Ex-Cowboys 1st-Round Pick Taco Charlton Released by Dolphins

The Miami Dolphins announced the release of defensive end Taco Charlton on Thursday afternoon.

The 25-year-old was released by the Dallas Cowboys, who drafted him 28th overall in 2017, on Sept. 18, 2019. The Dolphins claimed him on Sept. 19:

Charlton recorded two forced fumbles, five sacks and 21 tackles across 10 games (five starts) for the 5-11 Fins last season. There was reportedly writing on the wall that his time in Miami was coming to an end:

Charlton's two-year tenure in Dallas was bumpy.

The Michigan product appeared to request a trade before being waived last September:

He was inactive for the first two weeks of the 2019 campaign, and Dallas executive vice president Stephen Jones explained why on 105.3 FM The Fan (h/t David Helman of the Cowboys' official website):

"Some of it is just flexibility, position flex when you're talking about the backup role," Jones told the radio station. "Certainly that's where Taco is, and I think our feeling has been that Joe Jackson can play both sides. We've been having Taco more one-sided. And, so, it's just a matter of finding the right time and place to get that going again."

Charlton tallied four sacks and 46 tackles in 27 appearances (seven starts) for the Cowboys in 2017 and '18.