Tony McDaniel not returning to the Dolphins

PHOENIX -- Although most of the attention about Dolphins fee agents has centered on the activity of Jake Long or Sean Smith, there are other players that played for the Dolphins last year currently on the market.

That includes defensive lineman Tony McDaniel, who played the last four seasons with the Dolphins.

Well, McDaniel, an unrestricted free agent, is not returning to the team, I've been told.

It makes sense. McDaniel, 28, has struggled to stay healthy the past couple of seasons. Last year, particularly was a nightmare as he struggled with a knee injury, ankle injury, and other bumps and bruises despite his limited playing time.

McDaniel played only 11 games and managed only 11 tackles. He was originally expected to compete for a starting defensive end job but was moved inside where he struggled when he was in the game.

McDaniel came to the Dolphins for a late-round draft pick in 2008 and served the Dolphins well during the time they played the 3-4 scheme. He had 6.6 sacks in those three years and even started a couple of games for the team.