The Miami Dolphins' initial 53-man roster has been unveiled! With it come a slew of surprises, a bunch of feel-good stories and some young rookies set to leave their mark on 2024. Who made the cut for Miami? What comes next for the Dolphins? Who should we expect to see again soon one way or another?
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It's not good on subscription orders go to five hour energy dot com today. The Miami dolphins initial 53 man roster was revealed this afternoon with some unique quirks. And if you're a little worried, I'd encourage you to take a page out of the Aaron Rogers book and R E L a X relax. You are locked on dolphins. Your daily Miami dolphins podcast part of the locked on podcast network, your team every day. All right, Miami, welcome to another episode of locked on dolphins. It is your team every day here on the lockdown network. I'm your host Kyle Krabs, a lifelong Miami dolphins fan, host of locked on dolphins cohost of locked on NFL scouting author of touchdown Miami on sub stack NFL draft lead for 33rd team. You can find all of our shows here on the lockdown network on YouTube or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts, tip of the cap to our every day because it is your team every day. We don't just say it. We live it here on the locked on network today's episode of locked on dolphins is brought to be by fandell now through September 22nd all fandell customers can bet $5 and get a free three week trial of NFL Sunday ticket from YouTube and YouTube TV is a fandell.com/locked on to get started the dolphins made their 53 cuts. And we kind of previewed it last week. These cuts were going to be hard. There were hard decisions to make there were players who didn't want to let go. There was going to be challenging adjustments for position rooms. And all of that was realized and manifested as the cuts start coming and you find out that UDFA corner Isaiah Johnson doesn't make the cut and UDFA stand out tight end Hayden roosey doesn't make the cut and the team already made a decision on Jodi forts and a tight end and these cuts come throughout the day and then four o'clock comes and goes and we know most of the cuts but not all the cuts and and the dolphins released their initial 53 man roster and their words not mine initial 53 man roster. And it is initial because well for starters you have just four wide receivers on the current 53 over Dalbecum placed on the PUP he'll miss the first four weeks of the season. You have two specialists you don't have a long snapper the dolphins cut Jake Ferguson amongst the cuts to get to 53 and get compliant. There was a slew of linebackers on the edge. They do keep a undrafted free agent that corner and storm duck lots to digesting it into you can start with the biggest surprises. I think four wide receivers is is front row center the dolphins waving Eric as you come up. Former fourth round draft pick showed promise but hasn't been healthy and wasn't healthy again after kind of a breakout the second preseason game has a good practice against Washington boom he's at a boot. The dolphins now carrying four Braxton burrios Tyree kill Jalen wattle Malik Washington. That's it as Odell's on the PUP you had a river cray craft placed on the injured reserve designated to return he will return at some point this season and obviously as you comma doesn't make it now that comes in part you they kept a fifth a fourth running back and they kept the fourth tight end Tanner Connor makes it along with Julian Hill Johnny Smith Durham Smith and Jeff Wilson Jr. makes it along with Raheem Oster Devan H and Jim and Ray and then obviously Alec Ingle. So the skill group is is pretty balanced four backs four wide receivers four tight ends of full back. That's a surprise. I also don't think that's a stain. But I think that's an important initial reminder you look at this roster you look at the numbers you say well that doesn't make any sense how are they going to do that because every other team just went through the whole process and I did a show earlier today that outline players that were cut or being released or available for trade that moved the needle for me and you know where I found the most available talent wide receiver now Barry Jackson of the Herald is reporting that the Dolphins are interested in bringing back a Zukonma obviously you have cray craft and and Odell on the IR and pup respectively they'll miss at least four games before they're able to rejoin the active roster as per the rules Odell started the training camp period on the pup so he could stay on the pup and get carried through the IR to return rules you're allowed two players to be placed on injured reserve with proactively designated to return any other players that could put on IR today you have to designate there an IR to return which you only get two of or their IR and their season is over type of players and that's an important note here because I look at some of the other names that made the 53 and then I look at the numbers composition across the roster and I would expect tomorrow at some point the Dolphins are probably going to place additional player or players on injured reserve and open spots back up to add an additional wide receiver to the mix this is just as much as anything else for the Dolphins this cut down period was them identifying who are the