Updated 53-Man Roster Projections for Miami Dolphins Post-Preseason Week 3
With a full month's worth of practices and three preseason games in the books, the Miami Dolphins are drawing nearer and nearer to a conclusion to the roster battles, competitions for starting spots and all the other developments that will surround the team in its cutdown from 90 players to 53.
That process will begin on Tuesday, September 1, when the team cuts down to 75 players. Even as that process is underway, the Dolphins may continue making revisions to their roster to replenish positions that are lacking depth due to injuries or ineffective play.
Needless to say, things will look at least a little different than they did when I posted a 53-man roster prediction back in late July.
Here's a fresh glimpse at what the Dolphins' final roster could look like.
Quarterback
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Starter: Ryan Tannehill
Backup: Matt Moore
The Dolphins' depth chart at quarterback has not changed in three years. Why change it now?
There's never been any doubt that Ryan Tannehill will be the starting quarterback in 2015. The only doubt has been whether the Dolphins would carry an extra quarterback besides backup Matt Moore.
So far, neither McLeod Bethel-Thompson nor Josh Freeman has played well enough to warrant that third roster spot. The Dolphins could use the space at another position to keep extra depth where it would be needed more.
Running Back
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Starter: Lamar Miller
Backups: Damien Williams, LaMichael James, Jay Ajayi
At one point, there was a legitimate case to be made that Jay Ajayi might contend for the No. 1 spot in the Dolphins backfield. That was a time before Mike Tannenbaum, the Dolphins' vice president of football operations, made it clear that there's a chance Ajayi might not even be active on game days.
"There are things we like about [Ajayi], but if he can't pass protect, he will never be active," Tannenbaum said, according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. "I don't care how talented he is between the tackles. If Jay Ajayi can't pass protect, he won't be active."
Those comments were presented alongside comments that LaMichael James has made a strong impression in pass protection.
Ajayi has also been dealing with a hamstring injury, but James and Damien Williams have both surpassed Ajayi on the depth chart on performance alone. Ajayi is in no real danger of being cut, but he has a long way to go before he'll be a highly productive member of the Dolphins offense.
Wide Receiver
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Starters: DeVante Parker, Kenny Stills, Jarvis Landry
Backups: Greg Jennings, Rishard Matthews
Injuries have left the Dolphins short-handed at wide receiver during training camp, but their health has slowly materialized. Kenny Stills was held out of practice for a couple of weeks with a calf injury, but he made his return to practice in mid-August. DeVante Parker began training camp on the physically unable to perform list, but he was taken off the PUP list a couple of days after Stills made his return.
Parker has been strictly running at practice, and according to Andrew Abramson of the Palm Beach Post, there is now some doubt as to whether Parker will be ready for Week 1. It's a good thing the Dolphins signed Greg Jennings, because the veteran could be called upon as a starter if Parker isn't good to go at the beginning of the regular season.
In the meantime, fourth-year veteran wide receiver Rishard Matthews has taken advantage of the increased practice reps with his teammates this summer and has made a case for the final 53-man roster.
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Tight End
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Starter: Jordan Cameron
Backups: Dion Sims, Jake Stoneburner
The Dolphins were smart to sign tight end Jordan Cameron, whose 6'5", 249-pound frame will give Ryan Tannehill exactly the kind of athletic red-zone threat that was sorely absent from the passing game last year.
Dion Sims has been a valuable backup over the past two years, showing some versatility to catch the ball and block. He hauled in 24 passes for 284 yards and two touchdowns last year while playing 52.9 percent of the snaps, according to Pro Football Focus. That being said, most of his snaps were as a blocker, which will probably also be the case in 2015 since Cameron is more of a pass-catching tight end.
Offensive Line
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Starters: Branden Albert, Dallas Thomas, Mike Pouncey, Billy Turner, Ja'Wuan James
Backups: Jamil Douglas, Jason Fox, Jeff Linkenbach, Sam Brenner
The two guard spots have been the center of much debate and consternation over the course of training camp, but it appears the Dolphins are getting closer to a conclusion to those battles. Dallas Thomas and Billy Turner are the only guards on the roster who played for the team last year, and they were the starters at left guard and right guard, respectively, in the first three preseason games.
A couple of injuries at offensive tackle have put the Dolphins offensive line in jeopardy of some of the same shuffling that has been its bane in recent years.
Branden Albert is still recovering from a torn ACL that ended his 2014 season, but according to Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald, Albert is "back doing everything" at practice and should be ready for Week 1. Jason Fox, on the other hand, suffered a concussion and has been held out of practice, according to Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald.
If there's any concern about their availability early in the season, the Dolphins may have to carry 10 offensive linemen on their 53-man roster.
