The Miami Dolphins completely revamped their backup quarterback situation and made some head-scratching moves elsewhere on their initial 53-man roster, sending shockwaves through the league right before Week 1. They’ve moved on from a bunch of players, with one traded and the rest waived, placed on injured reserve, or moved to the reserve/PUP list. While this isn’t the final squad, the early look suggests they’ve still got work to do if they want to roll into Allegiant Stadium ready to face the Las Vegas Raiders.
The QB Room Is A Total Wildcard Right Now
Malik Willis got that three-year, $67.5 million deal this offseason to be the starter, but man, the depth behind him? That just got absolutely blown up. Quinn Ewers and Cam Miller were holdovers, and Mark Gronowski joined as an undrafted free agent. None of those guys apparently showed enough in camp or preseason. Miami straight-up traded Ewers to the Jacksonville Jaguars and then waived both Miller and Gronowski. Poof, gone.
To fill that void, the Dolphins snagged Kyle McCord from the Green Bay Packers. Interestingly, the team’s passing game coordinator, Kevin Patullo, was with McCord in Philadelphia back in 2025, so you gotta figure they have some serious intel on him. Still, going from three backups to just one new guy this late is a gamble.
Tyrel Dodson’s Cut And Some Shocking WR Keepers
One of the biggest eyebrow-raisers had to be the cut of linebacker Tyrel Dodson, who was a starter just last year. That move screams confidence in second-round pick Jacob Rodriguez. The rookie reportedly showed he was ready in training camp and is now penciled in to probably start next to Jordyn Brooks in Week 1. That’s a huge jump for a second-rounder.
And get this, the Dolphins are rolling with seven wide receivers to start the season. Malik Washington, Jalen Tolbert, Caleb Douglas, Chris Bell, and Kevin Coleman Jr. were pretty much locks. But A.J. Henning and Ryan Miller? That’s the real surprise. Henning was a consistent producer in camp and even caught three passes for 75 yards in the preseason. Miller’s even wilder: Miami just claimed him off waivers a few days ago, and he only saw action on special teams in the preseason finale. Talk about a quick turnaround!
The Secondary Is Looking Seriously Thin
The defensive backfield is where things get really dicey. Cornerbacks Storm Duck and Darrell Baker Jr. landed on the reserve/PUP list because they haven’t practiced all summer. Then, Miami cut veteran corners Marco Wilson and Alex Austin after what the team called “unimpressive efforts.” Ouch.
Safety is arguably even worse. After cutting Lonnie Johnson Jr., Louis Moore, and Major Burns, they’re left with just three players in that room, and two of them are super young. You better believe the Dolphins are going to be scrambling to claim at least one defensive back over the next couple of days. They’re going into Week 1 against the Raiders needing some serious help back there, and fast.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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