Dolphins trim roster to 53

The deadline for final cuts came and went this afternoon and the Dolphins parted ways with 17 players to get down to the 53-man limit. Keep in mind that although certain players did not get cut today, it does not mean they are safe for the regular season. The team is sure to add some players from other teams' cuts, which will push some more guys off the roster.

For now, here are the team's final cuts, along with some brief analysis.

CB Will Billingsley

Billingsley had intriguing physical tools but was way too raw to make the roster over the likes of Nathan Jones and Joey Thomas. He could be a project on the practice squad.

LB Titus Brown

Brown is a solid pass-rushing prospect but did not stand out in preseason. He too is a candidate for the practice squad.

S Courtney Bryan

Even with the release of Davis, Bryan didn't have a good chance to make the roster as Yeremiah Bell's backup. If the Dolphins don't add anyone else, a free safety like Renaldo Hill will probable double as a backup strong safety. As a Cameron signing with no practice squad eligibility, it seems unlikely he'll return to Miami.

C Mike Byrne

The writing was on the wall for my boy Byrne when he didn't play in the final two preseason games. Not surprisingly, I've been told he isn't in consideration for the practice squad right now.

WR Jayson Foster

Foster's size will always be a negative and he failed to make up for it with any impressive special teams play in the preseason. I expect he could make he practice squad, but if Armstrong gets cut in favor of a waiver claim, Armstrong would probably jump him in line for that.

LB Maurice Fountain

Fountain never really had a shot to make the team. He's had on great year in af2 and a barely notable year in the arena league. The talent just isn't there.

LB Junior Glymph

Glymph had a slight edge having been in camp with the Cowboys last season, but Rob Ninkovich easily outplayed him for a reserve outside linebacker spot. He'll probably continue to be a journeyman.

T Daren Heerspink

He may have been only one of four tackles on the roster, but he never showed enough to warrant an active roster spot. The Dolphins will look at other teams' cuts for tackle depth.

RB Lex Hilliard

Hilliard showed very little in the preseason, averaging 2.8 yards per carry in mop-up duty in the preseason. Fellow sixth-rounder Jalen Parmele made the team and is far and away the better prospect. I'm not even sure Hilliard has earned a roster spot at this point.

FB Reagan Mauia

Some fans (and EA Sports, who rated him an 89 in Madden 09) might be surprised, but I'm not. I had initially expected Mauia to make the team because of his upside, but Boomer Grigsby clearly outperformed Mauia in camp and preseason and this was clearly the right choice. Mauia is overrated as a blocker, he's not a good ball carrier, he can't catch the ball and he doesn't play special teams. Of course, he'll probably end up on the Patriots and rush for 100 yards against us.

LB Edmond Miles

This is one of the two cut I did not predict, though it's certainly not surprising. I had Miles making the roster solely because of his special teams play, but I fully realize he's very undersized for the scheme and understand this move completely. The Dolphins will look for a more appropriate backup inside. (Ahmad Brooks, please.)

TE Matthew Mulligan

Perhaps the least surprising cut of all. Mulligan entered camp as the sixth tight end and only moved up to fifth because Aaron Halterman went on injured reserve. A pure blocking tight end, I'm not sure he has a future in this league.

TE Justin Peelle

A surprise to some, Peelle was simply beat out by Ryan as the No. 3 tight end. Ryan showed good blocking skills in the preseason and even made a great touchdown catch against the Saints. Peelle will catch on somewhere else.

LB Kelly Poppinga

Another guy that really never had a prayer. Poppinga was invisible in the preseason and clearly is not older brother Brady, who starts for the Packers.

G/T Pedro Sosa

This might not be the end for Sosa in Miami. The most recent signing on the team, Sosa wasn't around long enough to contribute right away, but he should be a practice squad candidate and, if so, could be activated during the season.

