It’s the dead zone of the offseason, so I thought I’d offer my projected 53 man roster for the Dolphins. I have 26 players on the offense, 24 on the defense, and the 3 specialists. Starters are denoted with (s).

QUARTERBACK – 2

Tua Tagovailoa(s), Mike White

There isn’t much to discuss here. The new 3rd QB rule makes it much easier to keep only 2. Thompson has a puncher’s chance to knock White off the roster, but until it happens, White is the backup.

RUNNING BACK – 5

Raheem Mostert (s), De’Von Achane, Jaylen Wright, Chris Brooks, Alec Ingold

One of the more loaded rooms on the roster, the top 3 guys are pretty much set, as well as Ingold at fullback. I think Brooks makes the team over Ahmed and Wilson based on youth and potential.

WIDE RECEIVER – 6

Tyreek Hill (s), Jaylen Waddle (s), Odell Beckham Jr., Erik Ezukanma, Braxton Berrios, Malik Washington

This group has the toughest cuts to make IMO. The top 3 guys are set. After that, there are 8 guys vying for 3 spots. Ezukanma has size, Berrios is the punt returner, and I believe Malik Washington will make the squad as a player McDaniel has a plan for. However, guys like Cracraft and Sanders have experience and could make a push for the final spots.

TIGHT END – 4

Jonnu Smith (s), Durham Smythe, Jody Fortson Jr., Julian Hill

Smith may be the most underrated addition to the team this offseason. His receiving ability and YAC prowess could be a massive boon to the offense. Smythe is a reliable TE2. Fortson is a converted WR that has been making some plays in OTAs this year. Hill has the upside to become a TE2 in this offense.

OFFENSIVE TACKLE – 4

Terron Armstead (s), Austin Jackson (s), Kendall Lamm, Patrick Paul

Armstead is back for one more run. Lamm was a breath of fresh air as a reserve OT last year and is also back for one more run. Jackson was a massive surprise as he developed from a massive liability into a decent player. Now is the time to show growth and become a quality starter. Paul was the new addition to the room and the LT of the future.

OFFENSIVE GUARD – 4

Isaiah Wynn (s), Liam Eichenberg (s), Robert Jones, Jack Driscoll

For as strong as the WR room is, the OG room is that weak. Wynn is a good OG when healthy, but he cannot be counted on to play a full 17 game season. Eichenberg plowed through injuries and a position change last year, but could have that developmental arc at guard that Jackson took at tackle. He’s the backup center as well. Jones and Driscoll are decent reserve players. This group is wide open for someone to steal a roster spot though.

OFFENSIVE CENTER – 1

Aaron Brewer (s)

Since Eichenberg can play center, they don’t need to keep more than one center-only player on the team. And let’s be clear about it: Brewer is a center-only player. Can he play guard? Yes. Can he play it well? No. Center is his spot. He’s a really good athlete for that position that will be an asset in the run game.

DEFENSIVE LINE – 5

Zach Sieler (s), Calais Campbell (s), Benito Jones, Neville Gallimore, Jonathan Harris

I’ve stated all offseason that DC Anthony Weaver’s defense is going to be less reliant on one or two dominant DL and utilize more of a rotation with one primary snap taker and guys that filter in as needed. Also, Weaver will likely utilize a nickel package as the base package, so there will only be 2 DL that generally start, not 3 as with a pure 3-4 base. Sieler is the lead guy now after Wilkins has moved on. I generally don’t read too much into OTAs and mini-camp, but as soon as they finished, the Dolphins added some players. That says they felt they needed more. Campbell is an older vet, but was still playing at a high level last season. He can also play as an edge rusher, which adds depth until Phillips and Chubb are back healthy. Jones is the primary nose tackle/1-tech player. Gallimore and Harris are depth pieces.

EDGE RUSHER – 5

Jaelen Phillips (s), Bradley Chubb (s), Shaq Barrett, Chop Robinson, Mohamed Kamara

I’m listing Chubb here initially despite the fact he’s a likely PUP candidate. While that opens the door for someone else to take a roster spot early on, he’ll be back so I’m going to include him. He and Phillips are a formidable duo and once a full strength, will be a force off the edge. Barrett is a vet reserve and the two rookies provide some youth and athleticism into the group.

LINEBACKER – 4

David Long Jr. (s), Jordyn Brooks (s), Anthony Walker Jr. Channing Tindall

Long came to the Dolphins with injury concerns in 2023 and ended up playing in every game. He’s an instinctive run defender that played better in coverage than expected. Brooks is a very athletic and instinctive LB that should provide a boost to pass coverage and as a blitzer. Walker has been a productive LB, but also has injury concerns. He should be fine in a reserve role. This may be Tindall’s last chance with the Dolphins to show what he’s got. He’s very athletic and can possibly thrive as a blitzing LB. He’ll have to fend off aces Duke Riley and Cam Brown on ST to take this roster spot.

