Dolphins sign rookie camp tryout player who may have path to make team

The Miami Dolphins signed DJ Herman, an undrafted rookie out of San Diego State, the team announced Monday.

Herman was one of 10 tryout players at the Dolphins’ rookie minicamp held over the past weekend. He landed the one remaining available spot on Miami’s 91-man roster.

Herman is signing with the Dolphins as a fullback, according to the team’s press release. In college, he was primarily a key special teams contributor and also played linebacker defensively. At the rookie camp, he was listed among linebackers.

Herman was college teammates at SDSU with one of the Dolphins’ first-round picks in the draft, cornerback Chris Johnson.

After allowing Alec Ingold to move on to the Los Angeles Chargers in free agency, Herman would now be the only fullback on Miami’s roster. The team also has rookie tight end Will Kacmarek among options to play a fullback or H-back role.

As the Dolphins were without a fullback on the roster following the first wave of free agency in March, coach Jeff Hafley expressed an openness in adding one when he spoke at the NFL annual meeting.

Herman appeared in 49 career games with two starts at linebacker for the Aztecs. He recorded 56 tackles and two passes defensed, but he made his mark as a contributor on special teams, which gives him a potential path to a roster spot if he proves valuable for coordinator Chris Tabor’s unit in the offseason and training camp.

The Dolphins have 91 roster spots, one more than usual in the offseason, because they have a player on board through the league’s international program, tight end Seydou Traore, from London.

Herman snagged the roster spots over other tryout hopefuls like Miami native Romello Brinson and former Florida State quarterback Tommy Castellanos, both working out as wide receivers.