Well, as you all are well aware of, the Dolphins trimmed their roster yesterday to 53 players. To see the list of players that Miami waived, you can click here. But let’s talk about some of the more surprising moves.
First off, the Dolphins decided to keep 6 receivers on the 53-man roster – and that likely final WR to make the team being Anthony Armstrong. It’s an interesting move simply for the fact that Armstrong is inexperienced and probably could have been stashed on the practice squad. After all, the Dolphins didn’t even sign him until just before training camp.
The other player that I’m surprised made the team is rookie Lionel Dotson. Dotson is one of 8 defensive lineman to make the roster. And I didn’t think that many would make it. I kind of figured that Rod Wright, Paul Soliai, and Lionel Dotson were battling for 2 roster spots – and I assumed Soliai would make the team as the only real possibility as Jason Ferguson’s backup at nose tackle – meaning I felt Dotson was destined for the practice squad. But this coaching staff wants to rely on a defensive line rotation, so I guess Dotson making the team is just another body for them to rotate in and out (especially if one of the vets – Ferguson or Vonnie Holliday – get dinged up).
Edmond Miles was one of the unlucky ones – getting waived yesterday. You’ll remember that I left him off my roster prediction two weeks ago only to add him to my 53-man roster prediction this week simply because only having 3 inside linebackers for a 3-4 scheme is risky. But I guess the Dolphins felt it was more important to keep a 6th receiver as well as an extra outside linebacker (both Quentin Moses and Rob Ninkovich made the team) rather than a 4th inside linebacker.
One thing to keep in mind, though, when discussing who did and didn’t make the team is that the roster come Monday night could look very different – specifically the bottom of the roster. The waiver process takes 48 hours and you need to remember that the Dolphins have first dibs on all players that are placed on waivers. So those who were likely the last few players to make the team – Moses, Ninkovich, and Armstrong just to name a few – shouldn’t be too comfortable just yet. Also, the Dolphins only kept 8 offensive lineman, which is a surprise but could very well change in a day or two when the waiver claims are announced.
Two other quick things to note. First off, ESPN is reporting that the Dolphins signed Ricky Williams to a one-year contract extension. If this is true, Ricky is now signed through 2009. And secondly, if you take a gander over at Miami's depth chart, you'd notice that it has been updated since the roster moves were announced. And who is listed as the 2nd team QB? John Beck. Does this mean anything? It's hard to tell. It could simply be that they are still listing the QBs in order of "seniority." We'll have a better idea of this situation come next Sunday when we see which QB is inactive for the opening game.
So what are your thoughts on how the roster has shaken out...at least for now?
Note: For those keeping score, I was 50 for 53 with predicting the roster. The three I had who didn't make it were Justin Peelle (I knew I should have stuck to my gut here and had Ryan), Edmond Miles, and Matt Spanos. But I did have both Armstrong and Dotson being placed on the PS, so I was pretty damn close.