The Colts cut ties with JuJu Brents on Tuesday, but the young cornerback will remain tied to his second-round contract. The Dolphins claimed Brents, veteran reporter Jordan Schultz tweets.
In addition to claiming Brents, the Dolphins are reuniting with Jeff Wilson on a practice squad deal, ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets. The veteran Mike McDaniel charge did not make the 49ers’ 53-man roster, but the Dolphins have dangled an opportunity. Wilson played in Miami from 2022-24 but saw his role diminish as the tenure wore on. With Miami banged up at running back presently, Wilson will return.
Eyed as a starter in Indianapolis’ Gus Bradley scheme, Brents had been unable to stay healthy. The Indianapolis native missed eight games as a rookie and 15 last season. Brents, 25, suffered a knee injury in Week 1 last year and became the rare player to only play in his team’s first and last games in a season. In Colts camp this year, however, Brents missed extensive time with a hamstring injury. Despite Indianapolis losing third-round rookie Justin Walley, the team did not hold onto Brents as it transitions to Lou Anarumo‘s system.
The Colts cut the former No. 44 overall pick days after signing Xavien Howard, one of the longest-tenured DBs in Dolphins history. Miami had a veteran group in place post-Howard in 2024, but circumstances changed radically this year. The Dolphins released Kendall Fuller and traded Jalen Ramsey. They later saw Artie Burns and Kader Kohou suffer ACL tears.
The Dolphins also placed former second-round pick Cam Smith on the reserve/NFI list, sidelining the disappointing draftee for at least four games. They released Mike Hilton on Tuesday, leading to a Colts visit (as these teams’ CB paths remain intertwined), and signed Rasul Douglas. The team also retained Jack Jones, a late-summer addition. In addition to the Smith move, Miami waived DB Isaiah Johnson.
Acquired via trade at the 2022 deadline, Wilson has played for McDaniel for most of his career. The former 49ers assistant traded for Wilson in his first year as Dolphins HC, and Miami re-signed the Raheem Mostert sidekick in 2023. The Dolphins drafting De’Von Achane and Jaylen Wright, however, changed Wilson’s standing. Wilson totaled just 57 rushing yards on 16 carries last season — after accumulating just 188 in 2023. The 29-year-old RB does have scheme knowledge here and stands to help while Achane and Wright are battling injuries; the latter is not expected to play in Week 1.