The Miami Dolphins have waived former Ottawa Redblacks’ returner DeVonte Dedmon, the team announced on Tuesday.
The 26-year-old signed with the Dolphins in January after working out for a number of teams including the Jacksonville Jaguars, Los Angeles Chargers, Arizona Cardinals, Green Bay Packers, Chicago Bears, and Dolphins. He played in the club’s first preseason games and recorded one kickoff return for 20 yards in a 26-24 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Dedmon was named the CFL’s Most Outstanding Special Teams Player in 2021 after returning 48 punts for 737 yards and two touchdowns, 11 kickoffs for 1,223 yards and one touchdown, and four missed field goals for 103 yards.
He shattered the record set by Canadian Football Hall of Fame return specialist Henry ‘Gizmo’ Williams as the fastest player to reach five career return touchdowns. Dedmon needed just 15 games, while Williams needed 18 back in the mid-1980s.
As a CFL rookie in 2019, Dedmon returned 22 punts for 339 yards and one touchdown and added 16 kickoff returns for 542 yards with one touchdown covering 111 yards. The five-foot-ten, 200-pound playmaker played five games in his first CFL season.
Dedmon also made 18 receptions for 161 yards and 10 carries for 68 yards with one touchdown while playing on offence with the Redblacks.
The 26-year-old signed an extension with Ottawa through the 2022 season but took advantage of the NFL option window to explore opportunities south of the border. If he chooses to return to the CFL in 2022, he must honour the extension he signed with the Redblacks.
NFL teams were required to trim their rosters to 85 players by Tuesday. They will also need to make cuts to get to 80 players by Aug. 23 before finalizing their 53-man active rosters on Aug. 30.
