Thought it would be useful to start a discussion about who we think is at risk of losing their spot on the roster, who is on the fringe of making the roster for the first time.
Bubble Players (by position)
Rubbingbacks: Gray, Gillislee, Thomas (esp. if he gets nicked up in camp)
Fullback: Jorvorskie Lane
Wide Receivers: Chad Bumphis, Rashad Matthews, Armon Binns,
Tight End: Michael Egnew, Charles Clay (if he gets dinged up again, I think they cut him)
Offensive Line: Josh Samuda, John Jerry (surprising, but he could be anywhere from starter to cut), Chris Barker,
Kicker: Dan Carpenter, Caleb 'Preston' Sturgis
Defensive Tackle: Vaughn Martin (could be a surprise cut for a cheaper player), Kheeston Randall, AJ Francis,
Defensive End: Can't think of one.
Linebacker: Austin Spitler, Josh Kaddu, Jonathan Freeny, Jelani Jenkins,
Cornerback: Jimmy Wilson, Dmitri Patterson, Presley, RJ Stanford,
Safety: Jordan Kovacs (I think he makes it due to STs and lack of depth here)
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You got more rookies on there than I am comfortable with, like Gillislee and Jenkins. I want Kovacs to make team.
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To be clear, these are not guys I am saying MAKE the team. I'm saying these are the on-the-fence guys. Not locks to make the roster (Tannehill, Wallace, etc) and not virtual certainties to be cut (see some UDFAs).
These are guys who may lose their spot, or creep onto the roster, but it could go either way for them depending on their camp performance. -
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Jimmy Wilson on the fense BPK?
I dunno man, I think he did alright last season.
Not great, by any means, but no exactly "You will get cut if you don't have an amazing camp" type of a year either. -
Mostly agree, but Gillislee, Vernon are not 100% locks to be on the roster. I'd say Gillislee is likely, and Vernon highly likely though.
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HDDa 'Fins likes this. -
Well, he was decent enough but not good as a third corner slash inadequate safety... And that was with Sean Smith here, but Vontae gone and Marshall out for the year. So only Patterson was here with Carroll and Smith.
Now you have Marshall, Patterson, Grimes, and Taylor... Plus Carroll, and the rookie Davis. And Wilson. It's getting crowded.
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Mr. Clean has been horrible for my spelling. Because I know he'll autocorrect it, I don't even bother trying anymore. He'll fix it for me.
:)
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HDpadre31 likes this. -
Rubbingbacks? Are those Running backs who also perform massage therapy on the side? :shifty:
As for bubble players, IMO all our picks from Sturgis and up are pretty much locks to make the team. They'll really need to screw the pooch not to make it. Excuse my ignorance, but what's with the Preston nickname for Sturgis?
Much as I don't like it, Dimitri Patterson is on the bubble due to his contract size, not his ability.
At DE, I may include Derrick Shelby. -
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Here are the players I believe are fighting for their jobs...there are 55 of them.
Quarterback: Pat Devlin, Aaron Corp
Running Back: Marcus Thigpen, Jonas Gray, Daniel Thomas, Cameron Marshall
Fullback: Jorvorskie Lane, Ina Liaina, Rupert Bryan
Tight End: Michael Egnew, Kyle Miller
Wide Receiver: Armon Binns, Chad Bumphis, Marvin McNutt, Jeff Fuller, Jasper Collins, Terrell Sinkfield, Brian Tyms
Offensive Line: Josh Samuda, Nate Garner, Lance Louis, Jeff Adams, Sam Brenner, Chris Barker, Chandler Burden, Andrew McDonald, Patrick Ward
Defensive Line: Derrick Shelby, Vaughn Martin, A.J. Francis, Josh Kaddu, Tristan Okpalaugo, Chris Burnette, Emeka Onyenekwu
Linebacker: Jason Trusnik, Austin Spitler, Jonathan Freeny, Michael Clay, Alonzo Highsmith, Lee Robinson, David Hinds
Defensive Back: Nolan Carroll, Dimitri Patterson, Kelcie McCray, Jimmy Wilson, Don Jones, Jordan Kovacs, R.J. Stanford, Keelan Johnson, De'Andre Presley, Julian Posey
Special Teams: Dan Carpenter, Caleb Sturgis
As a bonus, I tossed in some underlines on players I feel good about not only making the team but playing decently.
Contrarily, here are the players I do NOT think are in danger of being cut by this staff...there are 35 of them.