CORNERBACK – 6

Jalen Ramsey (s), Kendall Fuller (s), Cam Smith (s), Kader Kohou, Nik Needham, Siran Neal

This group is going to be the focal point of the defense. Ramsey was touted as a chess piece for the secondary, but was relegated to outside CB duty only last season. This year and in this scheme, he should move around more to utilize his considerable talent. Fuller is the most underrated defensive addition. He is still an effective player and should alleviate concerns of losing Xavien Howard and has the ability to play inside and out. Cam Smith didn’t see many reps last season, but as a former 2nd round pick, he has talent and should see the field. Kohou and Needham can play inside and out, but are preferably options for the slot. Needham has been cross training with the safety group. That development could be an interesting one if it sticks. Neal is another ST ace for a team that struggled in coverage last year.

SAFETY – 4

Jevon Holland (s), Jordan Poyer (s), Marcus Maye, Elijah Campbell

This is going to be the year that Holland becomes a household name. Weaver’s defense will take advantage of his talents and put him on position to be around the ball quite often. Poyer is a solid vet addition that will provide leadership and experience to room that needs some more of those things. The fact he left the Bills and made them weaker at that position is an added bonus. Maye was a post mini-camp addition, signaling the Dolphins wanted more. He has had some injury concerns in recent years, but was a solid piece for the Jets. Perhaps he can pull off another butt INT for the Dolphins instead of against them this time. Campbell has been a decent piece both on defense and on ST.

KICKER – 1

Jason Sanders (s)

Sanders was a 1st team All-Pro back in 2020 and signed a 5 year extension as result. Since then, he has been somewhat unreliable, especially from 50+ yards – to the ire of fans. However, despite that, Sanders saw a bit of resurgence last season. He missed one PAT in week one – leading to a Justin Herbert late game collapse – but was money the rest of the season, including 10 PATs in the historic 70 point week 3 victory over the Broncos. He had 4 missed FGs last season, though 2 of those misses were blocks. He didn’t miss from 50+ after the Raiders game, including 3 from deep in the playoff securing win over Dallas. He was 5-7 from 50+ last season, and only 3 teams were perfect from 50+ (Dallas, Kansas City, and Cleveland). His FG% of 85.7% was right at league average, which on can argue that isn’t worth the contract. But if he struggles in 2024, he will be released in 2025 for cap savings. If he’s once again Jason $anders, then his contract will be fine.

PUNTER – 1

Jake Bailey (s)

Bad news first: Bailey – a former Pro Bowler and All-Pro – was not very good last season. The Dolphins were 28th in yards per punt at 45.7, nearly 2 yards lower than league average (47.3). They were slightly better in net yards per punt, coming in 23rd at 40.7. The Dolphins re-signed him in 2024 for the purposes of continuity within the ST unit. Fans were wondering why the Dolphins didn’t re-sign Thomas Morstead in 2023, then had to watch him sign with the rival Jets.

The good news: the Jets needed Morstead far more than the Dolphins did. The Jets punted more than anyone with 99 punts. The Dolphins were 28th (or 5th depending on how you want to look at it) in total punts at 53. Chalk that up to a dominant offense, an aggressive play caller, or both. In any case, Bailey only punted an average of about 3 times per game. He punted about 1 fewer times than the league average (70.7). Even with fewer attempts, Bailey checked in at 15th in percentage of punts inside the 20 at 37.7%, right above league average (36.7%). Bailey was also 11th in touchback percentage at 5.7%, nearly 2% better than league average (7.3%).

LONG SNAPPER – 1

Blake Ferguson (s)

It’s going to be difficult to surpass the man, the myth, and the legend that was John Denney, but Ferguson is doing his best. Do you recall any bad snaps from him? Me either. He’s under contract until 2026, where the cap hit is a whopping $1,352,500. This is a set-it-and-forget-it position and Miami has a set-it-and-forget-it player filling it.

LAST FOUR ON

Julian Hill, Chris Brooks, Elijah Campbell, Jonathan Harris

These players have some upside and/or special teams value that give them an edge over incumbents or other at their position group. Smythe can be moved on from in 2025 and Jonnu Smith is an older player. Having a player like Hill to continue to develop as TE2 is important. Brooks has more upside in the RB group than Wilson or Ahmed. However, Ahmed has some ST value and Wilson has the experience factor. Campbell seems to overcome the odds every season and make a roster. He is a core ST player but has experience on the defense. A secondary-centric unit gives him a pathway to make the team. Harris passes Teair Tart, whom I think has been replaced by Calais Campbell.

