Miami Dolphins: The Projected Depth Chart at Every Position for 2011

The Miami Dolphins are in the midst of training camp for the 2011 season, and while there are many roster spots already secured, there are a few intriguing battles for the last few spots to make the club.

Here are my projections for what the 53-man roster will look like (starters in bold):

Quarterback: Chad Henne, Matt Moore, Kevin O'Connell

Notable Cuts: Pat Devlin  

The Dolphins ride into the season with Henne as the starter, and having recently acquired Kevin O'Connell, it looks like Delaware rookie Pat Devlin may not make the team.

Matt Moore will start some games this season. I don't know if it will be due to injury or poor play, but Moore will start for the Dolphins at some point this year.

Running Back: Daniel Thomas, Reggie Bush, Kory Sheets, Nic Grigsby 

Notable Cuts: Lex Hilliard

Daniel Thomas appears to be the clear-cut starter, and Reggie Bush will obviously get a lot of touches in many spots.

Kory Sheets, who missed the 2010 season due to injury, may be the most confident guy of the bunch, recently saying he has his mind set on being the starter. That may be a bit far-fetched, but Sheets will make the team and contribute.

Undrafted rookie Nic Grigsby was one of my last guys to make the roster, adding value on special teams. Lex Hilliard, who appeared in several games last year, is the odd man out.

Wide Receiver: Brandon Marshall, Davone Bess, Brian Hartline, Edmund Gates, Marlon Moore, Roberto Wallace 

A bit unconventional, sure, but I feel the Dolphins will keep six wideouts on the roster.

Based on my predictions, Wallace will be the last man to make it, but will be needed on special teams where he provided more impact than Marlon Moore last year.

The starters are pretty much set in stone, and the Dolphins are very high on the rookie Gates, who has blazing speed.

Tight End: Anthony Fasano, Charles Clay, Mickey Schuler

Notable Cuts: Dedrick Epps (former University of Miami standout), among others

Fasano appears to have the starter's job locked up, while sixth-round pick Charles Clay will certainly have an impact as a rookie.

Fullback: Lou Polite

 Not much of a story here; Polite is coming off a bit of a down year, but is as sure as it gets on third or fourth-and-short.

Center: Mike Pouncey

Notable Cuts: Joe Berger

Pouncey will be the starting center, and the Dolphins hope it will stay that way for the foreseeable future.

Joe Berger, the starter last year, falls victim of the Dolphins' offseason linemen shopping spree.

Tackles: Jake Long, Marc Colombo, Nate Garner, Ray Willis 

Notable Cuts: Lyndon Murtha (who recently received a contract extension)

No surprises here; Long is the anchor of the line, and Colombo was brought in presumably to start at right tackle while Vernon Carey moves to guard. Ray Willis started 10 games for Seattle last year and was signed by Miami today. 

Guards: Vernon Carey, Richie Incognito, John Jerry

Carey agreed to a pay cut to stay with the team and slides over to guard with the acquisition of Colombo. Incognito is the de-facto starter at left guard, and second-year man John Jerry makes the club, but hasn't shown much promise after an injury cut his rookie season short.

Defensive Ends: Kendall Langford, Randy Starks, Phillip Merling, Jared Odrick

The front seven of the defense is very deep. Langford and Starks are the projected starters, with Odrick and Merling as capable backups. Odrick is especially intriguing.

Can last year's first-round pick make an impact after missing the entire 2010 season?

Defensive Tackle: Paul Soliai, Tony McDaniel, Ronald Fields, Ikaika Alama-Francis 

Notable Cuts: Frank Kearse (2011 seventh-round pick)

Soliai, from all reports, has been an absolute monster so far in camp. McDaniel was solid last year, and Ronald Fields reunites with coordinator Mike Nolan, who has coached him with three teams now.

Inside Linebacker: Karlos Dansby, Kevin Burnett, A.J. Edds 

With Dansby having a very good first season with the team and Burnett coming off a 95-tackle, six-sack season in San Diego, the starters here are uncontested.

Edds, drafted in 2010, makes the team after missing last year due to injury.

Outside Linebacker: Cameron Wake, Koa Misi, Jason Taylor, Jason Trusnik

Pro Bowler Cameron Wake is coming off a 14-sack season, and Koa Misi showed flashes as a rookie.

Dolphin legend Jason Taylor is back in what may be his final season. He will play in spurts and certain situations when the Dolphins need to get after the quarterback.

Trusnik signed as a free agent. He was a backup for the Browns last season.

Cornerback: Vontae Davis, Sean Smith, Will Allen, Nolan Carroll, Bennie Sapp

Notable Cuts: Nate Ness

Davis and Smith enter Year 3 as a secondary duo, and will need to step up in a division loaded with star wide receivers.

Will Allen hopes to stay healthy this season and could be a very valuable piece as the nickel corner.

Carroll and Sapp both played considerably well last season, and could be in line for bigger roles should Smith falter or the injury-prone Allen go down.

Safety: Yeremiah Bell, Rashad Jones, Chris Clemons, Tyrone Culver, Jimmy Wilson

This is probably my only true reach.

I think Rashad Jones will win the free safety job over Chris Clemons in camp. Not that Clemons is a star in the making, but he does appear to have the upper hand going into practice.

Jones, a big hitter out of Georgia, has star potential. Bell is locked in at strong safety, and rookie Jimmy Wilson has enamored coaches, according to reports.

Specialists: Dan Carpenter, Brandon Fields, John Denney 

No competition here, but one thing to note: Carpenter must be better than he was last year when he missed 10 field goals. I know kicking off dirt and in unpredictable weather isn't simple, but a team that often fails to punch the ball into the end zone needs a star kicker.