Quarterback: Ryan Tannehill, Matt Moore
Running Back: Lamar Miller, Mike Gillislee
Fullback:
Tight End: Dustin Keller, Charles Clay, Dion Sims
Wide Receiver: Mike Wallace, Brian Hartline, Rishard Matthews, Brandon Gibson
Offensive Line: Mike Pouncey, Richie Incognito, Tyson Clabo, John Jerry, Johnathan Martin, Dallas Thomas, Will Yeatman
Defensive Line: Cameron Wake, Dion Jordan, Randy Starks, Paul Soliai, Jared Odrick, Olivier Vernon, Kheeston Randall
Linebacker: Phil Wheeler, Dannell Ellerbe, Koa Misi, Jelani Jenkins
Defensive Back: Reshad Jones, Brent Grimes, Richard Marshall, Chris Clemons, Will Davis, Jamar Taylor
Special Teams: Brandon Fields, John Denney
As a bonus I threw in underlines on the players that I do not believe to be in danger of being cut, but shouldn't necessarily be considered reliably good players, either. Which means that, to me, if they were put on other teams around the league they might not play very much, and maybe might not even make the team. -
I'd think our core STers are this point are:
-Brandon Fields
-J Trusnik
-Marcus Thigpen
-John Denny
But Trusnik is also on the bubble, as is Carpenter, though I suspect Carp wins the day as Philbin may not trust a Rookie kicker.Bpk likes this. -
I don't only think Spitler and Trusnik are safe, but I see them as valuable backups.
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I see them as liabilities. I don't like Miami's linebacker depth. Unless you count Koa Misi because you think Dion Jordan takes his spot, I don't see anyone behind the starters at that position that could be training on to take a starting position elsewhere or with this team. Perhaps Jelani Jenkins, depending on what you thought of him coming out. I did not think highly of him, personally.
When Jason Trusnik was forced to come onto the field as a linebacker against San Francisco, he helped San Francisco win the game. As I recall the Dolphins still had the game within a score in the 4th quarter, and on a 3rd down it was Jason Trusnik who blew the contain on an option play that Kaepernick ran for a really long touchdown that put the game out of reach. He had one game in preseason where he was all over the place and played really well, I think against the Bucs. This created some buzz. But then he sucked for the rest of the preseason and was a liability when forced into action during the regular season.
As for Austin Spitler, I have some hope for the guy still, but he was pretty much special teams only for Miami's coaching staff. Even Jonathan Freeny was ahead of him in the rotations, and Freeny was even worse than Trusnik.
My hopes for depth at that position are pinned on Jelani Jenkins, Michael Clay, Austin Spitler and Alonzo Highsmith...probably in that order. I think the Dolphins are too caught up with Freeny. I listed him ahead of Clay and Highsmith but I don't have any more hope for Freeny than I do Clay or Highsmith. -
i don´t know why they are still on the roster, not able to upgrade spitler for what 4 years now ? trusnik for 2 yearsNCFINFAN likes this.
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i don´t see the fit...smaller would be nice too
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I see them as most at risk of all the vets, with Kaddu, Jenkins and even an UDFA like Clay likely replacements.
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that sig with this size on a sports message board
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Oh ok..
Yeah I don't know what his crazy *** is thinking or if he's trying to make some sort of statement, I have heard that Celine was one of his favorite artists and that he's her fan club president but besides that I'm not sure, -
Jenkins may be his replacement, but I'd think by now Kaddu should be ready to knock him off of the roster, he's a solid ST guy, but very replaceable.
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The kicking battle is interesting. I'm serious... I don't think, and correct me if I'm wrong, that we've drafted a kicker and had an incumbent kicker making near as much money as Carpenter is. I just can't imagine we cut Sturgis unless he is just awful. So Carpenter is on the outside looking in at his salary. What could save him is his kickoff ability... he could be considered a kickoff specialist (he'd still have to lower his salary though)... he ranked 11th in the NFL in kickoff distance (yes they do track this stat), 65.4 yard average per kickoff. And he's 14th in the NFL in touchback percentage, with 46.2%. Now I don't know how Sturgis stacks up here, maybe Sturgis is the kickoff specialist while Carpenter is the inside the 40 yard distance field goal master (I was going to say specialist but it is getting redundant). Oh sidenote... Carpenter's kick return average is 9th highest in the league at 25.3 yards per return.
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Didn't Josh Kaddu move full time to defensive end?
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Lol @ rubbing backs. Yes, they are licensed massage therapists.
Preston Sturgis is a writer. Such a unique name that it reminded me of him.
Agree on Patterson's contract.
I only see Shelby going if they see Vernon take a step forward, and play either Odrick or Jordan at end too. But even then, who's depth for Wake?
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That is Celine Dion. Or a male Celine Dion impersonator.
The answer can be determined by whether you are getting a stiffy looking at the pic under this post. ;)
Joking!!!!!!!!
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It was up to 5 by the end of the year with Kyle Miller.
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Good question. I know he got nickel snaps there in the Jacksonville game, and they asked him to gain 10 pounds which would put him around 250 going from his Combine weight. Seems like he's a guy that can play both DE and OLB. But of course they drafted Dion Jordan after Philbin talked him up early in the off season.
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I'd be happy to see Kaddu specializing as a rush end. He has more quickness, imo, than Vernon.
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i think there is no way in hell vernon is in any kind of roster bubble, he will make the team 100%
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I'd say 90%, if we're picking numbers. Either way, it would be a surprise, but not totally impossible imo.
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- Surprised you're out on a limb endorsing Egnew and Carroll for good years. What gives you that hope?
- Have to disagree on Clemons in terms of reliable... He is not very good, but you know what you will get from him. -
I don't think anything changed in regards to Kaddu- He was always in the same general position as Misi- a base OLB and Nickel edge rusher. Not sure if he ever was in a 3-point stance.
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