
Wainwright was on the team mainly to handle the long-snapping duties,
but JJ now feels that Ed Perry can handle that role.
The Dolphins signed cornerback Denorse Mosley from the
practice squad to help fill in the roster. Mosley played 3 years at
Pitt before being kicked off the squad for disciplinary reasons in
1996. He was one of their best cornerbacks and top tacklers before he
was booted. He finished his college career at Edinboro in
Pennsylvania.
Mosley's best year was in 1994 for Pitt, when he had 6
interceptions over the course of the year. At 6'1" and 180 pounds, he
is a big cornerback. He signed on to the Dolphins practice squad in
August of this year as a free agent.
The other signee is Brian Walker, who was an undrafted rookie
free agent with the Washington Redskins last year out of Washington
State. He is also big, at 6'1" and 190 pounds and played in 16 games
last year, with 5 starts for the Redskins. This year he played in 5
games before being cut in October. Last year, he ended the year with
51 tackles, one pass defensed and one sack.
My Comments:
The release of Sims comes as a surprise, especially with the
playoffs fast approaching and depth on the offensive line being a
concern. It appears that the salary cap was not a contributing factor
to his release.
I think that it's safe to say that it would be good if he was
claimed off waivers today by another team, because that would mean
less of a hit to the salary cap next year.
As to the new guys, it looks like Mosley is a guy who screwed
up a promising career at Pittsburgh. If the reports of him being
kicked off the team are true, and he was playing well in college, then
he blew a big opportunity to get drafted.
Mosley and Walker are big and Walker has some good experience
on special teams, so they may be able to help out the secondary some,
especially if Madison and/or Wooden are still injured this Sunday.
Related Info:
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Curt Fennell,
curt@phins.com, DOLFAN in New Rochelle (almost)
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