Dolphins waive Shawn Murphy; sign Murtha

The Dolphins have announced today they waived guard Shawn Murphy, a 2008 fourth-round pick.

The team is not giving a reason for making the move and that's understandable because it didn't really give Murphy a reason either, according to sources.

Last week, at least one assistant told Murphy he was practicing well. This week Murphy is tapped on the shoulder and told he needs to turn in his playbook.

The sudden turn of events is stranger than that. Murphy was told in the preseason the right guard position was his to lose. He lost it to Donald Thomas but was still working as the backup at both guard spots.

I'm told Murphy was both angered and relieved to be cut. He didn't get along at all with former offensive line coach Mike Maser (of course, Maser didn't get along with anybody because he spent much of his time cursing at all his players). This year Murphy was feeling better about status, but felt betrayed by the out-of-left-field nature of today's move.

Murphy's departure was ostensibly caused by the signing of Detroit Lions' practice squad player Lydon Murtha. Murtha, a 6-7, 315-pounder, was a seventh-round pick out of Nebraska.

Murphy, who had the starting right guard job when training camp opened, becomes the highest draft pick to fail to make it with the Dolphins in the two years since the new regime of Tony Sparano, Bill Parcells and Jeff Ireland took over.

Murphy will go through the waiver process. He will know by 4 p.m. Wednesday if he's been picked up by another team.

If no team claims Murphy, it is possible he could be signed to any practice squad, including Miami's practice squad, but that is very unlikely because this break feels weird for both parties.

It is possible Murphy winds up on the Philadelphia practice squad if he's not claimed.

Comments

[Dooz]

wow.. first

[Dooz]

wow. second..

[Edgar]

what about the rumor of Merriman to the Pats?

[harricane]

mando,

what was the motivation with this move?

[harricane]

and what did it cost?

[Keith in PDX]

Darn...I was hoping Murphy would be a good center fielder...he's good with a bat in his hand, but not much of a base-runner.

Um...Oops...wrong blog...

Go Phins!

[Tikkanen]

Is there has more to the story. Why would a power running team not want to keep him around for depth, in case of injury?

[A Real Reporter]

He'll be on the practice squad tomorrow.

[NJ PHIN FAN]

Lydon murtha has real good potential. He's a better football player than murphy.

[dolfandave]

I remember Murtha from the combine, he was the fastest O-Lineman there. I think he ran under a 5.0, much faster than Rich Eisen even.

ddave

[harricane]

nj, what ya think it cost us?

[harricane]

i do like his size/age

[sammydolfan]

Murtha looks big and strong but had many injury issues at Nebraska, and on the Lions practice squad? Seems they would use him if he was a stud. In trifecta we shall trust......

[Ace]

Dont know much about Murtha, but I imagine he is an upgrade over Murphy. Hey NJ long time no talk. What do you think of Murtha?

[Marc]

Can he play corner or safety??

[Tommya]

This guy Murtha is SUPER FAST for a lineman. He's 6'7" and 315lbs. and he runs a 4.89 40 yard dash!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

To give everyone an idea of how fast that is:

Larry English ran a 4.88.

[Kevin]

Galloway is a free agent and no one but the ravens r talking to him, come on phins we could use galloway here.

[bobbyd12]

6 ft 7. 315 pounds welcome to the world of Bill Parcells...another monster about to be unleashed

[dolfandave]

Brainstorm! I got it! Murtha is a former TE. We line him up on two TE sets and run the ball even more!

[harricane]

i prefer quick in a lineman vs "fast".

sounds safe not sexy....normal fin pick & i think smart as well, pick that is.

[bobbyd12]

GALLOWAY!!!!! Hahaha. So who do we remove from the roster for that guy?? No thank you

[harricane]

dave,

u r on to something. fardner was lining up in the "off the line" backfield position right of Jake......

[harricane]

sorry gardner....

[NJ PHIN FAN]

Harricane , he cost miami nothing. This guy is a great athlete for his size. lots of potential.

[Ian M]

Just once there may be a good reason to get excited that they might actually pull off a trade that we actually need, Dwayne Bowe would have been a great call, yet again nothing!!

[Mark in Toronto]

Why in the world would we want Galloway? he can't make it with Tom Brady, one of the most wide receiver friendly qbs out there. He's done, nice career, glad you had nothing left to make life harder for the Dolphins. Enjoy retirement, you should with all the money you made.

[NJ PHIN FAN]

Harricane , it was nate garner lining up a guard not andrew gardner .

[NJ PHIN FAN]

Galloway ? lmfao !

[harricane]

ok, my bad NJ....i just know it was a backfield position for xtra blocking..

remember coach said, "we have a package for the blitz"? and they ran out of it as well. cool move

[NJ PHIN FAN]

Yeah ian M , ed reed , troy palamalu , andre johnson patrick willis , etc would've been great calls. MY GOD ! un-f'n-believable.

[datbutta]

trade rumor- I live very close to charlotte nc and just heard we dolphins are nearing trade for steve smith omg that would be great

[harricane]

trifecta won't do a high risk move, nj. u know that buddy

[harricane]

butt-a

very funny

[Zack]

If a guy isn't good enough to make the detroit lions roster...why would anyone want him?

[Kevin]

hey bobby, how bout brandon london?

[bobbyd12]

Let me throw out some names for you guys, I'm sure NJ Phin Fan knows...Bobby Johnson, Solomon Miller, Stacy Robinson, Lionel Manuel....Who are they??? They were the wide receivers for the 1986 Super Bowl Giants!!! None of them big named, none of them flashy, none of them remembered...that is what Bill Parcell's thinks about wide receivers...all of you that are yelling for big name wide receivers, NOT GONNA HAPPEN!!! Get it through your thick skulls, this draft coming up, big, young, huge defensive linemen FIRST..wide receiver will not be a priority...right or wrong NjPhinFan??

