The Dolphins fall in line with most other teams in that the first 45 or so roster decisions are fairly easy, but those final eight to 10 are tough.
MIAMI GARDENS — Tuesday is one of the most significant days on the NFL calendar. It’s cut day. It’s the day dreams are realized, put on hold, or crushed.
There’s a single cut date this year and by 4 p.m. Tuesday teams must trim their rosters to 53 players. For the Miami Dolphins, who are at or near the 90-man training camp capacity, that means more than two dozen cuts.
In a sense, the Dolphins fall in line with most other teams in that the first 45 or so roster decisions are fairly easy, but those final eight to 10 are tough.
The toughest decisions for the Dolphins are at offensive line, cornerback, linebacker and tight end.
The Dolphins’ initial 53-man roster will change fairly quickly because cornerback Jalen Ramsey, who had left knee surgery and might not return until December, will be put on the injured reserve (IR). It could be a similar situation with tight end Eric Saubert.
Players must start the season on the 53-man regular-season roster to be shifted to IR and be eligible to return at some point during the season.
If a player starts the season on IR he must remain there all season.
There’s also a category for cornerback Nik Needham, who opened training camp on the physically-unable-to-perform list and remains there as he recovers from last season’s Achilles injury.
Players who opened training camp on the PUP list can open the season on the list and return at any time. However, players who open the season on the PUP list but didn’t open training camp on the list must stay on PUP for at least four weeks.
Having said that, here’s a projection of the Dolphins’ 53-man roster:
QB (3): Tua Tagovailoa, Skylar Thompson, Mike White
Off: James Blackman
This one is easy. The toughest thing might be deciding who is Tagovailoa’s backup and who is the third-team quarterback. The race is fairly tight despite White being guaranteed $4.5 million and Thompson being guaranteed just $82,208 of his $705,000 salary.
RB/FB (5): Raheem Mostert, Jeff Wilson Jr., De’Von Achane, Salvon Ahmed, Alec Ingold
Off: Myles Gaskin, Chris Brooks
Mostert and Wilson will do the bulk of the work with Achane, the rookie third-round pick, being the No. 3 back. Ahmed had a good training camp and he plays special teams. Ingold is the only fullback on the roster although tight ends can do some of his duties just as he can do some of their duties. Brooks, the undrafted rookie from BYU, is a practice squad candidate.
WR (6): Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, Braxton Berrios, Cedrick Wilson Jr., Erik Ezukanma, Robbie Chosen
Off: Chris Coleman, Braylon Sanders, Daewood Davis, Keke Coutee, River Cracraft
After Hill, Waddle and Berrios things get tough. No one among Wilson, Ezukanma and Chosen has been consistent. Cracraft is a good blocker and has special teams value. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see him earn a spot over Chosen. Sanders and Coleman are practice squad candidates.
TEs (3): Durham Smythe, Eric Saubert, Tyler Kroft
Off: Elijah Higgins, Tanner Conner, Julian Hill
Smythe is the starter but Saubert’s injury could mean he starts the season on the 53-man roster but gets moved to IR immediately. If that’s the case the Dolphins could roll the dice by releasing Higgins, the rookie sixth-round pick from Stanford, and Hill, the undrafted rookie from Campbell, and gamble one or both clears waivers so they can be re-signed. One could be put on the 53-man roster with the other going to practice squad. If they don’t think either would clear waivers they’d almost certainly have to put one on the initial 53.
OL (9): Terron Armstead, Liam Eichenberg, Connor Williams, Robert Hunt, Austin Jackson, Isaiah Wynn, Lester Cotton, Kendall Lamm, Dan Feeney
Off: Robert Jones, Cedric Ogbuehi, Alama Uluave, Kion Smith, Ryan Hayes, Geron Christian, James Tunstall
The Jones injury complicates things because he probably would have made the 53. Feeney’s $3.2 million guaranteed also complicates things. He almost has to make the team. But honestly, Uluave, the undrafted rookie center from San Diego State, has played better. Look for him on the practice squad. Feeney has position versatility in his favor because he also plays guard, but the Dolphins have backup guards in Wynn and Cotton. Lamm should be a sufficient backup left tackle, and he plays both sides. Wynn can play guard or tackle. Uluave, Hayes, the rookie seventh-round pick, and Smith are practice squad candidates.
DL (6): Christian Wilkins, Zach Sieler, Raekwon Davis, Brandon Pili, Emmanuel Ogbah, Da’Shawn Hand
Off: Randy Charlton, Josiah Bronson, Jaylen Twyman, Jamal Woods
Pili, the undrafted rookie from USC, and Hand, the recent free-agent signee who seems to be nursing a leg injury, have blossomed to serve as reserve defensive linemen. That’s a good thing because among Wilkins, Sieler, Davis and Ogbah the Dolphins have their top guys. They needed to find capable reserves to play valuable snaps, and it seems they’ve found them. Twyman is a practice squad candidate.
LB (7): Bradley Chubb, Jaelan Phillips, Jerome Baker, David Long Jr., Duke Riley, Andrew Van Ginkel, Channing Tindall
Off: Malik Reed, Mitchell Agude, Aubrey Miller II, Cameron Goode, Garrett Nelson, A.J. Johnson
The surprise here would be Reed, the veteran who was with defensive coordinator Vic Fangio in Denver. The group is unspectacular but solid with Baker and Long as starters and Riley and Van Ginkel as backups. All are practice squad candidates among Agude, Miller, Goode, Nelson and Rose.
CBs (7): Xavien Howard, Jalen Ramsey, Kader Kohou, Eli Apple, Noah Igbinoghene, Cam Smith, Keion Crossen
Off: Bryce Thompson, Nik Needham, Justin Bethel, Jamal Perry, Parry Nickerson, Ethan Bonner
Ramsey will start on the 53 and be placed on IR, opening one roster spot, and Needham will open the season on PUP, just as he opened training camp. Bethel could be a favorite to re-sign because of his special teams value. This is a solid group that would be outstanding with Ramsey. Still, they have Pro Bowl talent with Howard, a developing youngster in Kohou, two former first-round picks in Apple and Igbinoghene, and a rising rookie second-round pick in Smith.
Safeties (4): Jevon Holland, DeShon Elliott, Brandon Jones, Elijah Campbell
Off: Trill Williams, Keidron Smith, Verone McKinley III
Williams would be a tough cut but things seemed to trend in that direction late in camp. The big question here is Jones’ availability. It seems unlikely he’d be placed on IR due to last season’s knee injury, but it also seems there’s a chance he’s not ready for the opener. With the starters, Holland is money, and Elliott is wait-and-see. Campbell is developing.
Specialists (3): Jake Bailey, Jason Sanders, Blake Ferguson
Nothing to see here.
