Tag Archive for: Robert Nkemdiche

Robert Nkemdiche signing

Robert Nkemdiche promoted to Miami Dolphins active roster

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The Miami Dolphins have updated their active roster.

The Miami Dolphins have made a decision on Robert Nkemdiche, promoting him to the active roster. It is unclear if he’ll play on Monday night against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Nevertheless, his comeback is quite impressive.

He had season-ending knee surgery a little less than 11 months ago. Now, he is back to playing football.  As many of you know, he began his career with the Arizona Cardinals. He spent three seasons in the desert and came to Miami on a one-year, $1.16 million deal. The new deal came just 11 days after a failed physical designation with the Cardinals on July 28. From tearing his knee last December, to having the opportunity to play in a game, he has certainly come a long way.

For his career, he has 44 tackles, 6.5 sacks, and two forced fumbles. There is no doubt that the potential is definitely there. He was named to the  All-SEC first team in 2015 as a member of Ole Miss.

The ends are a plus for Miami Dolphins

Nkemdiche joins the likes of Christian Wilkins, Taco Charlton, John Jenkins, and Avery Moss at the defensive end position. This position could definitely be considered a source of strength for Miami. In particular, I’m excited to see the development of Christian Wilkins. The amount of youth at the position combined with the amount of veteran talent makes for a great combination.

Nkemdiche’s development will be interesting to watch as well. As a veteran, he is is trying to get back to what he was before his injury. It remains to be seen if he can do that.  A strong showing for this defense would certainly be a step in the right direction.

The Miami Dolphins have made it clear that they’re going to rebuild this roster. However, just because they are undergoing a rebuild does not mean that they lack talent. As long as Nkemdiche can say healthy, he is certainly a viable piece on the line. I’ll be interested to see exactly how he fits with the Miami Dolphins moving forward. His statistical production in particular is definitely something to watch.

Robert Nkemdiche signing

Dolphins sign DL Robert Nkemdiche to 1-year contract

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The Miami Dolphins are adding another player to their ranks. Just hours before their first preseason game against the Atlanta Falcons, former Arizona Cardinals first round pick Robert Nkemdiche is signing a 1-year contract. This comes after he was released by the Cardinals in late July for failing a physical, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports the deal is worth $1.16 million.

Nkemdiche, 24, never lived up to his potential in Arizona. Even before he was drafted, teams were concerned about Nkemdiche’s work ethic and character. He was suspended for the Sugar Bowl in college after being arrested with marijuana charges. Now, this year, Nkemdiche was arrested twice within a week for traffic-related incidents, one of which saw him with a white powdery substance in the center console of his car.

The Cardinals took a chance on Nkemdiche, drafting him 29th overall in 2016. The hope was he would turn into a dominant pass rusher. Unfortunately, however, Nkemdiche’s physical gifts went to waste. In three seasons with Arizona, he appeared in 27 games, starting six of them. He recorded 44 tackles, 4.5 sacks, with two passes defensed, two forced fumbles, and one fumble recovery with a touchdown.

It seemed 2018 would be Nkemdiche’s year to get back on track. All 4.5 of his career sacks came during that season. But once again, Nkemdiche was struck down. He ended the 2018 season on injured reserve with a torn ACL he suffered in December. The Cardinals decided not to exercise the fifth-year option on his contract, which would have paid him $8.6 million, and head coach Kliff Kingsbury did not hold back regarding his disappointment in the former top-10 talent.

“Not in shape,” Kingsbury said. “That’s kind of where we’ll leave it … I mean, he’s on (the Physically Unable to Perform list) and he’s working through that. When he is cleared, we’ll work with him.”

Clearly, they had no interest in working with him.

The Dolphins, on the other hand, are not shy about giving players a chance to redeem themselves. Already, they’ve taken flyers on running back Mark Walton and wide receiver Preston Williams. Both players have issues off the field and are trying to get their careers on track. So far, both Walton and Williams are doing a fine job. Now, Miami is extending that same olive branch to Nkemdiche, who will continue his rehab under head coach Brian Flores’s supervision.

Sometimes, players need a change of scenery to get their lives in order. Under the tutelage of Flores, a Bill Belichick disciple, Robert Nkemdiche has a fighting chance to revitalize his career. There won’t be any nonsense with this coaching regime, discipline is crucial. They will work on basics and fundamentals with him, and will help him stay out of trouble. It’s working out well with Walton and Williams, what’s one more lottery ticket?

Luis Sung has covered the Miami Dolphins for numerous outlets such as Dolphins Wire for six years. Follow him on Twitter: @LuisDSung