most desirable pieces that we have that we do not want to expose to risk of being plucked and signed somewhere else and let's protect those players and then included Patrick McMorris who at the preseason game against Tampa Bay had his foot in a walking booth could that be an IR player and if you'd place him on injured reserve after today you place a moving forward on injured reserve you don't have to designate whether he's to return or not right it gives you a little bit more flexibility you think about Anthony Walker has him practiced all that much is he candidate for IR Benito Jones has been down for a while he hasn't practiced all that much and especially last couple of weeks Tanner Conner got banged up didn't participate this past week they have options for players to designate for injured reserve and then open spots back up to add a fifth wide receiver or sign a long stabber because they don't have one right now and everybody is freaking out we're not playing Jacksonville tomorrow that's the whole thing for me but it isn't surprised to look at wide receiver see four names Hill waddle Washington and barriers see just as many tight ends as you do wide receivers at corner Cam Smith goes on IR he is the other IR to return player I don't know that it's necessarily a huge surprise that storm duck made it if you opened up the sixth corner spot but I'm surprised that they kept five safeties and six corners that's 11 DB that's a big number I'm surprised they kept that many and then you add Cam Smith to the mix and it's technically 12 and that doesn't include Nick Needham who we found out got cut doesn't include the aforementioned Isaiah Johnson who I was a really big fan of we'll see if they get him back on the practice squad but Miami choosing of the two UDFAs to go storm duck and then choosing to prioritize Patrick McMorris for what he showed in the two preseason games holding on to his rights because if you put him on waivers and he gets claimed somebody else picks up a full four year contract at sixth round pick financial implications I could be a big loss oh did they learn the lesson this year from what they did last year with Isaiah Higgins or Elijah Higgins remember Elijah Higgins popped in pre-season everybody got all excited about Elijah Higgins while they waved him and tried to push him through and lo and behold guess what happened he got claimed by Arizona and they lost him so I'll give them kudos for finding a way to keep it work with with Patrick McMorris who obviously did pop quite a bit for the dolphins in the preseason so some names outgoing who might we see back who are likely names to be back there was another undrafted free agent who made this team who were gonna give him his flowers to next here on this episode a lot of dolphins to make sure that you stick with us you've heard us talk a lot about Fandal America's number one sports book but we have something a little different for you today now through September 22nd all Fandal customers can bet five dollars and get a free three-week trial of NFL Sunday ticket from YouTube and YouTube TV then with a YouTube TV bass playing you'll be able to watch every regular season Sunday afternoon out of market game all you need is a Google account and a form of payment and you can cancel at any time just visit Fandal.com/lockdown to download America's number one sports book. Round of applause for Andrew Meyer Center out of UTEP makes the team and it's not a shoe in it's not a guarantee but nonetheless it is an accomplishment on this roster to be an undrafted free agent like a storm duck or an Andrew Meyer to make it all the same now Andrew Meyer plays center a center exclusive player the dolphins have a lot of flexibility so for them to have gone out of their way and add a non-positionally flexible player is an undrafted free agent to the offensive line that is a very big feather in Andrew Meyer's cap he should feel very proud of that accomplishment and I think it speaks volume to what this team thinks of him as a player because they covet everywhere positional versatility I asked Mike McDaniel about that in training camp but he says you know you you got to give guys the opportunity and earn the right to make the team and the way that they do that is providing value in multiple spots and you're Meyer doesn't really do that but he's on this team nonetheless along with Tron Armstead Austin Jackson, Kendall Lamb, Patrick Paul, Arum Brewer, Jack Driscoll, Lee Michael Berg, Lester Cotton, Robert Jones and Andrew Meyer as a win going on the pup list because he started training camp on the pup so you have 11 offensive linemen 10 on the active 53 including an undrafted free agent who plays center and for a lot of the snap issues that Miami had really in camp Meyer was a part of that him and Ireland Brown and Aaron Baruch to be fair all three of them had their issues early on but the way that he really came on and showcased athleticism and getting out in space and getting up to the second level it's a really intriguing add and it's a bit of a surprise again just because you know what he plays and what he doesn't play and he doesn't bring a lot of value anywhere else now I think there's something to be said and I know Alf Artego over three yards per carry has made this point if you can now avoid your center going out and changing multiple spots along the offensive