G Matt Spanos

I initially had Spanos making the roster, but he was a guy I felt would be replaced by a waiver claim and wouldn't be around at the season opener. With Spanos already cut and only eight offensive linemen on the team, it seems another cut down survivor will get the axe instead of Spanos. He is a candidate for the practice squad, but I'd prefer Sosa.

DT Anthony Toribio

3-4 teams often only keep two nose tackles and Toribio had little chance of making the roster with Jason Ferguson and Paul Soliai ahead of him. His future in the league might not extend far behind this preseason.


Overall, the players that were cut that I did not predict were Edmond Miles and Matt Spanos. Making the team that I did not predict were Anthony Armstrong and Lionel Dotson. Other than that it seems I was right on, but then again there weren't many hard predictions here. It's the sign of a team that's really lacking depth and still rebuilding.

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Of the guys that survived the final cuts, I'd consider these five the most likely to be cut in favor of outside players prior to the season opener:

1. Anthony Armstrong
2. Lionel Dotson
3. Quentin Moses
4. Rob Ninkovich
5. Ike Ndukwe

If I had to make one specific guess, I'd say that one of the sixth receivers (likely Armstrong) will be cut in favor of a ninth offensive lineman. There is no way the team goes into the regular season with only eight offensive lineman.

Remember, the Miami's roster will not be finalized until the Jets and Dolphins square off on Sept. 7, so keep checking back for any roster moves the team makes over the next week.

Veteran offensive lineman Steve McKinney released

In a somewhat surprising move, the Dolphins have parted ways with veteran offensive lineman Steve McKinney. The team signed had signed the 32-year-old McKinney in May.

I call the move somewhat surprising because McKinney was signed to provide some veteran depth in the interior line and potentially compete for the open starting guard spot. That being said, the move is not entirely surprising because rookie Donald Thomas has seemingly locked up that starting gig and McKinney is still recovering from the torn ACL that caused him to miss last season in Houston.

It's hard to determine whether or not this is more the result of McKinney's health or the team's confidence in it's younger backups. With the five starters apparently set, there are seven players competing for four (or possibly five, but I doubt it) backup spots.

Trey Darilek is the closest thing to a lock in my view because of his experience and versatility. He can literally play anywhere along the line, which is an extremely valuable thing because it saves teams a roster spot (or two) to use elsewhere. He also has experience with the staff from his time in Dallas during the 2007 preseason.

Rookie Shawn Murphy is close to a lock simply by being a fourth-round selection. That being said, he hasn't really shown much in camp and it's not out of the question that he could be cut. Even some third-rounders have been cut in recent years, including a current Dolphin in Quentin Moses.

I believe Cam Cameron holdover Ike Ndukwe makes the team because of his ability to play guard and tackle and the team's complete lack of other tackles on the roster. Ndukwe is a big-bodied prospect who has bounced around the league for a few years.

If we assume those three make the squad, you have undrafted rookies Mike Byrne (Delaware), Matt Spanos (Southern Cal) and Daren Heerspink (Portland State) likely competing for one final spot on the roster. I believe Byrne is the best shot of that group, as I've seen him play the most in the preseason and I know he's had plenty of time with the second team. He also has some versatility under his belt, with college experience at tackle and plenty of offseason and camp experience at the interior line spots.

However, it's important to remember that even if a guy like Byrne or Heerspink initially survives the final cuts, they are by no means safe in the long run. The ninth and likely final offensive lineman to make the roster will be a strong candidate to be cut in the event another player is claimed off waivers from another team. In fact, I'd be very surprised if we see no changes at the bottom spots of the line between final cuts and the regular season opener.

Steve McKinney analysis video

It took a little longer than it should have because, well, I forgot. But here's my analysis video on the Steve McKinney signing. It's definitely worth watching, as the McKinney signing does have some implications beyond his immediate impact. Enjoy!

Dolphins sign UDFA center, ink three more draft picks

The Dolphins have remained busy in a fairly dead time between the draft and training camp, adding a veteran, a rookie and signing a couple of their draft picks. I will have a video on the Steve McKinney signing up shortly, but this entry covers some stuff I didn't deem "video worthy."

