Dolphins Notebook: Tight End Swap, Kilgore Calls It Quits, Riley's Engagement, and More

The Miami Dolphins signed a free agent tight end; won't be facing Joe Burrow in the preseason

Alain Poupart | Jul 26, 2021

Players aren't scheduled to report to Hard Rock Stadium for the start of training camp until Tuesday, but linebacker Duke Riley was there Sunday night for the Rolling Loud music festival and let's just say it was a night to remember.

Forget about the music, Riley took advantage of the occasion and his connections to propose to his girlfriend, Instagram model YesJulz.

She said yes.

Riley is set to begin his first season with the Dolphins after signing as an unrestricted free agent in the offseason.

TIGHT END SWAP

The Dolphins made two moves involving tight ends Monday, in addition to signing rookie third-round pick Hunter Long.

The Dolphins signed from University of Oklahoma second-team All-Big 12 selection Carson Meier and waived rookie free agent Jibri Blount with an injury settlement.

Meier started the one NFL game he played, with the Atlanta Falcons in 2019, but did not record any statistics. He bounced on and off the Falcons practice squad that season but didn't play in 2020 after being waived by Atlanta with an injury settlement.

Blount signed with the Dolphins in the offseason after playing basketball at North Carolina Central.

KILGORE CALLS IT A CAREER

Veteran center Daniel Kilgore took to social media Monday for a different reason, to announce his retirement from the NFL after 10 seasons.

Two of those seasons came with the Dolphins, for whom he started 17 games after arriving in a trade with the San Francisco 49ers.

NO BURROW

When the decision was made to put the Dolphins-Bengals preseason game at Cincinnati on Aug. 29 on national television (CBS), it's likely the thought that it would feature some kind of matchup between the top two quarterbacks selected in the 2020 draft.

But it looks like that idea is down the drain.

There was good news in Cincinnati on Monday with word that Joe Burrow has been cleared for all football activities at the start of training camp, but it also came with word for team president Mike Brown that Burrow likely would be kept out of the three preseason games out of precaution.

Given that the circumstances are different, we certainly would expect Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa to play in that preseason finale.

Published Jul 26, 2021

ALAIN POUPART

Alain Poupart is the publisher/editor of All Dolphins and co-host of the All Dolphins Podcast. Alain has covered the Miami Dolphins on a full-time basis since 1989 for various publications and media outlets, including Dolphin Digest, The Associated Press, the Dolphins team website, and the Fan Nation Network (part of Sports Illustrated). In addition to being a credentialed member of the Miami Dolphins press corps, Alain has covered three Super Bowls (for NFL.com, Football News and the Montreal Gazette), the annual NFL draft, the Senior Bowl, and the NFL Scouting Combine. During his almost 40 years in journalism, which began at the now-defunct Miami News, Alain has covered practically every sport at one time or another, from tennis to golf, baseball, basketball and everything in between. The career also included time as a copy editor, including work on several books such as "Still Perfect," an inside look at the Miami Dolphins' 1972 perfect season. A native of Montreal, Canada, whose first language is French, Alain grew up a huge hockey fan but soon developed a love for all sports, including NFL football. He has lived in South Florida since the 1980s.