When a franchise turns the corner from low-level outcast to postseason contender, roster decisions often involve more known players. That’s where the high-hope Miami Dolphins stand as they look for cut candidates ahead of the 2024 NFL training camp.
One of the three players in the cut crosshairs is Jeff Wilson Jr. The 28-year-old running back is a 6-foot, 210-pounder who came to the Dolphins in 2022 after four years in San Francisco. Wilson got a career-high 176 carries that season, split between the two teams. But he was relegated to 41 attempts last year and could be on the way out.
Also in the chopping-block conversation are wide receivers Braxton Berrios and edge rusher Cameron Goode.
But the Dolphins restructured RB Jeff Wilson’s contract, right?
Money management in the NFL salary-cap world is a tricky business. When the Dolphins wiped out much of Wilson’s base salary and signed him to a new deal, they saved $3.67 million in cap space. Yay! Win, win for team and player. Right?
But let’s look at the running back room. Raheem Mostert is coming off a career year. Although it’s fair to point out his complicated and lengthy injury history and wonder whether he will hold up after playing in 31 of the team’s 34 games over the last two seasons.
And then there’s De’Von Achane. A rookie flash in 2024 — when health allowed — Achane looks like a star. He finished last year with 103 carries for 800 yards, a crazy-good average of 7.8 yards per carry.
According to nbcsports.com, the last time a running back averaged more yards per carry while running the ball 100 times came in 1934. Yes, here’s your Beattie Feathers mention for the day. He averaged 8.4 yards per carry in 119 attempts.
Two quarterbacks, Michael Vick and Randall Cunningham, topped 7.5 yards per carry in a season with at least 100 carries. But Achane and Feathers are the only two running backs to do it.
So any carries Wilson gets, if he makes the roster, are going to be in backup or injury duty. And the Dolphins didn’t stop there in deprioritizing Wilson. They grabbed speedboat Jaylen Wright off the banks of the Tennessee River. The former Volunteers’ standout slotted at pick No. 120 overall in the fourth round.
Others in the running back mix
If all of that isn’t enough, Wilson also has to contend with Salvon Ahmed and Chris Brooks. Ahmed profiles more like Achane and Wright, so he’s likely out of the 2024 plans as well.
Brooks is a second-year player, who beat out Myles Gaskin for a roster spot in 2023. But he can be a special-teams guy. Also, he’s the biggest back on the roster at 6-foot-1 and 223 pounds. That gives him another step ahead of Wilson.
So while Wilson may be the Dolphins’ best player on the cut cliff, he’s still standing there and hoping to avoid the dreaded push.
WR Braxton Berrios got a new deal, too
Berrios agreed to a $2.15 million one-year deal from the Dolphins, but again it’s no guarantee he makes it past cut day.
The 5-9, 185-pound slot receiver specialist had his position put in jeopardy when the Dolphins added receivers Malik Washington and Tahj Washington in the 2024 NFL Draft. Making matters worse for Berrios, the Washingtons are of similar size to Berrios with Malik at 5-9, 191 and Tahj measuring 5-10 and carrying 174 pounds.
A glimmer of hope for Berrios is the two players came aboard late in the draft with Malik in the sixth and Tahj in the seventh round.
Of course, Berrios enters training camp as a very small piece in the wideout attack. Tyreek Hill commands an enormous share of the targets. And Jaylen Waddle is considered one of the league’s best as well.
The Dolphins also added Odell Beckham Jr., giving them one of the best three-wide sets in the NFL. River Cracraft is also in the wide receiver mix.
Perhaps the new kickoff rules will help Berrios. He told dolphinswire.com he’s looking forward to making an impact there.
“I love it,” Berrios said. “I think it brings back a really exciting play in a game where it was kind of eliminated the last few years. So I’m very excited because I think it’s a big part of the game and a part that I love to do.”
Berrios earned All-Pro honors in 2021 when he averaged a league-best 30.4 yards per kick return while with the New York Jets.
Edge rusher Cameron Goode faces uphill climb
Goode found the playing field in 2023 after languishing on the practice squad the previous season.
The 6-foot-3, 245-pounder showed progress as a special-teams performer and managed a few snaps on the defensive side of the ball.
However, Good suffered a knee injury in January. Then he watched the Dolphins retool the linebacker room, which now includes Bradley Chubb, Jaelan Phillips, David Long Jr., and Anthony Walker Jr. Also, the Dolphins boast Shaquil Barrett and first-round pick Chop Robinson.
So where’s the love for Goode? He has more competition from Mohamed Kamara, Duke Riley, and Jordyn Brooks. It’s a complicated path and Good might not be able to navigate it.
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