Dolphins activate linebacker Matt Roth, downgrade Channing Crowder to out

By at 31 October, 2009, 5:38 pm

NEW YORK – The Matt Roth saga appears to have ended. Now, it’s time to see how much Roth can help the 2-4 Dolphins after sitting out training camp and the first six weeks of the season with an injury. The team announced it has activated Roth, who started 14 games in 2008 at strong side. To make room for Roth on the 53-man roster, the team released rookie tight end John Nalbone, a fifth-round pick out of Monmouth. The team has two TEs now. If Nalbone clears waivers, the Dolphins can sign him to the team’s eight-man developmental squad. Meanwhile, the Dolphins have downgraded linebacker Channing Crowder from doubtful to out with a shoulder injury that kept him out of practice all week. Crowder had started the first six games and is fourth on the team with 22 tackles. A fifth-year pro, Crowder has not played a full 16-game season since 2006, missing one game last season with knee soreness and five games in 2007 with various injuries, including a knee that needed off-season surgery. The

return of Roth eventually could bolster the NFL’s fourth-ranked run defense, which will visit the Jets and face the No. 1 rushing offense on Sunday. Jason Taylor has stepped in for Roth and played well. Taylor has 16 tackles and is fifth in the AFC with 5 1/2 sacks, including two last Sunday in a loss to the Saints. The team signed Taylor, 35, to primarily be a pass rusher, while the 275-pound Roth would handle a lot of the run-stopping duties. He had 55 tackles and five sacks in last season. But Roth suffered an off-season groin injury, missed training and was placed on the reserve/non-football injury list on Sept. 5. On Oct. 21, Roth practiced for the first time since the team’s mini-camp in June, but he tweaked his left ankle and missed the next two practices. Roth returned to practice last week. The team had until Nov. 9 to activate him or place him on injured reserve.

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Dolphins activate linebacker Matt Roth, downgrade Channing Crowder to out

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