Dolphins let go two offensive linemen, sign former UFL safety
A mainstay in the Miami Dolphins’ offensive line room will have to look for work elsewhere.
The Dolphins released Kion Smith on Wednesday in addition to waiving tackle Carter Warren. Miami also subsequently signed UFL safety Major Burns.
Smith has been with the Dolphins since 2021. He has made 23 appearances and started one game in 2023 as well as another in 2025. An undrafted free agent out of Fayetteville State, he initially signed with the Atlanta Falcons following the 2021 NFL Draft. Smith spent the offseason and training camp with Atlanta prior to joining Miami.
Warren’s time with the Dolphins was short-lived as Miami signed him to a futures contract in early January only to subsequently release the 2023 fourth-round pick in mid-June.
Burns joins the Dolphins after a successful 2026 season with the Houston Gamblers. In just nine games, he racked up 45 total tackles, four picks and eight pass deflections. Prior to his one-season stint in the UFL, Burns signed with the Chicago Bears as an undrafted free agent, spending some time in the offseason and training camp with the franchise.
The former LSU standout could potentially compete for a starting safety spot. Miami’s safety room has been a bit of mystery outside of Dante Trader Jr., a second-year player who appears to have taken a big leadership leap, and Burns’ infusion could bread more competition.
“I spend a lot of time in the DB room,” coach Jeff Hafley said. “Trader has done a really good job, really kind of helping out those rookies. And even talking to him, through his experience, him having a little bit of help; he feels now like he can help the rookie guys out.”
With Smith and Warren no longer part of the Dolphins, the need for tackles just increased exponentially. There’s no guarantee that Austin Jackson, who’s played just 32 games since 2022 and wasn’t a full participant in minicamp due to a nagging foot injury, lasts a full season. And while the Dolphins drafted offensive lineman Kadyn Proctor to likely eventually replace Jackson, the team has opted to keep him at left guard for the time being.
“There’s things we can do in individual and do that, so he’s working the fundamentals and the technique, whether it’s pass protection, whether it’s in the run game,” Hafley said. “But when we’re just talking about schematically learning the playbook, we believe that it’s his best bet not to overload him, like we were just talking about to try to learn too much, and then when it comes down to actually having to play it, you’re not ready to play anything.”
This story was originally published June 16, 2026 at 6:00 AM.
