The
Dolphins kickoff the pre-season against in-state rival Tampa Bay in a yearly home
and away clash, that is more of an exhibition game than true test for either
team. Early pre-season games are not about winning, as much as they are an
opportunity for the coaching staffs to figure which players belong on the final
roster.
The
following chart will help Dolphins fans understand who they should be
concentrating on while watching the game. The players that are nearly a lock to
make final roster are colored in Green, the players in Blue are on the bubble
and the players in Red are in trouble. The players in Red are the ones to watch
closely followed by Blue and then Green.
Offensively,
the two most notable surprises on this list are Matt Moore and Brian Hartline.
Why
is Matt Moore in red on this list? Because The Dolphins may not be ready to keep four
QBs on the roster and Pat Devlin will be sniped if Miami tries to place him on
the practice squad for another season. This doesn’t mean Moore will be cut, but
it does mean he could become trade bait, at some point, if the right offer comes
along. Moore has a reputation for not practicing well, but has proven he can play well in game
situations.
Moore
needs to show the new coaching staff why they should ignore his practice
performance by showing up big when the lights come on. A lackluster evening for
Moore could lead him to playing for another team come September.
Brian
Hartline has been unable to show Joe Philbin and his staff why he belongs on
the roster. Hartline has not practiced in OTAs and now two weeks into the
pre-season, he's still sitting out with a calf injury. Hartline cannot help
himself by leaving the door open for his replacement to walk in and often
times, a star is born when the door is open.
Julius
Pruitt, Roberto Wallace and Marlon Moore have been hanging around on the fringe of the
Dolphin roster for three seasons, it is time for one of them to make a move. Wide
receivers are notoriously slow starters in the NFL, but after three seasons, the
trial period is over. One of these players must make the jump from
promising potential, to starter material, and it needs to happen in these early pre-season
games. Keep an eye on these receivers.
In
that same group is Clyde Gates, Gates has speed to burn, but his lack of
instincts and body control may lead him to the outside looking in. This
coaching staff has no ties to Gates as a player not drafted on their watch and it
won’t be surprising if the Grimm Reaper comes calling for Clyde’s playbook. Gates
needs to come up big in these early games or he will be gone.
John
Jerry has found nothing but fleas in Joe Philbin’s doghouse and this mammoth of
a man is a complete mismatch in the west coast offense. Jerry will find himself
in a Jet uniform before the summer is over, unless he can somehow make an
impression as large as his girth. The chances are slim, no pun intended, but if one player has
something to prove on Friday night, it is John Jerry.
Defensively,
players like Ryan Baker and Isaako
Aaitui are in trouble. These guys have hung on for a couple years, but have yet
to make an impact. With a new sheriff in town, they will need to show they
belong because they obviously have not made an impression, judging by this depth
chart.
The
Miami defense is a very solid group and many of the players in red are going to have
to make an impact on special teams if they expect to earn a roster spot.
Players like, Josh Kaddu, Jonathan Wade, Gary Guyton, Austin Spitler and Quinten
Lawrence will see plenty of action but must excel on special teams, because none of them has shown potential as a starter. It's early for Kaddu, but there is only a few spots for pure special teams players on an NFL roster.
It
is worth mentioning, Vontae Davis could spend a lot of time on the field Friday.
Davis was a little flippant in his “acting” to be in shape, in an attempt to
fool the coaching staff. Bad Idea Vontae, very bad idea! Davis is probably not
in jeopardy of losing his roster spot or perhaps even his starting job, but he
set himself up for some extended playing time against some hungry scrubs, who
may take exception to him making a joke of the job they would love to have.
The
players listed in red and blue should be interesting to watch, the question for Dolphinshouters
is, which are the players you think should change colors on this list and why.
I look forward to your comments.