line to reallocate guys and get guys figured out that's a win now can your sixth offensive lineman really truly honestly be a utility guy who can play any of those spots yeah but if the center goes down you have a center that could come in and play you don't have to take your starting guard and move them over and I get worse air quotes in two spots because you have to take your your garden room the center and then take your backup guard and play McGarr who else could be back one player I'm very confident is going to be back boring anything unforeseen is Blake Ferguson the team's long snapper because and he signed an extension for several years this time last year but here's here's word again it comes down to risk assessment asset management and strategy you can cut Patrick McMorris just like you cut Elijah Higgins last year and say we think we'll get him back we should be fine and not and you lose that player and you lose four years of control on a rookie contract for that play or you can keep the player and say everybody's got a long snapper Blake Ferguson has a pre-existing contract with finances that we don't think is going to get claimed and if he doesn't get claimed we will bring him right back and sign him after we put somebody else on injured reserve for we make another move because we can only designate two guys for IR return on cut down day the other guys have to come later I think it's it there's some hints with who got put as the designated IR return guys was talking to somebody and said yeah I don't really love your fourth wide receiver in your fifth corner being already two of your eight IR return players that you get throughout the course of a season you can put eight guys on IR and pull them back on to the active roster and I think that's valid but when it makes sense to put the most important players as the players proactively designated as IR for return so I think that that hints well that whether it's Aaron Brewer with the the cut on his hand or Benito Jones with whatever he's dealing with those guys are penciled in his starters for respective roles for your team if you know that guy can't go for the next month if you know it that's the most important player you would have that would be the one you'd burn the no-brainer on and say well I I know we're we're unfortunately going to have to accommodate this player being on injured reserve because he's a starter makes you think those injury questions that exist or situations whatever verbiage you want to use presumably is not month-long windows and hopefully short-term windows where they can go for the season opener and the next guys that go on whether that's Anthony Walker is lying back or four or Patrick Morris who is in a boot as safety number five or potentially is Tanner Connor still banged up as tight in four those positions are less important so they don't proactively get designated right from the jump as IR to return players that you know you're burning to your eight spots you want to use the two out of eight on the most important players that you have that are hurt right that's how I view it that doesn't mean that's exactly how it's going to work out but as I'm trying to think of what is going to happen next that is where my head goes but unless Blake Ferguson gets signed somewhere else to be their long staffer he's going to be back it's been reported that a number of players like Hayden Rusey like Mark Perry the safety undrafted free agents like Eric Azucama at wide receiver the team aspires to get those players back off of waivers and the volume of guys that weren't claimed that were claimed last year really wasn't that high it's like an average of one player per team I think the good news for Miami is that is that the law of averages says the vast majority of these guys you will be able to push through the bad news is last year they had two players claimed off waivers that they wanted to get back they wanted to get Ryan Hayes back last year they wanted to get Elijah Higgins back last year they didn't get either one that's the curse of being a talented team with death but those are the kinds of players that I expect to be back now for Chris Brooks at running back there were fans of the team that was hoping that he would make it over Jeff Wilson he's in concussion protocol he's was cut designated as an injury cut if he clears waivers he reverts back to the Miami Dolphins injured reserve list and his season is over because he was cut on cut down they and not designated as a IR return player they could of course then negotiate an injury settlement with him that would release him from the roster there would be a blackout period and then he could theoretically sign and play somewhere else this season after a settlement or he could just ride out the entire season on the injured reserve and then come back again for 2025 a lot of moving parts which is why I encourage you all to relax all timelines all stressed out and didn't add any offensive lineman it cut the long snapper who's going to snap the ball are we just going to go for two all the time we only have four wide receivers it's okay it's an initial 53 and they'll make more moves if I had to guess you probably have at least five corresponding moves in the next 24 hours between waiver claims player resignings injured reserve designations that then open roster spots that you can