Miami Dolphins: Rodriguez Release Was No-Brainer

Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports

The Miami Dolphins have completed their final roster cuts, trimming it down to the required 53-man limit on Saturday. On Sunday, the Dolphins made a couple more moves to better their team. While they may have been underrated, the moves were absolutely necessary.

Earlier in the offseason, Miami signed former Chicago Bears tight end/fullback Evan Rodriguez after he had been arrested for the second time in less than just three months.

Sunday, the Dolphins cut him a day after he had initially made the final roster. Following the release of Rodriguez, the team signed fullback Tyler Clutts, also a former Bear, who cleared waivers after being released by the Houston Texans.

Rodriguez showed promise while in Chicago as a decent pass-catching tight end and also lined up as a fullback at times. He was only coming into his second year, and obviously had a lot to learn yet. After two arrests stemming from alcohol-related incidents, the Bears cut him loose.

With the new direction Miami has been heading in the last couple of seasons, Rodriguez’s presence simply couldn’t have been a positive one. The type of mistakes he had made in recent months would not had sat well in the locker room nor with the coaches.

Hey, let’s be honest though, Rodriguez isn’t yet an NFL-quality fullback/tight end. He has plenty to improve before getting a shot to earn playing time again.

The Dolphins made a good call on cutting Rodriguez Sunday, and I’m sure their fans agree. Even though the tight end position, specifically, has been a concern, Miami could not risk keeping a guy like that on the roster.

Ryan Heckman is a Senior Writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @ryanmheckman, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.