After Tuesday’s flurry of activity with the NFL’s roster cutdown day, today comes another flurry of activity with team’s claiming recently cut players off waivers to add to their practice squads, or in some cases their active rosters. The latter is the case with Miami Dolphins’ latest waiver claim, former Green Bay Packers wide receiver Grant DuBose.
DuBose joined the Packers as a seventh-round draft choice in the 2023 NFL Draft out of UNC-Charlotte, having had a standout career with them. A Junior College transfer, DuBose played in 24 games for Charlotte, grabbing 126 receptions for over 1600 yards and 15 touchdowns, putting him third all-time in the school’s history despite only playing two seasons.
That receiving prowess never quite translated to the professional level, though, as DuBose never made an appearance for the Packers during his rookie season. He was signed to a futures contract with the Packers in January, but was part of the team’s final cuts yesterday.
Now he lands in Miami, on a team that is severely thin at the position. Prior to DuBose’s signing and elevation to the 53-man roster, the team only had four wide receivers on the active roster due to a rash of injuries. The injuries with the Dolphins’ wide receivers are so prevalent that even one of the active wide receivers, Tyreek Hill, has been banged up this training camp. It was a precarious situation, and adding DuBose to the roster helps to alleviate it to a degree.
We don’t really know what DuBose can bring to the team from a receiving standpoint, as he’s never seen regular season action. However, DuBose did have a strong preseason for the Packers this year, and was a surprise cut to some. DuBose also brings good blocking skills for a wide receiver, something that will be important in Miami’s offensive scheme, and a trait that will likely endear himself to head coach Mike McDaniel.
We’ll have to see how much DuBose can contribute from a receiving standpoint, but at the very least he gives the Dolphins another healthy body at the position, something they really need at the moment. At 6’2” and just over 200 pounds, DuBose could also potentially find targets as a red zone option, as he would be Miami’s tallest receiver by several inches.