Miami Dolphins announce signing of TE Jibri Blount

The Miami Dolphins appear to have a plan for their revamped offensive attack in 2021. And it appears to be centered around collecting as many tight ends as possible. The Miami Dolphins, who entered the offseason with an established trio of Mike Gesicki, Durham Smythe and Adam Shaheen at the position plus the depth of practice squad player Chris Myarick, proceeded to add Cethan Carter to the mix in free agency and then Hunter Long in the 3rd-round of the 2021 NFL Draft.

That makes six. And it’s now officially seven.

The Dolphins announced this afternoon that they have signed Jibri Blount as their corresponding move to the release of veteran safety Bobby McCain.

Who is Blount?

The Dolphins’ seventh and newest tight end is the son of NFL Hall of Famer Mel Blount, who played 200 career games for the Pittsburgh Steelers and finished his career with 57 interceptions. Blount’s path to the NFL doesn’t jump come from his bloodlines, however — he’s enjoyed a successful career on the hardwood, too. Blount spent two seasons playing for Cleveland State before a transfer to North Carolina Central, where he averaged 19.2 points per game as a senior.

At 6-foot-7 and 230 pounds, Blount has a basketball player’s frame; but such athletes have made successful transitions to tight end before in the past. The odds are high that Blount won’t be making the Dolphins’ roster in 2021 but he feels like a contender to push Chris Myarick for the team’s tight end spot on the practice squad — if he’s got dynamic athletic skills, he may be well worth the flier the Dolphins appear set to take on him.