Dolphins make roster moves, create cap space. And Flores, players discuss Howard situation

The Dolphins made five roster moves before their first training camp practice, including placing receiver DeVante Parker on the physically unable to perform list with an undisclosed injury that isn’t considered serious.

Parker, offensive lineman DJ Fluker and linebacker Elandon Roberts were placed on the PUP list, along with receiver Preston Williams.

Roberts is coming back from December knee surgery and Williams from November foot surgery.

Brian Flores suggested Tuesday that more players could join Williams on the PUP list pending physicals and the results of a conditioning test.

Parker’s health issue is nothing significant or serious, according to a team source.

Fluker was placed on the PUP list because of conditioning, according to a source. The team wants him in better shape.

Players can be removed from PUP at any time during training camp.

Also, the Dolphins signed guard Tyler Marz, who has played in six NFL games, with one start for Tennessee in 2018. He entered the NFL in 2016 as an undrafted free agent from Tennessee.

Also noteworthy: Xavien Howard, who has requested a trade, is dressed and on the field for the first training camp practice on Wednesday.

Also, linebacker Kylan Johnson was the only player on the active roster (aside from the PUP guys) who was not spotted at practice.

FLORES ADDRESSES HOWARD

The Dolphins have privately told Howard that they do not intend to trade him, and coach Brian Flores told WQAM’s Joe Rose that he hopes to work out differences with Howard stemming from his unhappiness about his contract, which prompted him to ask for a trade on Tuesday night.

Flores never said on Rose’s show that Howard definitely would be a Dolphin this season, though Flores wasn’t specifically asked that.

“I guess the plan is to continue to have discussions on our part, continue to have talks with him and his representation,” Flores said. “We love X. He’s a good player. He’s competitive. He’s here. He’s showing up.

“We expect him to contribute the same way he has. He was out there [on Tuesday], passed his conditioning test. He’s in good shape. We’ll understand his concerns, and we’ll just try to work through this as best we can.”

Flores also said: “Look, X is a great player, good teammate. His teammates love playing with him. I love coaching him. Obviously, we’ve had discussions with him, his representation. I talked to him yesterday. I’ll keep all those conversations between us, including his contract situation.

As The Miami Herald’s Armando Salguero noted overnight, the Dolphins rejected Howard’s proposal to move future money into his 2021 contract, as he explains here, and also told him they don’t plan to trade him.

But the Dolphins also told Laremy Tunsil’s camp that they didn’t intend to trade him -- and then traded him weeks later.

Flores was asked if there is a way he can keep Howard in Miami.

“There’s a way,” Flores said. “I think we just continue to have discussions with him, his representation, and keep the lines of communication open, continue having dialogue and, hopefully, work something out. At the same time, we’ve got 90, 89 other guys that we’ll be working with, to include X.

“Try to build this team and improve on a day-to-day basis, build team chemistry. That’s where most of our focus is. The X thing is something we’re having discussions about, as well.”

Howard said Tuesday that he does not feel “valued or respected by the Dolphins...Until that trade happens I am just here so I don’t get fined, and will handle myself like professionals do.”

Howard would be fined $50,000 per day if he hadn’t shown up for training camp, per NFL rules.

NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport said two playoff teams, among others, called inquiring about a trade for Howard.

Tua Tagovailoa, Mike Gesicki, Andrew Van Ginkel and Jason McCourty were publicly supportive of Howard afterward, without criticizing the Dolphins.

“I support X, with whatever decisions he [makes],” Tagovailoa said. “He’s helped our team tremendously through the years, and I’ve only been on this team for one year and I’ve been able to see what he’s been able to do. That’s not in my control, but I support him.”

Gesicki said: “Obviously, you wish X the absolute best in whatever that situation’s going on. I don’t know that much about it. As a teammate, as a friend, you do wish him the absolute best no matter what happens. For me, I just try to keep to myself and just go about my every day.”

And McCourty said: “I had never met X, so this was the first time between [Tuesday and Wednesday]. Getting the chance to laugh with him, joke with him in meetings, getting a chance to know him. To me, that’s the most important part.

“From the outside looking in, I know how good of a player he is. We know how special he is as a player, and how much better he makes — not only the defense — but the team. When it comes to his contract, that’s personal. Those things have to be dealt with between him and the team. We respect the fact that he has to take care of himself and his family, and you just wait for all of those things to get figured out.”

CAP SPACE CREATED

The Dolphins created cap space by giving linebacker Benardrick McKinney a pay cut, but apparently not to use for Howard - at least at this point.

As ESPN’s Field Yates first reported early Wednesday morning, McKinney’s 2021 base salary was cut from $7.75 million to $3 million.

And the final two years of McKinney’s contract were eliminated and he thus will become an unrestricted free agent next March. McKinney had been due to make $8.75 million in 2022 and $9.5 million in 2023, but none of that was guaranteed.

McKinney’s 2021 cap number was sliced from $7.2 million to $3 million.

That extra $4 million in cap space gives the Dolphins $8.7 million in space, up from $4.5 million.

Flores told Rose and Zach Krantz that McKinney “is talented, is big, fast, has played a lot of football. “

He said the team values “his versatility, ability to play on the ball, off the ball. He’s played d-line in some instances. His ability to move around will be of value to us.”