Kelly: Dolphins have numerous tough decisions to make trimming down 53-man roster | Opinion
Miami Dolphins training camp has officially been broken with the conclusion of Wednesday’s joint practice against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, a practice session which resembled two exhausted fighters holding onto one another in the final round as they waiting for the bell to ring.
The offseason marathon concludes Friday with the third preseason game, which is usually only important to players who are fighting for spots on the back end of the 53-man roster, or practice squad contracts.
After that, the assembly of the regular-season roster begins with a series of meetings among Dolphins executives, scouts and coaches, who will bicker about everything from a player’s age, contract, skills, medical history and proposed roles.
Here’s a quick synopsis of what those discussions will cover at every position.
▪ Quarterback: New NFL rules, which allow practice squad quarterbacks to be active for each game without an elevation, could motivate Miami to keep just two quarterbacks on the 53-man roster. Neither Mike White nor Skylar Thompson has been impressive enough in practice or games to say with conviction that he should be the guy. Cutting White would create $3.5 million in cap space, which could be beneficial in the long run. Is Thompson ready to do all the extra film work Tua Tagovailoa needs if White gets cut and signs elsewhere?
▪ Tailback: Raheem Mostert, De’Von Achane and Jaylen Wright are the lead horses in Miami’s backfield, which means Jeff Wilson Jr. and Chris Brooks are battling it out for one, and maybe two spots on the 53-man roster. Wilson has the experience. Brooks brings the power. This decision will likely come down to who helps Miami the most on special teams, and that’s Brooks.
▪ Tight end/fullback: Durham Smythe, Jonnu Smith, Julian Hill and Alec Ingold are the four locks in this group because of their assortment of skills, which will diversify Miami’s offense. Tanner Conner was trending in the right direction until he got hurt. Jody Fortson Jr.’s an intriguing athlete, but got off to a slow start before he sustained an injury. Maybe both get a practice squad offer.
▪ Wide receiver: Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, Braxton Berrios and River Cracraft were the top performers in this unit throughout training camp, and it wasn’t even close because of injuries and inconsistent play Miami got from Erik Ezukanma, Braylon Sanders, Anthony Schwartz and rookie Malik Washington. Odell Beckham Jr. will likely begin the season on the physically unable to perform list because of an injury that kept him from practicing with his new team all of 2024, so don’t be surprised if Ezukanma and Washington get the final receiver spots.
▪ Offensive line: The Dolphins typically keep nine or 10 offensive linemen on the 53-man roster because injuries annually decimate that unit, forcing Miami to go deep into the bench throughout the season. Isaiah Wynn will likely begin the season on the PUP because of the lower leg issue that has kept him from practicing with the team, and has opened the door for Robert Jones to lock down the starting left guard spot. Terron Armstead, Austin Jackson, Patrick Paul and Kendall Lamm are a forceful foursome at tackle. Aaron Brewer and Liam Eichenberg will handle the center role while Lester Cotton and Jack Driscoll battle to determine who starts at right guard while Eichenberg handles the center workload because of Brewer’s hand injury. It would benefit the Dolphins to add another interior lineman via trade, or be aggressive with claims on the waiver wire.
▪ Defensive line: Benito Jones’ mysterious injury, which has kept him sidelined for three weeks, makes this a problematic unit because it lacks an experienced nose tackle after Teair Tart’s release. Brandon Pili’s hasn’t proven he’s ready for that role, so Miami might be forced to use Calais Campbell or Jonathan Harris as a nose, or change up the 3-4 front. Zach Sieler and Da’Shawn Hand had excellent camps, but the rest have work to do to prove they are more than space fillers.
▪ Edge rusher: Jaelan Phillips coming back from his Achilles injury after nine months was a miracle from the football Gods. He hasn’t been cleared for contact, but likely will be the Sept 8 season opener against the Jaguars. Emmanuel Ogbah and Quinton Bell have each had solid camps, but need some polishing. As does Chop Robinson and Mohamed Kamara, the two rookies who have talent, but need to be coached up.
▪ Inside linebacker: Jordyn Brooks, David Long Jr. and Anthony Walker Jr., the Dolphins’ top three inside linebackers, are battling through injuries. When camp opened this was the most upgraded unit, and now it seems to be the most fragile. That’s why we shouldn’t overlook Duke Riley’s role, and can no longer predict Channing Tindall’s banishment from the team. The Dolphins’ 2022 fourth-round pick is actually making more of an impact lately.
▪ Cornerback: Jalen Ramsey and Kendall Fuller lead a unit that’s filled with undrafted players seeking respect and slow starters seeking redemption. Kader Kohou, Ethan Bonner and Cam Smith anchor this unit, and Siran Neal will likely be kept around for special teams help. Miami also has three undrafted rookies in Storm Duck, Isaiah Johnson and Jason Maitre who have talent that’s worth a continued investment, likely on the practice squad.
▪ Safety: Jordan Poyer and Jevon Holland have each missed half of training camp with various injuries, and nobody has stepped up to seal the back end of Miami’s secondary. Elijah Campbell makes the team because of his special teams contributions, but Marcus Maye, a 77-game starter, Patrick McMorris, a rookie, and Nik Needham, a converted cornerback, have been relatively inconsistent.
▪ Specialists: Kicker Jason Sanders, punter Jake Bailey and long snapper Blake Ferguson aren’t the only key specialists needed. Special teams coordinator Danny Crossman also needs four to five players who can be his anchors on the return and coverage units. This is where Campbell, Neal, Riley, Hill, Ingold, Bonner and Smith will probably play the majority of their snaps.
