Wednesday Sports Buzz: Dolphins toughest roster decisions

[gafin]

Chatter on the Dolphins’ most difficult decisions in slicing their roster from 75 to 53 by 4 p.m. Saturday:

1. Defensive tackle behind Ndamukong Suh, Earl Mitchell and Jordan Phillips. Many teams prefer to keep four, leaving a tricky choice among C.J. Mosley (the veteran has alternated between the second and third teams over the past month and has been OK but not extraordinary), A.J. Francis (rose to second team, alongside Phillips, last week; has a sack and has come on strong, Dolphins people say) and Anthony Johnson, who missed Tuesday’s practice with a foot injury but wasn’t wearing a cast.

Johnson had a sack Saturday but also has four neutral zone infractions in preseason. The Dolphins could be tempted to keep five tackles. Mosley, incidentally, would earn $970,000 if he makes the team, nearly twice as much as the $510,000 due Francis or Johnson.

2. Which linebackers to keep behind the three starters, Chris McCain and rookie Zach Vigil (who seems close to a lock, with owner Stephen Ross noting coaching have "high hopes" for him).

That leaves Spencer Paysinger, Mike Hull, Neville Hewitt and Jordan Tripp in the mix for one or two jobs.

Paysinger, who has worked on the first-team coverage units all camp, has strong support internally because he was one of the Giants’ top special teams players the past four years, and Miami told him it needs him to replace Jason Trusnik on coverage units. But Hull and Hewitt are pushing. Tripp’s ankle injury hurts his chances.

One possibility: Keeping Paysinger on the 53 and stashing Hull and Hewitt on the practice squad. The Dolphins like Hewitt's athleticism but he needs to improve his grasp of the defense.

3. The cornerback conundrum. It’s unusual for a team to keep seven, but that’s a possibility because of Jamar Taylor’s quad injury (he expects to be back for the opener) and overall depth at the position.

Brent Grimes, Taylor, Brice McCain and Bobby McCain are locks, and the front office told the coaching staff this offseason that it wants to keep Tony Lippett on the 53-man roster.

Though Bowman has been on the bubble, he also has been solid in preseason and has starting experience and special teams value. So there's incentive to keep him.

Meanwhile, Will Davis said Tuesday he is only 90 percent after last November’s knee surgery and Joe Philbin said that will be factored into a decision about him.

Davis has allowed 10 of 15 passes to be completed against him in preseason, for 107 yards, with an interference penalty.

What about placing Davis on short-term injured reserve, which would sideline him for six weeks?

An NFL spokesman couldn't rule that out as an option, because he said players who pass physicals at the start of camp are eligible for short-term IR. But he also said players are eligible for short-term IR if they sustained “a major football related injury… after reporting to training camp.” Davis, obviously, did not sustain an injury after camp started. Davis said nobody has mentioned short-term IR to him.

Teams can use short-term IR on only one player.

4. Whether to keep Matt Hazel as a sixth receiver, which seems unnecessary and is dependent partly on DeVante Parker’s progress after foot injury.

Only Jarvis Landry has more catches in preseason than Hazel (7 for 108) and offensive coordinator Bill Lazor said: “You watch [Hazel] make those plays and you say, ‘OK, I can picture him helping us.’”

5. Other stuff: If the Dolphins keep nine linemen, they figure to retain two among Sam Brenner, Jeff Linkenbach and Jacques McClendon. Brenner and McClendon are competing at backup center…. LaMike James, who gives Miami a decent second option on returns, said he expects to be on the team…

Caleb Sturgis remains the favorite over Andrew Franks, but there's no final decision and the Dolphins have given thought to stashing Franks on the practice squad. Unlike the Brandon Fields/Matt Darr situation --- Fields was cut today, as many of you know --- replacing Sturgis with Franks wouldn't save a lot of money. Sturgis is due $585,000 if he makes it, Franks $435,000...

There’s internal support to keep Don Jones as the fourth safety because of special teams ability, but rookie fifth-rounder Cedric Thompson played well in Week 3 after struggling before that. Not certain the Dolphins could stash Thompson on the practice squad without him being claimed.

http://miamiherald.typepad.com/spor...football-buzz-marlins-.html#storylink=addthis

 

[SoCal Finatic]

I thought I read somewhere that Mike Hull was a lock to stay on the team?

 

[PHINSfan]

I too believe that Hull and Vigil make the team. Tripp needs to play very well this coming Thursday to also make it! These undrafted rooks have played well. If both don't make the 53 men roster, then one will be assigned to the PS.

 

[roy_miami]

I don't see us cutting Tripp or even trying to put him on the practice squad, he'll make the 53 or be IR'ed.

 

[xXwarXx]

Brent Grimes, Taylor, Brice McCain and Bobby McCain are locks, and the front office told the coaching staff this offseason that it wants to keep Tony Lippett on the 53-man roster.

I thought this part was interesting. Shows me the pick was purely a FO pick, and possible shows it was by someone who expects to be here in the future. (tannenbaum)?

 

[AL R]

I thought I read somewhere that Mike Hull was a lock to stay on the team?

I believe your thinking of Vigil.

