Dolphins add veteran tight end Kroft, now have 6 at the position. And new Fins TV analyst
The Dolphins added a sixth tight end on Tuesday, signing veteran Tyler Kroft to supplement a group that now has three veterans and three young, developmental players.
Kroft has played for Cincinnati, the Jets, Buffalo and San Francisco in an eight-year career and has 105 catches for 1081 yards (a 10.3 average) and 13 touchdowns. He has appeared in 92 games and started 52.
Last season, his only one with the 49ers, he played in 11 games and started four, and had four catches for 57 yards. He played 33 percent of San Francisco’s offensive snaps last season.
Kroft, listed at 6-6 and 252 pounds, played the 2021 season with the Jets and had 16 receptions for 173 yards and a touchdown in nine games and six starts, playing 66 percent of the Jets’ offensive snaps in the games he appeared.
He had 18 catches for 190 yards and four touchdowns in two seasons for Buffalo (2019 and 2020). He appeared in 21 games and started seven for the Bills.
Kroft, 30, was the Bengals’ third-round pick out of Rutgers in 2015. He’s considered a skilled blocker.
Kroft gives the Dolphins three veteran tight ends under contract, joining starter Durham Smythe and Eric Saubert, who signed earlier this offseason. Saubert has played on six teams in his career.
The Dolphins also have three young players at the position -- second-year player Tanner Conner (the former Idaho State wide receiver), sixth-round Stanford rookie Elijah Higgins (who is transitioning from wide receiver) and undrafted Campbell rookie Julian Hill, who averaged 17.3 yards on 38 receptions last season and was a solid blocker on the FCS level.
The Dolphins opted for Kroft over about 20 other veteran tight ends still available, a group including Cameron Brate, Marcedes Lewis and Kyle Rudolph.
The Dolphins conveyed to at least one agent in March that the team did not intend to spend much money at the position. Free agent Mike Gesicki signed with New England.
TV CHANGE
Former Dolphins linebacker Kim Bokamper has emerged as a strong possibility to replace Jason Taylor as the CBS-4’s Dolphins preseason game analyst, according to multiple sources.
[Update: The Dolphins, on Tuesday afternoon, announced Bokamper as their new TV analyst on preseason games, joining incumbent play-by-play announcer Steve Goldstein. Mike Cugno and Johanna Torres replace Bokamper on the sidelines.]
Bokamper has been the Dolphins’ longtime sideline reporter on preseason games, host of the coach’s show and on-site reporter on CBS-4’s postgame shows.
The Dolphins have been searching for a new preseason analyst since Jason Taylor informed them that he would not remain in the job in the wake of his promotion to the Miami Hurricanes’ coaching staff.
The Dolphins’ regular season and preseason schedules will be announced on Thursday.
