1.
Daniel Thomas, running back - The former second round draft choice has been atop the bubble watch since the offseason began. The presence of
Lamar Miller and
Knowshon Moreno pushes Thomas down the depth chart to third, at best. If Mike Gillislee and
Damien Williams can prove they are capable of being the next set of runners on the team, Thomas may be on the wrong side of the bubble when cuts begin, the first round of which are just a few days away.
2.
Armon Binns, wide receiver - The Dolphins are deep at receiver, and someone with talent is going to wind up not making the roster. Unfortunately, at this point, that looks like it might be Binns.
Mike Wallace,
Brian Hartline,
Brandon Gibson, and
Jarvis Landry will take up the first four roster spots.
Rishard Matthews will likely have the fifth spot, meaning the team either already has their full complement of receivers, or they have to find a spot for a sixth player. Even then, the battle between Binns, Damien Williams, and
Marcus Thigpen could end up leaning the wrong way for Binns.
3.
Brett Brackett, tight end - The free agent moves into the spot previously held by tight end MIchael Egnew. When I originally wrote this article, I had Egnew on the bubble, but the team officially waived him, making me adjust and bringing a tight end I thought was destined for practice squad consideration into potentially making the roster. Brackett has been impressive, albeit against depth players most of the time, in the Dolphins' early preseason contests. Now, with Egnew gone, the team could look to Brackett as a depth option behind
Charles Clay and
Dion Sims.
4.
Jonathan Freeny, linebacker - Freeny simply is being outplayed at this point. Linebackers Chris McCain and
Jelani Jenkins appear to have the inside track to the second string linebacker positions, if not challenging for snaps with the starters. Freeny has to prove he has more value to the club than does than
Jason Trusnik, who brings veteran experience and special teams ability to the roster.
5.
Jordan Kovacs, safety - The Miami secondary is a tough one to read right now, especially with the suspension to
Reshad Jones. Kovacs seems to be on the bubble, with the Dolphins looking for players who can play both safety and cornerback. That would appear to give MIchael Thomas the edge over Kovacs, meaning the 2013 undrafted free agent may end up on the wrong side of the cut line.
