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We are currently making our way through the Miami Dolphins' 90-man offseason roster, breaking down last season for each player, as well as what could happen this year. Today, we continue today with a look at linebacker Jonathan Freeny.
(Photo courtesy Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
Previous Roster Breakdowns: Chad Bumphis Marcus Thigpen Aaron Corp Jelani Jenkins Jonathan Martin Tristan Okpalaugo Reshad Jones Jeff Adams John Denney Philip Wheeler Cameron Wake Marvin McNutt Dallas Thomas
2012 Review:
Jonathan Freeny
| 2012 Stats | |
| Games | 16 |
| Starts | 0 |
| Tackles | 14 |
Freeny joined the Dolphins in 2011 as an undrafted free agent from Rutgers. After spending the entire season on the team's practice squad, Freeny was again relegated to the practice squad at the start of the 2012 season. However, he was elevated to the 53-man roster on the Saturday before the team's Week 1 contest.
He would appear in all 16 games last season, mostly on special teams, recording fourteen tackles.
Why he could improve in 2013:
He's a developing undrafted free agent from just two years ago, and has worked his way up to being a member of the active roster on game day. Now, going into his third season, Freeny could be using his experience from last year on special teams to claim a role as a reserve linebacker.
Why he could regress in 2013:
Freeny is young and a developmental project. He has made good progress thus far, transitioning from his role as a starting defensive end at Rutgers to a special teams player for the Dolphins. Now comes the hard part of proving he can be a linebacker at the NFL level.
Odds he will make the 53-man roster:
Probably about 50/50. The downside for Freeny in having played last season on special teams is that he is now out of practice squad eligibility. Currently, the Dolphins have 12 linebackers on the roster, so it's a deep position, with several names more likely to make the roster (Jason Trusnik, Austin Spitler, Josh Kaddu, Jelani Jenkins) as a reserve linebacker. He has to continue to develop and show he can make an impact on special teams if he wants to continue with the Dolphins in 2013.