Davie, FL – The Miami Dolphins terminated the contract of linebacker Gary Guyton while waiving 20 other players Friday in order to meet the NFL's required 53-man roster limit.
Wide receiver Clyde Gates, offensive tackle Lydon Murtha and defensive end Jamaal Westerman were among the notable names set free by the team in addition to Guyton, who signed with the Dolphins as a free agent in the offseason after spending the past four years with AFC East rival New England.
Guyton started 16 games for the Patriots in 2009 and compiled 85 tackles and 1 1/2 sacks. The 26-year old recorded a total of 229 stops, 4 1/2 sacks and three interceptions over 60 games in New England, 32 of which were starts.
Gates was a fourth-round pick of Miami in the 2011 draft and served mainly as a kick returner his rookie year, averaging 24.8 yards on 34 runbacks. Murtha had been with the Dolphins as a reserve lineman since the 2009 campaign.
Westerman came over from the New York Jets in the offseason and started three games as an outside linebacker for the fellow AFC East members last year, amassing 32 tackles and 3 1/2 sacks.
Miami also traded center Ryan Cook to Dallas earlier in the day in exchange for an undisclosed 2013 draft choice, which the Cowboys official site reported to be a seventh-rounder.
To round out the roster, the Dolphins also waived defensive tackles Isaako Aaitui and Ryan Baker, cornerback Vince Agnew, offensive tackles Will Barker and Andrew McDonald, guards Chandler Burden and Ray Feinga, linebackers Cameron Collins and Shelly Lyons, wide receivers B.J. Cunningham, Jeff Fuller, Chris Hogan and Roberto Wallace and safeties Quinten Lawrence and Anderson Russell. Defensive end Jarrell Root was waived/injured and cornerback Kevyn Scott was released with an injury settlement.
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