Miami Dolphins cut Roth for lack of production

Life is tough on the Dolphins roster when you're not producing. Matt Roth was not producing since returning to active duty four games ago. So he's no longer on the roster.

The Dolphins released the outside linebacker today.

Despite the curious timing of the move, sources are telling The Herald not to look into fanciful reasons for the move other than Roth wasn't getting it done. Roth has only four tackles in four games and has not had a game in which he had more than one tackle.

Some members of the personnel department and coaching staff shared the opinion that Roth was no longer the same player he showed himself to be at times last season when he started 14 games and was fifth on the team with 53 tackles.

Asked if Roth's groin injury was the reason for his decline, a source said, "That's as good a guess as any."

The source also said Roth was a serviceable but not outstanding player even when healthy so his decline plus an early season episode in which he lied to coach Tony Sparano sealed his fate. The team obviously had no intention of re-signing Roth for next year. Roth is scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent next season.

Roth missed the first six games of the season while on the non-football injury list. He failed his conditioning test the first day of training camp and told Sparano he was sick. This after he had signed a waiver saying he was neither sick nor injured. After failing his test, Sparano met with Roth again and the player stuck with the story about being sick.

The club sent Roth for blood work which came back negative. It wasn't until agent Drew Rosenhaus revealed Roth had injured his groin again that Roth confessed to the injury.

The Dolphins filled Roth's roster spot with former Detroit defensive end Ikaika Alama-Francis, a 24-year-old product out of Hawaii that is in his third season. Francis has typical 3-4 defensive end size at 6-5 and 290 pounds.

The team also waived defensive back Nate Ness today and signed defensive back Evan Oglesby, a former Cowboys and Ravens player.

Comments

[carlito from golfito]

I guess there is just no room for a lying, not performing lb when you have players like

Porter, Taylor, Wake, Anderson and career backup Moses.

[Mark in Toronto]

Yep, Matt Roth was made an example of. I don't think this was only for lack of production. I wonder if Drew will take care of Roth now that he won't get the big contract. Nice counselling there Rosenhaus!

[bobbyd12]

Jim Mandich reporting Dolphins have bought in some people to replace Roth..no names mentioned

[DyingBreed]

Wow, the first legit source Ive seen.

[Jimmy Jam]

So, we needed another DE? I understand maybe they are moving Starks inside and need to replace him but with a guy who couldn’t even make the Lions practice squad? Really? It's not like Schwartz doesn't know defensive personnel and he, as the HC of the worst squad in the NFL (that needs players who can at least walk), let him go?

[cuban menace]

Mark i think you could probably blame Drew(Jerry Maguire)Rosenhaus for this, his douchebaggery is quite legendary.....

[KillerDolphin]

??????QueQue?????Roth for who????WTF???

[carlito from golfito]

Jimmy Jam,

Even if Starks is at NT, Dolphins have Langford and Merling amongst other peoples at DE, anyone brought in would be for backup...

Matt Roth was olb, not DE... We have other better players at OLB. Matt Roth maybe was out of shape from not play for so long

[shaggy]

Man, they should have released that bum crowder.

[Martin]

"There is a rat in the woodpile". As my grand pappy used to say.

Looks like Parcells has seen enough of sending messages. I think that Saints loss pissed him off.

Such as-

Don't get hurt
Don't talk S!@T to the media
If you are injured you better be rehabin 24/7
We want winners not whiners, Period!

I was waiting to see him put a stamp on this team. Its the old, good cop bad cop thing. Not that Sparano is that nice in the good cop role but old Parcells used the power of the pen and ousted this lazy jake.

I love the culture change here!

Go Phins!

[Jimmy Jam]

A little research and the Francis can play DT. As a DE he recorded 12 tackles in four games with the Lions in his rookie year after healing from a torn pectoral muscle in camp. He was a good DE at Hawaii and apparently has an incredible work ethic and positive attitude.

I'll take all of that, but why did Schwartz cut him. And why didn't Marinelli (his first NFL coach) not give him a second look with the Bears?

I'll defer to the Big Three here and see if this pick up is worth dropping Roth (although attitude seems to be huge with this staff, as well it ought and lying/malingering aren't very good traits).

[DyingBreed]

I am absolutely stunned. They didnt even see him as trade bait for a 6th or 7th rounder? It will be very interesting to see how the sequence of events play out from here.

TCU's DE/ strongside OLB Jerry Hughes, IMO, is looking closer to being our #1 pick now. Because we cant go into the future with Wake and Anderson playing OLB by committe. Porter and Taylor arent lonterm solutions either.

