The Miami Dolphins announced on Monday they had signed eight players to futures contracts. These contracts are 2018 deals with players who were not under contract by a team at the end of the 2017 regular season. Typically, these are players who were on practice squads and their contracts do not become official until the start of the 2018 league year.

The Dolphins signed cornerback Taveze Calhoun, quarterback Brandon Doughty, tackle Sean Hickey, cornerback Tracy Howard, wide receivers Malcolm Lewis and Drew Morgan, running back Brandon Radcliff and defensive end Jonathan Woodard.

Calhoun joined the NFL in 2016 as an undrafted free agent signed by the Chicago Bears. He spent most of 2016 with the New Orleans Saints as a practice squad member, though he did make one game appearance. He spent the offseason and training camp with the Saints in 2017. The Dolphins signed him to their practice squad in December.

Doughty was the Dolphins’ seventh-round draft choice in 2016, spending nearly the entire two seasons since being selected on the practice squad for Miami.

Hickey joined the NFL as a member of the Saints, signing as an undrafted free agent in 2015. He spent time on the practice squads for the Saints, New England Patriots, and Minnesota Vikings in 2015 and 2016, then the entire 2017 season was on the Dolphins’ practice squad.

Howard signed as an undrafted free agent with the Cleveland Browns in 2016, playing in 15 games as a rookie with three starts and 16 tackles. He spent the 2017 training camp with the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Dolphins added him to their practice squad in December.

Lewis signed as an undrafted free agent with the Dolphins in May 2017, spending the entire season on Miami’s practice squad.

Morgan also spent the entire 2017 season on Miami’s practice squad after signing as an undrafted free agent in May 2017.

Radcliff was signed by the Indianapolis Colts as an undrafted free agent in May 2017, then spent training camp with the Tennessee Titans. He joined the Dolphins practice squad in November.

Woodard was a seventh-round pick of the Jaguars in 2016, but missed the entire season on the physically unable to perform list. He spent of 2017 on the Atlanta Falcons’ practice squad before being released and signing with Miami’s practice squad in December.

The new NFL league year will begin at 4pm ET on March 14, with all of these contracts becoming official then.