I prefer to keep as many corners/safeties as possible considering injury concerns with Taylor and with the Delmas injury as much support as possible with the safeties.

---------- Post added at 10:53 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:52 PM ----------

I thought this part was interesting. Shows me the pick was purely a FO pick, and possible shows it was by someone who expects to be here in the future. (tannenbaum)?

Could be, would have to be him or Hickey you would think.

 

[Dolph N.Fan]

Rather have Hull over Paysinger if it comes down to it.

 

[Mogwai]

QB-2 Tannehill, Moore
RB-4 Miller, Williams, LaMike, Ajayi
WR-6 Parker, Landry, Jennings, Stills, Matthews, Hazel
OL-9 James, Alberts, Pouncey, Turner, Thomas, Douglas, Fox, Brenner, McClendon
TE-3 Cameron, Sims, Semisch
K-1 Franks
P-1 Darr
LS-1 Denney
DL-8 Suh, Wake, OV, Mitchell, Phillips, Fede, Shelby, AJ
LB-8 Jenkins, Misi, Sheppard, Vigil, McCain, Hull, Paysinger, Tripp
CB-6 Brice, Bobby, Grimes, Lippett, Taylor, Bowman
S-4 Reshad, Aikens, Thomas, Thompson

Don't think I'm missing anyone. That's just about everyone who counts. Stash Hewitt on the PS and maybe Thompson if we'd rather keep Don Jones for ST. We hold on to all our young talent. There's no one we'd really miss.

 

[Aqua Shadow]

Long snapper extraordinaire john denney

Sent from my LGL34C using Tapatalk

 

[Hayden Fox]

Mosley will not make it and they will try to sign him after week one.

 

[spiketex]

QB-2 Tannehill, Moore
RB-4 Miller, Williams, LaMike, Ajayi
WR-6 Parker, Landry, Jennings, Stills, Matthews, Hazel
OL-9 James, Alberts, Pouncey, Turner, Thomas, Douglas, Fox, Brenner, McClendon
TE-3 Cameron, Sims, Semisch
K-1 Franks
P-1 Darr
LS-1 Denney
DL-8 Suh, Wake, OV, Mitchell, Phillips, Fede, Shelby, AJ
LB-8 Jenkins, Misi, Sheppard, Vigil, McCain, Hull, Paysinger, Tripp
CB-6 Brice, Bobby, Grimes, Lippett, Taylor, Bowman
S-4 Reshad, Aikens, Thomas, Thompson

Don't think I'm missing anyone. That's just about everyone who counts. Stash Hewitt on the PS and maybe Thompson if we'd rather keep Don Jones for ST. We hold on to all our young talent. There's no one we'd really miss.

Very good projection Mogwai. Semisch is no certainty. I expect us to stash him on the Practice Squad and maybe try to pick up a TE who gets cut by another team. Will Davis has underperformed and doesn't make your list but expect him to play well on Thursday. He's still only 90% healthy, maybe goes on the PUP.The last Safety/Special Teams role is probably tight. Don Jones vs Jordan Kovacs vs Ced Thompson - Thompson hasn't shown us much to date but he just got drafted and Jones has been injured. Kovacs has actually improved a lot and you know he is fighting hard to impress. Allegedly, he has one of the best work ethics in the building (and Joe loves him). BTW Jones and Kovacs both put on a lot of muscle in the offseason.

 

[spiketex]

The other guy who could be in trouble is Chris McCain. Numerous references to his underperformance so far this season (and being replaced by Koa Misi), could mean that he may be on the bubble. He needs to noticeably lift his game on Thursday night. Potential only lasts so long.

 

[roy_miami]

The other guy who could be in trouble is Chris McCain. Numerous references to his underperformance so far this season (and being replaced by Koa Misi), could mean that he may be on the bubble. He needs to noticeably lift his game on Thursday night. Potential only lasts so long.

I don't think he's in any trouble, he's pretty decent depth for both Misi and Vernon. Plus he could be the OLB the times we go to a 3-4.

 

[zach attach]

Tripp and Misi are injured too often and are average when they play. Why hold onto them?

 

[russianbear]

QB-2 Tannehill, Moore
RB-4 Miller, Williams, LaMike, Ajayi
WR-6 Parker, Landry, Jennings, Stills, Matthews, Hazel
OL-9 James, Alberts, Pouncey, Turner, Thomas, Douglas, Fox, Brenner, McClendon
TE-3 Cameron, Sims, Semisch
K-1 Franks
P-1 Darr
LS-1 Denney
DL-8 Suh, Wake, OV, Mitchell, Phillips, Fede, Shelby, AJ
LB-8 Jenkins, Misi, Sheppard, Vigil, McCain, Hull, Paysinger, Tripp
CB-6 Brice, Bobby, Grimes, Lippett, Taylor, Bowman
S-4 Reshad, Aikens, Thomas, Thompson

Don't think I'm missing anyone. That's just about everyone who counts. Stash Hewitt on the PS and maybe Thompson if we'd rather keep Don Jones for ST. We hold on to all our young talent. There's no one we'd really miss.

holy crap we're thin at tight end and LB.....