The Miami Dolphins played well last year and nearly made the playoffs. They hope to have an improved season in 2021, though, the Buffalo Bills are favored to win the AFC East ahead of 2021 training camp. Even so, the Dolphins have a shot at making the postseason but will need the entire roster to elevate their game to do so.
After multiple trades, the Dolphins have given themselves multiple draft picks in the early portion of the last couple of NFL Drafts. This has provided the front office everything it needs to build a potential powerhouse in the NFL. We'll see how it pays off for them, as making the playoffs should be considered a successful season for this young Miami team.
With a relatively stacked roster, the starting lineup is essentially a lock. There will be some position battles for backup roles, which should only make the Dolphins an even stronger team. The coaching staff has to trim the roster down to 53 players before the start of the season, so we should see quite a few guys hit the road in August. With that said, here are three cut candidates on the Dolphins roster bubble entering 2021 training camp.
Dolphins TE Durham Smythe
The Dolphins have seven total tight ends on the roster right now so we should see a few cuts from that position. However, the guy who is in the most danger of being released early is Durham Smythe. Mike Gesicki will be the starting tight end, while rookie Hunter Long will likely be the immediate backup.
Durham Smythe is more of a blocking tight end than anything else. That would be his saving grace to have a spot on the roster. However, he's in competition with multiple people for the third tight-end spot on the team. He'll have to show improvements as a pass catcher if he hopes to keep a spot on the roster. Based on his career, the odds are not in his favor.
Jesse Davis
Jesse Davis finds himself in a camp battle with rookie Larnel Coleman for a backup role on the offensive line. As most NFL teams don't have an immediate backup for each position on the line, we'll see how he does. Instead, the depth pieces are typically guys who can play multiple positions.
More realistically, Jesse Davis is competing with eight other players for a backup role. It's not looking good for his chances to make the cut though, as the Dolphins have three rookie offensive linemen they may be willing to give a shot this year.
Jakeem Grant
Jakeem Grant played a big role on the team last year, but the front office acquired Will Fuller V and Jaylen Waddle this offseason. With DeVante Parker and Preston Williams still on the team, it appears Grant is fighting for the fifth or sixth spot in the wide receiver group.
His immediate competition will be Lynn Bowden Jr. and Malcolm Perry. Each is younger than Grant and has more upside for their career. Grant could earn a spot on the roster as a kick returner, but he's not good enough on special teams to be guaranteed that role either.
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