[NJ PHIN FAN]

Harricane , it's called sarcasm !

[bobbyd12]

Yes, Brando London would be nice, but again, that's not Parcells MO...Big, strong O line check...great running game check, 2 big, strong corners check..big run stopping defense, ah somewhat...Gerald McCoy from Oklahoma nose tackle would be a Parcells pick...lacking that...linebackers and defensive ends, need some upgrade, safetys, definte problem children back there...wide receivers just need to run their routes and catch some balls...not gonna be major part of Parcells offense though...

[NJ PHIN FAN]

bobbyd12. Right , This draft is loaded With good LB's and safties as well. Here is a name you forgot from the old giants . Phil Mconckey.

[babydolphin]

let's go dolphins! i'm happy...we have a quarterback and the jets suck!

[Zack]

Bobbyd12: I can see how you don't need big name recievers...but you need guys that can scare people and make people back off. You need guys that don't drop balls and can get the job done. Right now the dolphins don't have anyone scary or anyone they need to double-team. They have one fast dude named Ted Ginn, and with Henne he's been decent, but when Pennington was in he dropped alot of balls.

[bobbyd12]

I left out Phil cause everyone would see his name and say see, big name receiver...McConkey was a Wes Welker (miss him) type, quick, not big and caught the ball when thrown to him...Hartline reminds me of him a little...I wish everyone would understand this is not going to be a wide open passing team like people want...this is going to be a lunch pail, blue collar punch you in the mouth Parcells team...we are getting there guys, lots of talent in this coming draft, wait and see...

[Tom from MontanaCali]

The dolphins will turn him into a giant Tight End. He ran faster and was quicker in the drills at the combine than most of the Tight ends.

[bobbyd12]

Zack, I understand your point, but don't you like Hartline? That Camarillo catch won us the Jets game by keeping that drive alive, great hands, and we have no clue where Turner is in his progress and Ginn burned 3 Jets, including Revis...that will open some eyes on some other teams film...point is, we have more important holes to fill then WR...need to build that defense more so we don't have to worry about the Mannings and Brees's of the NFL

[kc]

all the trade talk and reciever talk is great but the bottom line is in a 3-4 defense we will never win anything with those two second string inside linebackers we have starting you need at least one great inside linebacker in this system

[bobbyd12]

I have followed Parcells throughout his career, I see where he's going, he is following the blueprint he has always used..I'm just telling you Wide Receiver is not on his radar...

[bobbyd12]

Nose tackle, defensive ends, this is Porters and Jason Taylors last year on this team, Linebackers, Safties...that's where the building will be done

[Armando Salguero]

Just talked to a source that tells me it is unlikely Murphy will be re-signed to the practice squad if he clears waivers.

[Tommya]

bobbyd12,

WR not on Parcells radar? If I remember correctly one of the FIRST things Parcells did was overpay Ernest Wilford.... A WIDE RECEIVER!!!!!

I guess you consider that signing to be an accident? That Parcells mistakenly thought Wilford was an O-lineman. Yeah, that's it....

[Tom]

Murtha will be used as a Tight end/extra tackle. If you look at his combine scores he would have been in the top of the Tight end group in Vertical jump, 20yard shuttle and 3 cone drill. He is quick.

[bobbyd12]

Mando, was he not progressing enough or does Murtha have that much more upside???

[bobbyd12]

Tommya, Parcells signed Wilford when he first got here because he thought that would be the answer...he also picked up Hartline and Turner...as of right now the LAST thing on Parcells radar is worrying about signing anymore wide receivers...because he signed an extension for Wilford two years ago don't give me this nonsensense that he is worrying about WR NOW!!!

[harricane]

so mando,

something else brewing? or this all the steam?

[mike]

" Murtha on the Lions practice squad? Seems they would use him if he was a stud.... Posted by: sammydolfan

Sammy my man... if the Lions don't want him... WE DO! lol! The dolphins mad a career out of improving the Pats and Jets with our cut players. now it's payback time... we got the brains up front to make the right decisions and now it's US who's making diamonds out of coal. And i can't remember the last time we disguarded someone of value that actually ended up on someone elses roster and is productive. yes... those days are GONE! woo hoo!

but I REALLY would like Wes Welker back. Imaging how well he'd fit into this offense and special teams. Wes was a training camp sleeper that my son and I PEGGED as a stud... and we were right. though at the time, i don't blame the fins for unloading him. we needed draft pics and were going nowhere at the time... but dernit i miss him.

-M.

[harricane]

or does he replace carey?

[harricane]

coach tony the O-line man....its his team now 4 sure

[Vox Verdad]

New England or Jets will pick up Murphy, debrief him, and use info to defeat Wildcat. Brass will regret this move, Big Time!!

[Dolphins4life]

Bobbyd12

Right on the money about Parcells and we have seen the progerssion of the Dolphins through his and Ireland's work. I hope Parcells never leaves.
Now we just signed a athletic big lineman in Murtha and he can block and get down field, another beast added to the line of the Wildcat.

Shawn Murphy was just not good enough for the Tirfecta and they most likely felt Murtha was worth his spot on the roster and there is low risk and high value especially if he plays. Murphy really never looked comfortable and confident and rarely played.

[Dolphins4life]

And about the wide reciever we will be fine.
And don't give up on Turner yet I really beleive if he gets on the field he will do some damage. Sooner or later Parcells may be red shirting him. lol
One thing is for sure he would have had to earn his playing time when he does get on the field.

[Vox Verdad]

..........brees.....nightmares.....doomed....