Wow, what a man sized soap opera is this turning out to be. We can call it: "As the Fins Churns."

[Martin]

Bellecheat is on the phone right now.

First he gets-

Evans
Seau
Morris
Welker
Izzo
He makes lemonade out of our lemmons. If Roth makes one friggen play against us I'm gonna, why I oughta...

Go Phins!

[Marc]

Who cares. They didn't miss him the first 6 games, he was invisible the last 3...Good riddance

[KillerDolphin]

I don't agree with this move WoW what a boneheaded move, at least get somthing for the Guy! But we got nada! Zip!

[Wayne Fontes]

I do not like the move. This defense stinks out loud.

[Mark in Toronto]

Why do people badmouth Channing Crowder? When he isn't in there, the other teams run a lot more easily. He isn't Zach Thomas but not many were.

[KillerDolphin]

I'm so Mad I can squezze the cheese outa somebody!!

[bobbyd12]

The trading deadline is over so you can't just trade him and get something... Fins would have had to hold him till end

[KillerDolphin]

The hold'em till you get something for him don't just throw him away

[Martin]

OK!
If you put your tongue between your thumb and your index finger and say Ross...It sounds like Roth. Kinda weird man...I'm just saying...

Whatever you do don't try this and say Pizza Ship...especialy in front of children.

Go Phins!

[Mark in Toronto]

They couldn't get anything for Roth because the trade deadline is past and he's an UFA at year end.

Like I said before, I thought they would ride it out until year end but he must have been a problem in the room. Oh well, it makes room for someone else who will WANT to make plays and not cry about contracts on a daily basis

[bobbyd12]

This is a message that Parcells sent and is loud n clear...don't produce, injured, lie ur gone...are you listening Gibril, Ginn, Porter??? Last year means nothing

[Dman]

Bottom line people he wasn't producing. Even if you watch him out there he wasn't athletic enough to play that postion. He was all stiff in the way he attack the ball carrier. Let's find someone more athletic.....

[KillerDolphin]

He did have a good year and he was a 2nd rounder...

[NJ PHIN FAN]

Career backup Moses. LMFAO! It's his 3rd year in the league . This is only his 2nd year in the league learning the olb position in the 3-4 after being a DE In college. Remember that career backup james Harrison ? LMFAO !

[Mike]

Hey Shaggy,

I tend to agree with you. In watching the last game, Crowder seemed to be out of position frequently and looked lost against the run. I remember one play where he should have sealed the outside corner and instead just stood there behind the DE. When the running back broke outside, Crowder took 2 steps to follow and then gave up. I always thought highly of Crowder but after seeing his performance lately on the field, I am really disappointed.

Mike from San Diego

[KillerDolphin]

Do you know how many people on this team aren't producing Come on man!!

[KillerDolphin]

How about All the WRs.. waive them the lost most of our games this year!!

[Po White Trash]

"douchebaggery" Love it!

The trifecta found Wake, they will find another Diamond in the rough @ LB.

[harricane]

is Oglesby the son of Alfred? i think he played at dallas as well....

[DyingBreed]

Here's what probabably happened:

JT: Matt, you've been playing like a weiner lately.

Roth: Mind your own business JT, you old washed up has been.

JT: What!

Roth: You heard me. You geriatric 2nd half slacker

JT: Oh, no he didnt.....

Roth: What, now you blind to old man? Maybe I should say it in braile

JT: Oh no you didnt just do it again!

Roth: What you gonna do about it n-word boy!

JT: Batman! #%$$......! pow... take that......smack.....#%#!&......

JT: Dont nobody wake him up or I'll knock him out again.

Sparano: Whats going on?

JT: He called me the n-word coach

Sparano: Well as soon as Roth wakes up have him pack his gear, he's out of here!

[harricane]

good one NJ

[Martin]

First no dominos
Pull Ginn from strting
Sit Porter
Pull a Donald Trump on Roth

As Rob Halford once sang in a Judas Priest song... Some heads are gonna Rollll! I believe it was the Turbo album circa 1985 or 6?

Go Phins!

[Dman]

I would cut all the receivers on the team except Bess. They need to bring back Anthony Armstrong...

[KillerDolphin]

WR is what we needed, ILB is what we need, NT is what we needed!!!

[NJ PHIN FAN]

Thanks Harricane. Miami might have it's own james harrison or diamond in the rough in quentin Moses right under theie noses. The man was great in preseason and the trifecta are not keeping him around for nothing yet idiots like the menace/carlito keep talking shyt about moses to me.

