Where Miami Dolphins roster stands on offense after the draft. Who’s safe, who’s not
Where does the Dolphins roster stand a week after the draft? Assessing each position on offense:
QUARTERBACK
▪ On the team: Tua Tagovailoa and Teddy Bridgewater.
▪ Long shot: Skylar Thompson and Chris Streveler.
▪ Comment: Bridgewater is a big upgrade over Jacoby Brissett, based on their play last season; Bridgewater was 12th in the league in passer rating at 94.9 for Denver in 2021, while Brissett would have been 28th at 78.1 if he had enough passes to qualify.
Brissett signed with Cleveland after the Dolphins signed Bridegwater.
Thompson, the rookie seventh-rounder from Kansas State, must prove he’s better than Streveler to be the practice squad quarterback; Streveler has more experience (seven games, 25 passes for the Arizona Cardinals), but Thompson will have the edge if he has a strong camp and preseason. Though it’s possible Thompson could be claimed off waivers when/if Miami moves him to the practice squad, one NFL personnel official said that would very much surprise him.
Before Thompson was drafted, Streveler had a remote chance to stick as a third quarterback only if he created a niche as a Taysom Hill-type weapon, plays great in preseason and/or if there are injury issues with Tagovailoa or Bridgewater in August. That’s even more remote now.
All the metrics with Tagovailoa indicate he needs to improve in three areas in particular: 1) throws under pressure and 2) intermediate throws. He ranked in the bottom third of the league in both areas and 3) durability. He has had 10 different injuries in the past four seasons. A better offensive line should help him stay upright.
RUNNING BACK
▪ On the team: Chase Edmonds, Raheem Mostert and fullback Alec Ingold.
▪ Who’s likely on the team: Myles Gaskin. He will be on the roster unless the Dolphins trade or surprisingly release him, which would be an option if he’s beaten out in training camp. He’s due $2.5 million this season, none guaranteed.
The Dolphins would save $2.5 million against the cap if he’s cut, with a dead cap hit of just less than $22,000. That’s not enough financial incentive to significantly influence any roster decision, but he will need to win a job in August.
But Gaskin’s roster spot isn’t totally secure (nor is Salvon Ahmed’s), because the Dolphins continue to explore the running back market. They brought in former Patriots and Rams starter Sony Michel for a visit on Wednesday, before Michel visited the Saints.
▪ Who’s on the bubble: Ahmed. The Dolphins tendered him, but his $895,000 salary is not guaranteed, and he will need to prove to this coaching staff that he’s worthy of sticking.
Ahmed averaged just 2.8 yards on 54 carries last season, and the coaching staff never exploited the matchup advantages he displayed as a receiver in training camp. He finished last season with 12 catches for 117 yards.
▪ Odds against spot on 53: 1) Fullback John Lovett, who won’t be needed if Ingold proves in training camp that he’s all the way back from a Week 10 ACL injury; 2) running back Gerrid Doaks, the 2021 seventh-round pick who was repeatedly protected from practice squad poaching last season but didn’t play a single snap and 3) South Carolina rookie Zaquandre White, who averaged a robust 6.2 yards on 104 college carries at South Carolina.
▪ Comment: Only the Houston Texans had a worse yards-per-carry average than the Dolphins last season. And Miami seemingly has fixed that by adding two skilled run blockers (Terron Armstead and Connor Williams) and two running backs who rank easily in the top quarter of the league in yards-per-carry average.
Edmonds’ 5.1 per carry average last season for Arizona was sixth best among all NFL running backs with a minimum of 100 carries. Mostert’s 5.7 career per-carry average would lead all active running backs if he had enough carries to qualify in Pro Football Reference’s data base; Nick Chubb is the active leader at 5.3 per carry.
WIDE RECEIVER
▪ On the team: Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle and Cedrick Wilson Jr.
▪ Very likely on the team: Texas Tech rookie Erik Ezukanma.
▪ Front-runners for the final two roster spots, if Miami keeps six: Lynn Bowden Jr. (whose skill set fits this offense after missing all of last season on injured reserve), Preston Williams (Dolphins believe he can be salvaged) and former 49ers receiver Trent Sherfield.
No player seemingly was helped by the DeVante Parker trade more than Williams, who has a similar body type. Remember, this was a player who had seven touchdown receptions in his 16 NFL games during his first two seasons, both of which ended after eight games because of injuries. The Dolphins know the talent — Xavien Howard once said Williams has the attributes of a No. 1 receiver — and were willing to overlook his 2021 season, when he played just 175 offensive snaps and caught six passes for 71 yards.
But the Dolphins are getting a similar body type in the 6-2 Ezukanma, even though he’s three inches shorter than Williams.