Draft pick signings

First, the Dolphins signed three more of their draft picks to contracts on May 19. Sixth-round running back Jalen Parmele, sixth-round running back Lex Hilliard and seventh-round defensive end Lionel Dotson all inked multi-year deals, likely in the vicinity of three years in length. Such contracts would the three to be eligible for restricted free agency in 2011. Along with Jake Long, these three players made up the first four draft picks signed by any of the 32 teams this year.

Matt Spanos signing

The Dolphins also added yet another undrafted free agent, signing former USC center Matt Spanos.

Spanos (6-4, 300) was the USC's starting center in 2007 after Ryan Kalil graduated the year before. He appeared in 10 games (nine starts) for the Trojans this past season, missing the team's first three games with a triceps injury. For his efforts as a senior, he was an All-Pac-10 honorable mention.

Prior to his senior season, Spanos played in a reserve role for the Trojans and worked at every offensive line position. He redshirted in 2003, was a backup offensive tackle in 2004, a backup center in 2005 and worked at guard in 2006 before becoming academically ineligible.

Spanos will wear No. 75 and will compete for a reserve offensive line role. The signing currently gives the Dolphins 16 undrafted rookies, including four offensive lineman.

Analysis

Like all undrafted rookies, Spanos has an uphill battle to make the roster. Still, because of the lack of veteran depth on the offensive line, Spanos will have his chance to compete for a backup job.

Both he and fellow undrafted center Mike Byrne (Delaware) have the versatility to play all across the offensive line, so there's no clear-cut advantage there. One has to assume that when it comes to competition faced, the edge goes to Spanos having played at USC.

Nevertheless, Spanos will have his hands full, and it's entirely possible that even if Steve McKinney wins a starting guard job, the team will only keep eight or nine lineman and opt to use McKinney as a possible center backup.

Dolphins waive C/G Drew Mormino

As it turns out, No. 1 overall pick Jake Long won't have to do any negotiating for No. 77.

In a somewhat surprising move, lineman Drew Mormino was waived/failed physical today. Mormino was drafted by the Dolphins in the sixth round of the 2007 NFL Draft out of Central Michigan. He spent all of his rookie season on injured reserve with a shoulder injury.

I say this is somewhat surprising because despite the fact he spent all of last season on injured reserve, the Dolphins are very thin at the interior offensive line spots and Mormino's versatility at center and guard seemed like a plus. In fact, I'd gone so far as to say this offseason that I thought Mormino was definitely going to be in the mix for the open spot, if not the favorite. While it's always a possibility that Mormino could be brought back when healthy, it seems unlikely given his injury, draft placement and the front office's lack of allegiance to him as a player from the former regime.

Mormino's absence now leaves the Dolphins with even less depth at center and guard. Undrafted free agent Mike Byrne (Delaware) is currently the only other listed center on the roster after starter Samson Satele. At guard beyond guaranteed starter Justin Smiley, you have rookies Shawn Murphy and Donald Thomas in addition to Trey Darilek and Ike Ndukwe. I'm unsure if any of these players have experience at center, but I've yet to see anything to indicate it.

Any way you look at it, Miami is lacking depth at the guard position - especially in experience. While Murphy maybe develop into a solid starter one day, it's unknown whether he'll be able to start from Day 1. The lack of experience and the release of Mormino raise the question of whether Miami is going to consider bringing in a cheap veteran to either start or provide depth just for the 2008 season. It's definitely not something I'd be opposed to, as we already have one rookie on the offensive line in Jake Long and a temporary veteran fix might be the best thing for the immediate future. It is definitely something to keep an eye on as training camp creeps closer.

2008 Draft Analysis: Undrafted Free Agents

This is my final video out of the six that I did to catch back up, and it's on the 17 undrafted free agents the Dolphins have added since the conclusion of the 2008 NFL Draft. 15 are still on the roster so it will be interesting to see who makes the final cut in 2008.