Rookie linebacker David Hinds went undrafted out of Florida Atlantic, and he was not one of the 19 undrafted free agents the Dolphins had signed entering this weekend’s rookie minicamp. All he had was an invitation to try out with Miami.
Well, Hinds has made the most of the opportunity, earning his way onto the club’s 90-man roster. The Dolphins announced the signing of Hinds Sunday while also confirming they had officially added veteran right tackle Tyson Clabo, whose agreement was reported earlier in the day.
In a statement released by the club, Dolphins general manager Jeff Ireland praised Hinds’ achievement.
“The hard work, attitude and attention to detail David showed during the weekend rookie orientation paid off,” Ireland said. “As a player invited to (try out), David approached the whole process, highlighted by his work ethic during practices and meetings, with the type of characteristics that we are looking to add to the Miami Dolphins.”
Hinds (6-0, 226) notched 80 tackles, including 6.5 for loss, as a senior for Florida Atlantic. The 23-year-old linebacker attended Miami Edison Senior High School.
Hinds’ path to actually making the Dolphins is still a challenging one, but he has taken a significant step forward. Now he’s on an NFL roster, something that will not hurt him as he tries to play professional football. Should he continue to make a positive impression and get into preseason games with the Dolphins, he will then have a chance to essentially perform for Miami and the other 31 NFL teams, who will be studying their competition for players to add to rosters and practice squads throughout the season. Hinds also could improve his chances of landing with another league if he can’t quite make it in the NFL.
In corresponding roster moves Sunday, the Dolphins waived rookie linebacker Rob McCabe and quarterback Clay Belton, who signed with Miami after the draft.