The Miami Dolphins made their cuts for their initial 53-man roster on Tuesday, and the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson isn’t sold on this season’s team.
Jackson outlined some of his concerns, on positions including nose tackle, cornerback (behind Jalen Ramsey and Kendall Fuller) and the offensive line as reasons he is worried about the Dolphins this season.
“But I look at the holes, the underbelly in this roster,” Jackson said. “Nose tackle, outside linebacker beyond [Jaelan] Phillips and [Bradley] Chubb, the other safety spot opposite [Jevon] Holland – not that [Jordan] Poyer can’t play. Poyer has been a wonderful safety in the league over the last 10 years, but we don’t know what we’re getting with a player at that age.
“Corner, beyond Ramsey, I think Kendall Fuller is going to be fine, but then there’s serious questions about will Kader Kohou be the guy he was as a rookie or will he be the guy that allowed a 133 passer rating last year? We don’t know what Ethan Bonner is.”
Jackson then went into the offensive line, where the Dolphins lost key players in Robert Hunt and Connor Williams this offseason. Miami’s offensive line is a crucial part of the team, especially with quarterback Tua Tagovailoa’s injury history.
“Offensive line, huge questions at both guard spots and at center,” Jackson continued. “And Terron [Armstead] never plays 17 games.”
Armstead, one of the key veterans on the Dolphins’ roster, only appeared in 10 games last season, and he played in 13 games in his first season in Miami. The five-time Pro Bowler has not played more than 15 games in a season in his entire NFL career.
“I have deep concerns about this roster,” Jackson said. “They very well could be a playoff team, but I have to tell you something. I have to tell you something. If this team is 7-10, and I’m hoping they’re not – lifelong South Floridian, grew up a Dolphins fan. If they’re 7-10, I’m not going to be shocked. I hope that’s not the case. I’m not going to be shocked because, to me, there are too many soft spots in the underbelly of this roster. Too many question marks. Too many durability issues. And it gives me grave concern going into the season.”
The Dolphins still have a lot of top talent on the roster with players like Ramsey, Holland, Tyreek Hill and Tagovailoa, but it appears that Jackson isn’t sold on the contributing pieces around them.
Miami made the playoffs last season, but it was knocked out in the first round by the Kansas City Chiefs.
After finishing the 2023 regular season with the second most points scored and the most total yards on offense, the Dolphins mustered just seven points in their playoff loss to the Chiefs.
In two seasons under head coach Mike McDaniel, Miami is 0-2 in the playoffs, ending up as a wild card team in both campaigns.
Based on Jackson’s analysis, it seems like several players and position groups will have to prove that they can hang in the 2024 season for the Dolphins to be a playoff team.
