Last night the Miami Dolphins completed their 53-man roster cuts. From those cuts, today, the team will build the basis of their eight-man practice squad. Here's a look at some of the players who could end up back with the team, based on their eligibility and if they clear waivers.
WR B.J. Cunningham - The Dolphins will likely try to stash as many wide receivers on the practice squad as they can, and Cunningham is clearly one of those that should be on there. The sixth round rookie has potential, but he was unfortunately in a bad wide receiver corps, where the team had to keep a bunch of "four, five, and sixes,", rather than having star wide receivers that would allow a developing receiver to make the roster.
WR Jeff Fuller - Everything written about Cunningham applies to Fuller, but maybe a little more-so. Fuller should be the first wide receiver brought back to the team. Fuller was an undrafted free agent, but his experience in offensive coordinator Mike Sherman's office back at Texas A&M, and his chemistry with quarterback Ryan Tannehill shoudl earn his a spot on the practice squad.
WR Chris Hogan - Hogan is probably the third wide receiver to make the practice squad. He became a fan favorite with his "7-Eleven" nick name because he always seems to be open in practice. However, he has disappeared in preseason games, and needs more time to develop. If the Dolphins can carry three wide outs on the practice squad, Hogan should make it. If they feel like they can't use that many slots for receivers, Hogan is probably the one who misses out.
DT Isaako Aaitui - The defensive tackle made it to the final round of cuts, and was one of the final names released from that round. He is a raw talent, but he should be able to hit the practice squad and continue to grow as a player.
OT Andrew McDonald - The Dolphins are thin along the offensive line this year, and could use some help by stashing players on the practice squad. McDonald is that player. He will give the Dolphins a little insurance in case Jake Long's knee injury returns, and he should be able to continue to grow as a player on the practice squad.
S Anderson Russell - The final member of the practice squad could be safety Anderson Russell. The coaches seem to have like Russell, even if fans did not see a lot of him. This would be Russell's third year on a practice squad, meaning the Dolphins would have to keep 53 players on the roster or else Anderson would be brought up to fill the vacancy. Russell was probably the best playmaker in the secondary this training camp, but he was constantly going against the second and third teams. If Miami can stash him away, and not have him poached, Russell could soon find himself on the Dolphins' roster and fighting for playing time.
Of course, all of this will be wrong, as the team will decide they want to bring back someone else, or they want to sign another team's player to the practice squad. And, if any of these eight are claimed on waivers, that changes everything as well.
We just have to wait and see.