Where Miami Dolphins’ roster battles stand on defense at every position. Breaking it down
Sizing up the Dolphins’ defensive battles for spots on the roster, with cut down from 80 to 53 looming on Tuesday:
DEFENSIVE LINE
▪ Who’s on the team: Emmanuel Ogbah, Christian Wilkins, Raekwon Davis, Adam Butler, Zach Sieler.
▪ Who’s on the bubble: John Jenkins, Jason Strowbridge, Jonathan Ledbetter, Benito Jones, Tyshun Render.
▪ Comment: The Dolphins can either keep a couple of the bubble players or look on the waiver wire for better options. None of the bubble guys has been consistently excellent in camp or preseason. The Bears and Falcons ran the ball well with Strowbridge, Ledbetter, Jones and Render in the game.
One other point: After Sieler played ahead of Wilkins early in the camp, Wilkins has been back with the starters for the past 10 days or so, including both preseason games.
The “who’s on the team” guys will all play a lot. Not sure anyone else in camp has earned consistent snaps, let alone a roster spot.
Jenkins is the type of veteran who could be cut initially but then re-signed after Week 1, when his contract wouldn’t be fully guaranteed.
LINEBACKER
▪ Who’s on the team: Jerome Baker, Benardrick McKinney, Jaelan Phillips, Andrew Van Ginkel.
▪ Likely to stick: Sam Eguavoen and Brennan Scarlett.
▪ Who’s on the bubble: Duke Riley, Elandon Roberts, Vince Biegel, Calvin Munson, Shaquem Griffin.
▪ Who’s in trouble: Kylan Johnson, John Harvey Clemons.
▪ Comment: Riley — the former Falcons third-round pick and Eagles starter — had received some first-team work in some packages early in camp but less so recently. On Wednesday, Roberts — who came off PUP last week — shared first-team inside linebacker snaps with McKinney and Eguavoen, opposite Baker.
Roberts, back from his serious knee injury last December, would seem to have an edge on Riley because Roberts was trusted to start 11 games for the Dolphins last season. But that’s far from certain. Perhaps the Dolphins keep both Roberts and Riley.
Riley’s speed is an asset in pass coverage, and linebackers coach Anthony Campanile has raved about his value. Early in camp, he played more than McKinney with the starters on some days. But Riley has been primarily with the second team recently.
None of Roberts’ $1.3 million salary is guaranteed. For Riley, $550,000 of his $900,000 salary is guaranteed.
Scarlett had a good first week of camp, getting time with the starters, and is needed as an edge player behind Phillips, especially with Biegel injured. Eguavoen’s four-sack masterpiece on Saturday likely clinched a roster spot for a player who also has value on special teams.
Biegel, out with a foot injury, would need to be on the initial 53 if he’s placed on IR but then could be put on IR for a minimum of three weeks. Or the Dolphins could instead release him and re-sign him later.
It was notable that Griffin didn’t play any defensive snaps against Atlanta; he said he wasn’t given an explanation but figured coaches wanted to see other players.
Phillips, incidentally, continues to get first-team outside linebacker work opposite Van Ginkel.
CORNERBACK
▪ Who’s on the team: Xavien Howard, Byron Jones, Justin Coleman, Nik Needham, Noah Igbinoghene. (We’re counting Jason McCourty as a safety for this exercise, though he can play either position.)
▪ Who’s on the bubble: Cre’von LeBlanc, Tino Ellis, Trill Williams, Javaris Davis.
▪ Comment: Coleman had been the first-team slot corner throughout camp, until Needham handled that role in one practice last week and Saturday’s game and two practices since then.
Needham also looks best equipped to be the first boundary corner off the bench if there’s an injury to Jones or Howard.
Whether there’s room for a sixth corner is debatable.
It was notable that LeBlanc played 34 snaps against Atlanta; only Eguavoen got more work on Saturday among Dolphins defenders.
If the Dolphins keep a sixth corner, he might have a slight edge over Williams (the Syracuse rookie had an interception of Jacoby Brissett on Wednesday and has flashed in camp) and Davis (strong early in camp but now injured).
Cornerbacks coach Charles Burks said LeBlanc “brings a lot of energy to the team. He’s very competitive. Very pleased what he’s been doing.”
LeBlanc has 16 NFL starts and two interceptions in five seasons. If the Dolphins lose two corners to injuries, LeBlanc — if he makes it — could compete for snaps with Igbinoghene, who allowed both targets against him in the Falcons game to be caught, for 29 yards.
LeBlanc has had the better camp, but Igbinoghene had a good play in coverage on Wednesday.
SAFETY
▪ Who’s on the team: Jevon Holland, Eric Rowe, McCourty, Brandon Jones.
▪ On the bubble: Nate Holley, Clayton Fejedelem, Jamal Perry.
▪ Comment: Jones returned this week from an ankle injury. Fejedelem is at serious risk; his entire $2.3 million salary isn’t guaranteed.
Perry, the former cornerback, said Miami has had him focus on safety, and he has had an up and down camp. The Dolphins could try to move Holley to the practice squad.
It’s quite possible — perhaps even likely — that none of the bubble safeties make the 53. One factor in that decision is Holland’s health; he has missed practice this week with an injury but is walking around without any sign of distress.
We’ll do this exercise on offense tomorrow.
Here’s our live camp blog with everything that happened in Wednesday’s practice.
This story was originally published August 25, 2021 at 3:31 PM.