go then go sign somebody else to your active roster trades whatever there's a lot more coming and it sets the table to be really fun and we'll talk about a few of those things as we bring this episode of locked on dolphins reacting to the initial 53 to a close stick with us if I had to guess looking at the 53 here are the numbers that I think are very likely to see transpire I think the most likely thing to happen a quarterback which is to a tongue of a low in Skyler Thompson I think the most likely thing to happen is Mike White signs to the practice squad is one of your tenured players you get six of them that you can put on the practice squad and then for the immediate future they'll carry him as the third quarterback and he will elevate on game days and that'll get you through the first month of the season and then you figure out if you want to elevate Mike White or do something else. At running back it's most our day channel right Jeff Wilson Alec Engel that group feels pretty set to me I think Chris Brooks will clear waivers and I think he will revert back to injured reserve I think that's the thing that happens next at wide receiver they're going to add somebody and I don't think it's just as you come back to practice going on I think this is a nice omen for them to run some more 12 personnel at least early in the season because if you go packing order of plot dolphin skill players in general even if you had Odell Beckham here I still think the packing order is Tyree Kill, Jalen Waddle, Raheem Oster, Devan HN then is it wide receiver three is it Jonu Smith first and then wide receiver three after that like you're talking about the first guy you're missing in the packing words like your sixth guy so I don't really see a lot of huge concern there I think the touches will get distributed between HN and Jonu totally fine early in the season but they will add someone at wide receiver whether that's a Noah Brown like we talked about earlier today or somebody else at tight end I really feel like they're set there especially if Tanner Conner's healthy and I think they'll get some run on special teams on the offensive line I would not be surprised to see them make a claim somewhere I mean they're carrying 11 guys in total whether it is Lester Cotton can you fight a trade partner for Lee Mike and Burger to contract here and get cheaper there those are that's it's your your cut option is either going to be Cotton Driscoll, Eichenberger, Rob Jones I think Cotton's the most probable to be cut I think Eichenberg's the most likely to be traded because of his positional flexibility and that's the team I think that that's the player I think the team would be most incentivized to move especially now that you have a backup center if that's Lee Mikeyburg's whole appeal can you get a dance partner there I don't know but I could see them bringing somebody in off of waivers but it'd have to be the right player with experience I think of the scheme at the defensive tackle it's Campbell hand Benito Jones Brandon Peel exact sealer that group feels pretty solid I'd be surprised if you don't see at least whether it's Isaiah Mack or John Jonathan Harris Neville Gallimore one of those guys are multiple of those guys put back on the practice squad and then you can shuffle and juggle which one of those guys you elevate you can probably get you through half a season your linebackers of course they broke looped in all of the edge guys and stack backers together but you have Quentin Bell Jordan Brooks, Muhammad Kamara, David Long, Daniel Ligbo, Jalen Phillips, Duke Riley, Chop Robinson, Channington, all Anthony Walker it's 10 guys Walker on IR maybe I don't know if anybody else actively dealing with any injury stuff I think the one that's on the least sturdy footing as far as if they make a claim and they want to make a cut would be Quentin Bell Bradley Chubb obviously looming on PUP would not be surprised if he's back relatively shortly after the four week period that he's required to stay on the PUP after being carried over onto that at corner Camp Smith four weeks IR designated to return would be surprised based off us knowing it's a hamstring issue if he is on IR for much longer than that the dust will presumably settle somewhere else I don't think they'll go out and get another corner other than for the practice squad and then it's safety they kept five Campbell Holland May McMorris Poir keeping five is it how hard is McMorris put him on IR hard to say I don't think they'll add there but they'll definitely add a long snapper as well so I think you probably have one or two IR designations you probably have one or two player signings maybe you have a trade it's gonna be a busy re-acclamation window it'd be fascinating to see if they pick up a third quarterback too so that just means we're we're just on the next chapter and we're gonna keep this train rolling along I'm Kyle Krabs you could find our shows on YouTube or wherever you listen to your favorite podcast I appreciate you guys checking out the show as we give our knee jerk reactions to the Dolphins initial 53 man roster you can find us on YouTube or wherever you listed your favorite podcast making a great rest of your day we're out of here a prime members you can listen to this lockdown podcast add free on Amazon music download the Amazon music app today (upbeat music)
