The Miami Dolphins made the decision to part ways with recent waiver wire claim Xavier Crawford after just several weeks on the roster. The decision seemed like a fairly straight forward decision, given that Crawford was unable to make much headway into having an impact on the field despite the Dolphins’ heavy injuries incurred in the defensive backfield.

So Crawford, a rookie cornerback who the Houston Texans drafted in the 6th round of the 2019 NFL Draft, was cut. But now, the Dolphins are electing to allow Crawford to hang onto the roster via the practice squad, according to ESPN’s Cameron Wolfe.

By signing Crawford to the practice squad, Miami can continue to work hands on with the young corner and see if additional time can help unlock the potential that made him a small school draft selection back in April. The Dolphins needs in the secondary are significant this offseason, Miami will need several fresh faces at both the cornerback positions and the safety positions. Getting additional time to work with a young talent like Crawford makes sense, especially as practice squad spots naturally open up for the team.

The Dolphins had an opening on the practice squad after elevating WR Isaiah Ford to the 53-man roster after the injury to WR Jakeem Grant.