FIRST FOUR OFF

River Cracraft, Cam Brown, Ethan Bonner, Kion Smith

These are tough cuts to make. Kion Smith showed some promise last season in limited snaps, but can the Dolphins afford to keep 5 Ots? Can Smith play OG to help his chances? Cracraft has been an effective player when called upon, but the additions in the WR will make it tough for him to see the field. Does he offer enough in ST value to make the squad? Brown was a late FA addition and is mainly there for ST value, but Tindall has the draft pick status and is a better athlete. Is it enough? Bonner played some defensive snaps last season for the Dolphins was named by Tyreek Hill as one of the fastest players on the team. He is going to have to beat out Siran Neal as a ST ace to have a chance. Unless…

TRADE OPTIONS

To be considered a trade option, they must be a player that a) has some kind of reasonable value (not a camp body type player), b) can’t be a new addition to the team (no one is trading for a player that they could have had in FA), and c) not a critical player to the team like Hill, Armstead, Tua, and so on.

Kader Kohou

This seems wild given his rise from UDFA to starting player who played the most defensive snaps for the team last season. However, he struggled in Fangio’s zone heavy scheme, particularly on the outside. His best role is in the slot in a man-heavy scheme. Miami also has 3 very capable players that can play inside: Ramsey, Fuller, and Needham. All 3 will likely see snaps inside and it is possible that Kohou sees a reduction in playing time as a result. He, like several other, will see time on ST, but the question will be that of value. I fully expect Kohou to show some improvement this offseason just like he did last offseason. However, the difference between him and a player like Ethan Bonner is close and another player stands out on ST, then Miami could offer Kohou up as trade bait. IMO, he has the most trade value of any player Miami would reasonably offer on the market. I think a 5th round pick is a little too rich, but he could easily fetch a 6th IF the opportunity for such a move arose.

Durham Smythe

Smythe is a solid TE2 option and has been everything Miami could have asked of him. But it’s clear the team is looking for receiving options at the TE position. The Dolphins were the only team in the lague last season that didn’t have a receiving TD from the TE position. Smith and Fortson were added for that purpose. Smythe has a relatively small deal with a modest cap hit of $3,316,960. The Dolphins could trade him and since it is after June 1st, they can save $1,860,294 against the cap. A modest gain for 2024, but Smythe’s cap hit in 2025 is $4,831,668 and a pre-6/1 cap savings of $2.175M. He will also turn 30 prior to the 2025 season. The tea leaves there suggest he’s out after this season. Would they risk losing a young player like Hill to the waiver wire or practice squad claims in lieu of an aging vet they probably won’t keep beyond this season? They should see what the market for him is and if a reasonable offer develops, consider taking it if the other players show enough. I think a 7th round pick is the best they can get. With Fortson’s injury history, they probably won’t do this, but it is worth considering.

Liam Eichenberg

This one is trickier but has some merit. Eichenberg needs to win a starting spot this season. He is on the last year of his deal and has s cap hit of $4,163,178. That’s the 14th biggest cap hit on the roster. They can cut or trade him with a savings of $3,336,000. Despite having an influx of cap with the Howard deal off the books, they still need room to operate. Most people figure they’ll need about $5M or so to sign the practice squad and for in-season operating budget. Guess how much cap space moving on from Smythe and Eichenberg would generate? The Dolphins tried Jack Driscoll at center during mini-camp and OTAs. If he excels at it, do they need Eichenberg on the bench at that cap hit? What if a center-only candidate like Ireland Brown or Andrew Meyer emerge as an UDFA gem? What if a guy like Matthew Jones or Chasen Hines steps up and wins a starting OG spot? What if Kion Smith can play OG and they want to keep him around? None of these options are givens. But they exist as possibilities and Eichenberg is guaranteed nothing at starter. Given the level of talent I would EXPECT Eichenberg to win a spot. But if camp progresses and it looks like he’s going to be on the bench, he needs to be on the trading block. Some team will offer a conditional 7th to get him. At worst, the Dolphins never get that pick and they moved on from a player they wanted to move on from anyway.

Duke Riley

He’s mainly a ST player and that has value, especially with the new KO rules. He played 392 snaps on defense last season, but I believe that the team will look at Tindall over him due to the draft status. I don’t know what a team would offer for him, but it’s worth a shot.

Jeff Wilson Jr./Salvon Ahmed

I’m lumping these players together as they play the same position and offer the same to the Dolphins. They are back of the roster RBs and with Wright added to the mix, they are going to be either inactive on game days or relegated to ST only. Ahmed’s cap hit is below the 51 cutoff and thus isn’t a factor in the numbers. But there are some teams that could use an additional RB. Wilson’s cap hit is minimal as would be the savings, but he’s a bigger back that some team may have some interest in at this point. Neither player would fetch more than a conditional 7th round pick, but something is better than nothing.

What are your thoughts on this iteration of the 2024 Miami Dolphins 53 man roster? Did I get it right? Close? Do I win a cake or something if I get it 100% correct?