All things considered, Miami Dolphins running back Mark Walton should consider yesterday a win in his campaign to make the Dolphins’ 2019 roster. The second-year pro finally resolved his legal issues — the root of which served as a catalyst for his release from the Bengals just one year after being picked in the fourth round of the 2018 NFL Draft. There will be no jail time for Walton, who missed practice on Monday to appear in court and plead no contest to a misdemeanor weapons charge.
As a result of his plea deal, Walton received six months of probation — which could be reduced to three months if Walton keeps himself out of legal trouble this fall.
Despite yesterday’s win for Walton’s roster odds, he’s not out of the woods yet. Walton will need to show out between now and roster cuts whether he’s going to stick with the Dolphins. Miami has Kalen Ballage, Kenyan Drake and fullback Chandler Cox locked into roster spots, turning the numbers game against Walton.
To make matters worse, Walton could easily receive a suspension for violations of the NFL’s personal conduct policy.
For Walton, yesterday removes a major item from his plate. Now, he can only control what he can — performing at a high level and hoping that’s enough to push Patrick Laird, Myles Gaskin and Kenneth Farrow off the roster bubble.