[Dishpan]

Bad move

[Martin]

Dying,LMAO

[Truefan]

Holy crap I cannot believe how ignorant some of you are! You sound like complete tools. He was gonna be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the year, so screw him. All you bandwagoneers need to shut the hell up

[Mark in Toronto]

Nice Judas Priest reference!

By the way, nice receiver playing in the CFL that the Dolphins may want to take a flyer on is Adarius Bowman.

He's 24, 6 ft, 220, got 55 receptions, 925 yards in 13 games (16.8 avg with a long of 55 yards) with 6 tds. He played his college ball at Okla St.

[Marc]

55 yards? Isn't the field only 50 yards? I'm guessing in or from the endzone?

[harricane]

hey, guess what NJ....now maybe another young guy gets a shot? ya think...i see what is going on....and i like it...clemmons...hartline...wake where the heck are turner and moses?

[DyingBreed]

Dont know if it went down the way I posted it, but think about it. To suddenly get cut at this point in the season with no apparrent serious reason why. A guy like Roth seems to almost certainly been a fight.

He may have gotten in either Sparano, Ireland or Parcells face too. You can best believe it was something way more serious then mediocre production.

Or they would have ridden the season out with him and traded or cut him during the offseason.

[bobbyd12]

You know what, if Roth was waived it was for the good of the TEAM...I'm pretty sure Parcells knows a little bit more about personnel and what's good for this TEAM better then all the genius GMs in here...there was a reason it was done, and considering Parcells record on building great football teams, it must have been the right one at this time!!

[harricane]

i think it was lack of production so young guys can play

[harricane]

and i am all for that

[Mark in Toronto]

Marc, the cfl field is 110 yards long.

And further to Bowman, he is actually 6'4, not 6ft and has 4.5 40 time. Not super quick but with that size he is a physical speciman and is now producing in professional football.

hey, the Dolphins have had good luck with Mark Dixon and Cam Wake from the CFL - maybe this guy can be the next one.

[Mark in Toronto]

OK, Adarius Bowman may be big and have adequate speed for his size but how are his hands?

Well,

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JIySCyAAFfE

[Martin]

Roth insisted on running the Wildcat now that Ronnie is hurt. Pat White got pissed at the notion overthrew a Left Hook. Then Roth Roidraged on him bad. You just can't do that to a top draft pick.

Roth!
You call yourself a man!

(reference the guy at the beginning of the Twisted Sister video circa 1981 or 82 or something)

Go Phins!

[carlito from golfito]

Lmao Dyingbreed

[H8dpats]

Hey Cuban you stole my word Douchebaggery, I knew someone would use it! Appropriate timing I guess.

[carlito from golfito]

NJ,

I admire your persistency with Moses. As I am Dolphins fan (not like some people who I am address right now) I hope that one day you are right because this would be good for team. But this his 3rd year... People ready to crucify Ted Ginn after 3 years and he been starting games and scoring touchdown.

I ask you, What has your boy Moses has done in 3 years? Nothing. He will probably not even get any playing time with Porter, Anderson, Wake, and Taylor.

And lastly please stop your paranoid with calling me Cuban Menace. I have told you several time I am not this guy and Armando has even confirmed it. You are wrong, face it, get over it.

GO DOLPHINS!!!

[H8dpats]

Roth was bringing down the morale and heart of this team. When you get a cancer you remove it quickly.

[carlito from golfito]

Maybe the trifecta got tired of watch Roth stand over people and scream and shake like madman that just won the super bowl by himself when he make his 1 tackle per game after be out the first 7 games with lie/injury.

Just maybe...

[AK FinFan]

There he goes to the Pats to become yet another recurring Fin nightmare.

Not producing...
What about Porter with the exception of last week Porter has done nothing all year
Not producing...
What about Crowder stats: 36 total tackles in 8 games that includes 1 sack, no forced fumbles and no picks. Oh yeah but Coach thinks he is all pro material.

Sometimes I wonder!!!

GO FINS

[Marc]

Opps, thought you said area league, lol

[Marc]

*arena, damn, anyway, out

[Shane Falco]

Mark in Toronto-

Thanks for dropping the dime on Adarius Bowman...he actually started his college carerr at North Carolina where he was booted from the team...landed at OSU, where he was...booted from the team...I was wondering where this beast of a WR ended up and think he'd be great as a Dolphin...don't think Sparano will take a chance though with his past.

[tecomoconhielo]

This guy has a motor.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ICvvfOo5r2E