When word of the Dolphins’ trade with the Eagles for cornerback Byron Maxwell first broke this week, it was followed in short order by a report that Miami would release cornerback Brent Grimes.
The trade got put on hold for a while Wednesday thanks to some concerns about Maxwell’s shoulder, raising the question of whether the Dolphins would go through with their plans to part ways with Grimes. The Dolphins ultimately approved Maxwell’s physical and the trade, however, and that means everything else is going according to plan.
The Dolphins confirmed that by releasing Grimes seconds after the start of the new league year.
Grimes started all 47 games he played in three years with Miami, intercepting 13 passes and getting selected to the Pro Bowl after each season. His play was shakier in 2015 than it was in his first two years with the club, but the overall body of work was good and an argument could be made that he’s a better bet than Maxwell to play well in 2016.
That’s mitigated a bit by frequent issues between Grimes’ wife Miko and the Dolphins, but Grimes shouldn’t have too hard a time finding another job if on-field work is the prime concern.