Defensive Line
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Starting defensive ends: Cameron Wake, Olivier Vernon
Backup defensive ends: Derrick Shelby, Terrence Fede
Starting defensive tackles: Ndamukong Suh, Earl Mitchell
Backup defensive tackles: Jordan Phillips, C.J. Mosley, Anthony Johnson
Cameron Wake and Olivier Vernon have been the Dolphins' bookend defensive ends for the past two years. Both men have an explosive burst off the line of scrimmage that makes them a fierce duo of pass-rushing edge threats. With the addition of Ndamukong Suh at defensive tackle, the Dolphins' starting defensive line could be one of the best in football this year.
The depth chart only reinforces the Dolphins' overall talent at the position. Derrick Shelby and Terrence Fede are both developing into solid rotational players on the end of the line, and both men offer value on special teams in addition to their roles as supplemental pass-rushers.
The Dolphins drafted Jordan Phillips in the second round of this year's draft in hopes that he could develop into a starting defensive tackle with time, and although he won't be handed the reins right away, the coaching staff still has a lot of faith in him.
In the past, the Dolphins have carried just eight defensive linemen, according to Andrew Abramson of the Palm Beach Post. If that holds true in 2015, the Dolphins coaches will have to decide between C.J. Mosley and Anthony Johnson.
Mosley has far more experience and has played more significant NFL snaps than Johnson, so he should be considered the front-runner for the back end of the roster if it comes down to those two.
Linebacker
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Starters: Koa Misi, Jelani Jenkins, Chris McCain
Backups: Kelvin Sheppard, Spencer Paysinger, Jordan Tripp, Zach Vigil
The starting three linebackers are no secret: Koa Misi, Jelani Jenkins and Chris McCain are head and shoulders above the rest of the linebackers on the Dolphins depth chart. Everything after those three is still a question mark.
That being said, Andrew Abramson of the Palm Beach Post and Omar Kelly of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel are both in lockstep on their predictions for the seven linebackers who will make the final 53-man roster.
That doesn't mean that there aren't some difficult decisions to be made here. There are four talented undrafted free-agent rookie linebackers fighting for roster spots: Zach Vigil, Neville Hewitt, Jeff Luc and Mike Hull. It's possible for the Dolphins to carry eight linebackers, but that would leave them thin at other positions.
Vigil has been the linebacker who has stood out the most, according to Abramson, and he fits nicely into a backup inside linebacker spot. Kelvin Sheppard is a good backup option at middle linebacker due to his superior run-defending ability over Misi and his value on special teams. Paysinger and Tripp can contribute mainly on special teams, but only if Tripp can shed his crutches.
Secondary
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Starting cornerbacks: Brent Grimes, Jamar Taylor
Backup cornerbacks: Brice McCain, Bobby McCain, Will Davis, Tony Lippett
Starting safeties: Reshad Jones, Walt Aikens
Backup safeties: Michael Thomas, Cedric Thompson, Don Jones
The starting cornerback spots were never in question this summer: It was always going to be Brent Grimes and Jamar Taylor.
The starting safety spots weren't in question until Louis Delmas blew out his ACL for a second straight year, which opened up the free safety spot for either Walt Aikens, Cedric Thompson or Michael Thomas. Aikens has been the starter in the preseason with Delmas out, so he could be the one who earns that spot for the beginning of the regular season.
There is a lot of depth at cornerback and some difficult decisions on the horizon. Tony Lippett could benefit from a year on the practice squad, but it might be risky to put him on the waiver wire and open up the possibility of another team snatching him up, so Zack Bowman might be the victim of that decision. Will Davis is still recovering from knee surgery, which might necessitate a sixth cornerback on the roster.
As for safety, everyone has a role. Michael Thomas and Don Jones are both special teams aces, although Thomas has also contributed on defense. The Dolphins drafted Cedric Thompson in hopes of developing him into a starting safety down the line, and he has earned plenty of preseason playing time on defense and special teams. His spot on the roster is warranted at this point.
Specialists
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Kicker: Caleb Sturgis
Punter: Brandon Fields
Long snapper: John Denney
Make no mistake: The Dolphins are maintaining the status quo in these predictions, but that does not mean things will stay that way throughout the regular season. If the Dolphins have an inkling that rookie kicker Andrew Franks is better than Caleb Sturgis, they would be wise to move in that direction. Sturgis has done nothing to inspire confidence in his ability to develop into a solid kicker in the NFL.
And if Franks isn't the man to supplant Sturgis, the Dolphins might just make that decision during the regular season.
Punter Brandon Fields and long snapper John Denney have both been formidable in their roles throughout their NFL careers; Fields had a rough patch in 2014 but is still one of the better punters in the NFL. Denney has been the Dolphins long snapper for the past 10 seasons, and he signed a two-year deal to make sure he's not going anywhere anytime soon.
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