It is possible they are waiting to sign a veteran and not having to guarantee salary? There is no urgency apparently. They have 5 corners if they are including Wilson. Jerry and Long are ready. I guess the urgency to even the roster for the first game is not there. Maybe after the first game.
There's likely something in progress, and I imagine it has something to do with Jabar Gaffney. Waiting for a potential trade, Gaffney to make a decision between the Raiders and Dolphins, etc.
I was thinking that they might be waiting until after game one to offer a contract to Jake Scott. He is still a free agent and as much as the Dolphins need WR help. Their need for OL help might even be greater at this time. I figure they want to wait until after the first game for two reasons. First to see how the OL plays against the Texans, and second because they would be required to pay his entire salary for the year if Scott were signed prior to the first game. Gaffney may be an option if the OL plays well in the Texans game, but right now I think protection is more important for Tannehill. I'm not sure the present OL can provide him with great protection. If Scott is in playing shape and healthy, I think he would be a definite upgrade for the OL.
It could be that they're considering who they have to guarentee money to, but I would think Gaffney would be someone they would be strongly interested in regardless. He's a good player at a dire need. The Raiders just signed Derek Hagan, so competition seems more limited now.
Didn't Hagan play for them in the past? Yeah, if you want Gaffney you probably don't mind assuring his salary.
I thought it was interesting that the Raiders worked out both Gaffney and Hagan and then chose Hagan. And to answer OP, I think it's that they see whomever they add as a stopgap probably only for part of the season, so they have no interest in guaranteeing a contract for the whole season. I expect that one or two vets will be added after week 1. My gut also says that they're keeping an eye on the Wallace situation in Pitt. My guess is that if nothing changes, Pitt will come off it's stance before the trade deadline and ship him out like they did Holmes.
I don't think the Jabbar Gaffney thing is a great big mystery. It's been flat out reported he's not healthy and that he hopes to re-join the Patriots when he gets healthy. To me that implies that the amount he's going to help you right now in Week 1 is very limited anyway but that he stands a chance of getting healthier and healthier...so why would you sign him Week 1 when you've got to guarantee his full salary yet he can't help you Week 1?
With the Raiders signing Hagan over Gaffney, I'm assuming Gaffney just isn't healthy enough. We brought him in, didn't sign him on the spot... Raiders brought him in, didn't sign him straight away either. Then they brought in Hagan and signed him immediately. I don't think we're waiting till after week 1 to sign him either. The whole guaranteed salary thing was always interesting and I like the theory that teams are waiting, but I think it's overrated and certainly doesn't apply to every veteran. The first priority is to make sure a player is healthy for week 1. If a team likes a vet free agent and he's healthy, they're not going to wait around till after week 1 and risk losing that player. As to what the Phins are doing with that 53rd spot... since we're relatively healthy, looks like we'd move someone up from the practice squad... wait till closer to the game just in case there is an injury though. heh... not like that 53rd guy is going to make a difference this week anyway.
no one they sign will be active this week anyway... they'll just have one less inactive for the Houston game and then sign someone after saturday to not guarantee the contract... no biggie to me
Probably waiting so we don't have to guarantee someones salary, hence us cutting Garrard when we did. Hell we might re-sign HIM monday, like CK mentioned before.
One agent who has dealt with the Dolphins said the team still has several veterans on its radar, but knows that vested veterans on the roster for the first week have guaranteed contracts the rest of the season. Miami will consider adding a veteran or two after Week 1. Read more here: http://miamiherald.typepad.com/sports-buzz/#storylink=cpy
