The Miami Dolphins' continuing search for hidden gems landed them a former third-round pick who won a Super Bowl ring last season.
The Dolphins were awarded guard Christian Haynes off waivers from the Seattle Seahawks, making room for him on the 53-man roster by waiving rookie sixth-round pick DJ Campbell.
Haynes appeared in all seven games for Seattle this season and made five starts, but he was waived after the Seahawks acquired eight-time Pro Bowl guard Quenton Nelson this week in a trade with the Indianapolis Colts. He appeared in 24 games as a backup in his first two NFL seasons.
The Baltimore Ravens had announced earlier Wednesday that they picked up Haynes on waivers, but the Dolphins had a higher waiver priority spot because of their worse record -after the third week of the regular season, the overall league standings are used in case more than one team claims a player.
Haynes was a third-round pick out of UConn in the 2024 NFL draft who was the 81st overall selection.
This was his NFL.com draft scouting report in 2024: "Four-year starter and team captain who is sturdy at the point of attack. Haynes plays with football intelligence and sees every snap as a mandate to move opponents and finish blocks. His draft slotting could be affected by a lack of length and being limited to one position, but his determined playing style counters those factors. He's not overly rangy but wipes out targets on pulling blocks and is capable in space, and in pass protection. The hand usage can get sloppy, allowing opponents to slip away from him, and he has a tendency to do too much grabbing. All things considered, he might outplay his draft slotting and become a solid NFL starter."
Haynes joins a group of Dolphins backup offensive linemen that consists of center Andrew Meyer, guard Jarrett Kingston, guard/tackle Caedan Wallace and tackle Chukwuebuka Godrick.
Where Haynes fit into the 10-man group obviously will come down to what he shows the coaches in practice and how quickly he can learn the offense.
Campbell becomes the second of the Dolphins' 13 draft selections to be cut from the 53-man roster after seventh-round selection Max Llewellyn.
As happened with Llewellyn, it's entirely possible the Dolphins will bring him back to the practice squad if he clears waivers, though now they're OK with taking that chance.
Campbell joined Godrick, claimed off waivers from the Kansas City Chiefs, on the inactive list every game so far this season as the clear ninth and 10th offensive linemen on the roster.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/dolphins/onsi as What to Know About the Dolphins' New Guard .
