Miami Dolphins Work Out Six Players, Including Two QBs and Brenden Rice
The Miami Dolphins continue to turn over every stone as they search for potential additions to their roster with the 2026 regular season quickly approaching.
According to the NFL transaction wire, Miami brought in six free agents for workouts on Wednesday, August 19. The group included two quarterbacks, two wide receivers and two linebackers.
The six players who worked out for Miami were:
QB Kyron Drones
QB Chandler Rogers
WR A.T. Perry
WR Brenden Rice
LB Stephen Dix
There is no indication yet that Miami will sign any of the six, but the positions represented are certainly worth monitoring as the Dolphins continue evaluating their roster during the preseason.
QB Kyron Drones
One of the more interesting names on the list is former Virginia Tech quarterback Kyron Drones.
Drones went undrafted in the 2026 NFL Draft before signing with the Green Bay Packers. He was released by Green Bay last week, making him available for Miami’s workout.
The 6-foot-2, 226-pound quarterback began his college career at Baylor before transferring to Virginia Tech, where his combination of size, athleticism and running ability made him an intriguing dual-threat quarterback.
Drones is also the cousin of Tennessee Titans quarterback Cam Ward.
The Dolphins taking a look at Drones is noteworthy given the questions surrounding their quarterback depth behind Malik Willis. Quinn Ewers is currently dealing with a groin injury, and Miami is clearly keeping its options open as it evaluates the bottom of the quarterback depth chart.
Drones could potentially be viewed as a developmental quarterback with athletic upside who could compete for a practice-squad opportunity.
QB Chandler Rogers
Miami also worked out quarterback Chandler Rogers, who brings extensive college and spring-football experience.
Rogers played collegiately at Southern Miss, Blinn College, Louisiana-Monroe, North Texas and California before moving into professional football.
Most recently, Rogers played in the UFL, giving the Dolphins another quarterback to evaluate as they look at possible depth options.
Unlike Drones, Rogers has already had the opportunity to play professional football and could potentially offer Miami a more experienced option if the team decides it wants to add another quarterback before the end of the preseason.
Working out two quarterbacks on the same day is notable and suggests Miami is at least exploring the available market at the position.
WR Brenden Rice
Perhaps the most recognizable player Miami worked out Wednesday was Brenden Rice, the son of Pro Football Hall of Fame wide receiver Jerry Rice.
Rice played collegiately at Colorado before transferring to USC and was selected by the Los Angeles Chargers in the seventh round of the 2024 NFL Draft with the 225th overall selection.
At 6-foot-3 and roughly 210 pounds, Rice provides the type of size Miami could find appealing at wide receiver.
Rice appeared in three games for the Chargers as a rookie but did not record a reception. Since then, he has bounced around the league, spending time with the New England Patriots, Seattle Seahawks, Las Vegas Raiders and Green Bay Packers.
The Packers claimed Rice off waivers in May before eventually moving on from him.
Miami already has significant competition taking place at wide receiver, but Rice’s size and pedigree make him an intriguing player to evaluate this late in training camp.
WR A.T. Perry
The other wide receiver brought in was A.T. Perry, another big-bodied pass catcher who has previous NFL experience.
Perry entered the NFL as a sixth-round selection by the New Orleans Saints in the 2023 NFL Draft after a productive college career at Wake Forest.
Standing approximately 6-foot-5, Perry immediately gives teams something they can’t teach: size.
He showed some promise during his rookie season with New Orleans, particularly as a red-zone option, and has spent time with multiple organizations since leaving the Saints.
For a Dolphins team that has added several young receivers over the past year, Perry would provide a different physical profile than many of the players currently competing for roster spots.
With Chris Bell recently returning to practice and Miami continuing to evaluate its receiving corps, working out both Perry and Rice shows the Dolphins aren’t finished looking for possible upgrades.
LB Stephen Dix
Miami also brought in linebacker Stephen Dix for a workout.
Dix played college football at Florida State before transferring to Marshall, where he continued his career as an inside linebacker.
At roughly 6-foot-1 and 230-plus pounds, Dix fits the mold of a traditional linebacker who could potentially contribute defensively and on special teams.
At this stage of the preseason, special-teams ability becomes particularly important for players competing for the final few roster spots. Even if Miami isn’t looking for an immediate defensive contributor, adding another linebacker could provide additional competition and depth.
LB Antonio Grier
The final player Miami worked out was linebacker Antonio Grier.
Grier played college football at South Florida before finishing his collegiate career at Arkansas. He entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2024.
He has since continued his professional career and most recently played in the UFL.
Grier brings both NFL and spring-league experience and could potentially provide Miami with another depth option at linebacker and on special teams.
Dolphins Continue Searching for Roster Help
It’s important not to read too much into individual workouts at this point in the preseason. NFL teams routinely bring in groups of free agents to evaluate players and update their emergency lists in case injuries occur later in the season.
Still, Miami’s decision to work out two quarterbacks, two wide receivers and two linebackers provides at least some indication of the positions the organization is continuing to evaluate.
The quarterback workouts are particularly interesting with Ewers currently sidelined, while Rice and Perry give Miami two big-bodied receivers with previous NFL experience.
With the Dolphins preparing for their joint practice with the New York Giants on Thursday and their second preseason game approaching, the organization is continuing to explore every possible avenue to strengthen the roster.
Whether any of Wednesday’s six tryout players ultimately receive a contract remains to be seen, but Miami’s roster evaluation process clearly isn’t finished.