Dallas Cowboys trade CB Kelvin Joseph to Miami Dolphins

FRISCO — The Cowboys saw potential in cornerback Kelvin Joseph when drafting him in 2021.
To this day, they still do.
But that wasn’t enough for the former second-round pick to make the 53-man roster. Joseph was traded Tuesday to the Miami Dolphins, a person familiar with the situation said. While a packed Dallas secondary reduces the decision to less than a shock, Joseph’s talents, draft pedigree and demonstrated ability on special teams nonetheless make this one of the Cowboys’ most notable moves.
The Cowboys shopped Joseph around the league in trade conversations.
They found a taker in the Dolphins, who were at a similar breaking point with cornerback Noah Igbinoghene, a 2020 first-round pick with five career NFL starts.
Joseph impressed on special teams opposite cornerback C.J. Goodwin, who said he considers Joseph the best gunner he’s worked with in his NFL career. Goodwin was among the teammates who saw Joseph expand his game on defense in recent months when training at nickel cornerback instead of just on the boundary.
Joseph made an impression.
“His tremendous growth,” Goodwin said. “His willingness to get better, honestly. You’ve seen a big jump from last year to this year. I think special teams is helping him a lot, getting his confidence up. Once he got that confidence, he had it rolling on defense this year. He took so many great strides. He’s really a good player. He’s one of the most talented guys I’ve been around, just raw talent.
“He’s super strong. Super fast. That guy is a great NFL guy. He is on his way to getting it. Once he gets it, man, he’s going to be one of the best players in the league, honestly, in my opinion.”
Cuts to the 2021 draft class were expected to be the main story to the Cowboys’ roster reduction. Indeed, by day’s end, just six members of the 11-man class were still with the organization. Joseph, fourth-round linebacker Jabril Cox, fifth-round wide receiver Simi Fehoko, sixth-round nose tackle Quinton Bohanna and seventh-round center Matt Farniok were gone.
Igbinoghene is entering his fourth NFL season and won’t turn 24 until November. He has logged 29 career tackles, two forced fumbles and five passes defended. His lone interception came in Week 7 last year when he capitalized on a miscommunication between rookie quarterback Kenny Pickett and wide receiver Diontae Johnson to make a tip-toe pick along the sideline and seal a win.
Joseph matured a bit during his Cowboys tenure.
He was drafted despite character concerns removing him from some clubs’ draft board. He struggled in the early going of his career, still learning to be a professional and the work habits that label encompassed. On March 18, 2022, he was a passenger in an SUV from which two people shot into a group of men in a Lower Greenville parking lot. Cameron Ray, 20, was fatally struck in the head.
Police concluded that Joseph was not a shooter.
The NFL did not suspend him in the matter despite the fact Joseph not contacting Dallas police for weeks about the death. Only after surveillance video of Joseph and others in the vehicle was released to the public and police received tips about Joseph’s identify did he meet with detectives.