Bowden — who missed last season with a hamstring injury — has upside in the slot and the type of yards after catch ability that’s prioritized in this offense.
Sherfield, 6-1, has 37 career catches for 427 yards over four seasons, including nine for 87 for the 49ers last season. He played in 17 games and started one and was on the field for 24 percent of the 49ers’ offensive snaps.
Sherfield is guaranteed $350,000 of his $1 million salary if he doesn’t make the team, and Williams is guaranteed $175,000 of his $965,000 if he’s cut. None of Bowden’s $1 million salary is guaranteed.
▪ Odds against: Undrafted rookies Braylon Sanders (Mississippi) and Tanner Conner (Idaho State), former 49ers receiver River Cracraft, DeVonte Dedmon (a former CFL player who had never been on an NFL roster before Miami signed him in January) and Cody Core (33 catches for 388 yards in 51 games and seven starts for the Bengals and Giants).
Dedmon, an undrafted William & Mary player who spent three years playing for Ottawa, cannot be ruled out for one reason: He’s a skilled returner who set a CFL record with five return touchdowns in his first 15 CFL games.
Core, a former sixth-rounder from Mississippi, hasn’t played an NFL snap since 2019. He missed the 2020 season with a torn Achilles tendon and joined the Dolphins’ practice squad last November.
Though McDaniel coached Cracraft in San Francisco, his career body of work is thin: Though he has some special teams value, he has seven career receptions and didn’t play a single offensive snap in six appearances for the 49ers last season.
Sanders averaged an impressive 21.1 yards on 69 college receptions at Mississippi, and Conner was consistently productive in the Big Sky (42 catches, 735 yards, four TDs last season).
TIGHT END
▪ On the team: Mike Gesicki, Durham Smythe and Hunter Long.
▪ Likely but not certain: Adam Shaheen. His play warrants a return, but at some point Miami needs to see what it has in Long, its third-round pick in 2021.
Shaheen’s $1.7 million salary isn’t guaranteed and his cap hit shrinks from $2.2 million to $333,334 if he’s cut.
Shaheen caught 12 passes for 110 yards last season and played 46 percent of the Dolphins’ offensive snaps and 16 percent of the special teams snaps. PFF gave him above-average grades as a blocker.
▪ On the bubble: Cethan Carter, the H-back/tight end who was Miami’s first 2020 free agent signing. Working in his favor: the renewed emphasis on the running game, and the fact that Ingold is coming off an ACL injury.
Carter was helpful on special teams last season but played just 52 snaps on offense, with two catches for 16 yards.
His $2.3 million salary is not guaranteed and his $2.5 salary cap hit completely disappears if he’s cut. But the Dolphins have valued him enough to keep him to this point, and it won’t be surprising if he sticks.
▪ Long shots: Nobody, to this point.
OFFENSIVE LINE
▪ Who’s on the team: Terron Armstead, Robert Hunt, Connor Williams, Liam Eichenberg, Austin Jackson, Michael Deiter.
▪ Who’s more likely to stick than not but far from guaranteed: Solomon Kindley, Robert Jones, Kellen Diesch.
Former coach Brian Flores seemingly lost faith in Kindley, but he’s getting a fresh look with this staff, and it’s warranted not only because he has above-average strength, but also because he had some good moments as a rookie, when he started 13 games before starting only two last season.
Jones has worked at center on his own time to be able to play all five positions. The Dolphins started him at right tackle in the finale against New England ahead of Jesse Davis, who was since released and is now with the Minnesota Vikings.
The Dolphins gave more guaranteed money to Diesch ($140,000) than any of their other rookie free agents. Pro Football Focus rated him the top tackle in the Pacific-12 last season.
▪ Who’s on the bubble at best: Greg Little, Larnel Coleman, Adam Pankey and undrafted rookies Blaise Andreis (Minnesota) and Ty Clary (Arkansas).
Coleman spent his rookie season on injured reserve. Little didn’t appear in a game for the Dolphins after his acquisition from Carolina, and none of his $1.5 million salary is guaranteed.
Andreis and Clary have a chance because of position versatility. Andreis started at every position except center at Minnesota. Clary started at three positions, and he and Dieter (a converted guard) are the only natural centers on the roster.
▪ Long shot: Kion Smith.
▪ Comment: The big question is whether the Dolphins will use Williams at center or left guard; he has worked at both the past three weeks. That decision is pending. If Williams plays left guard, then the Dolphins would start Deiter unless they suddenly wake up one day and decide to sign J.C. Tretter.
Austin Jackson will be given every opportunity to win the right tackle job, with Liam Eichenberg very much in the mix, too. Eichenberg could play left guard if Williams plays center.
Here’s our Thursday look at where the Dolphins stand at every position on defense.
This story was originally published May 6, 2022 at 3:23 PM.
