Cortland Finnegan Cut by Dolphins: Latest Details, Comments and Reaction

The Miami Dolphins released veteran cornerback Cortland Finnegan on Monday in a cost-cutting move.    

News of Finnegan's departure was announced through the Dolphins' official Twitter account.   

Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald referenced the salary-cap implications created by Finnegan's exit:

General manager Dennis Hickey issued a statement on Finnegan's release, per the team's official Twitter account:

This marks the second year in a row Finnegan has been cut in March. He signed a five-year, $50 million contract with St. Louis in 2012, but was let go short of fully honoring that lucrative deal.

The Miami Herald's Adam Beasley alluded to Finnegan's low rating by Pro Football Focus and how he's considered walking away from the game as it is:

It therefore stands to reason that Finnegan doesn't have much of an NFL future on the horizon, based on his declining performance and mulling retirement.

Finnegan will have to demonstrate to a potential free-agent suitor that he's still keen to give his full commitment to football if he wants to keep playing. Even that may not be enough for him to salvage a starting role in an NFL secondary due to his lackluster 2014 campaign.

A modest, one-year contract offer is about all the 31-year-old Finnegan can hope for as a free agent. Defensive backs are highly valued in the pass-happy NFL, so perhaps he could net value as a rental nickel corner. Otherwise, the gritty, physical Finnegan's playing days may be finished.