/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/37636890/454312370.0.jpg)
The Miami Dolphins came back to win a close 14-13 game against the St. Louis Rams last night in the NFL Preseason finale for both clubs. Heading into the game with a 75-player roster, and knowing final cuts are due to the league by Saturday, the Dolphins had 26 players not take part in the contest. Nearly all of them were starters, or were players with minor injuries who appear safely on the 53-man roster.
Who were they?
71 | Branden Albert | T |
42 | Charles Clay | TE |
67 | Daryn Colledge | G |
78 | Terrence Fede | DE |
24 | Cortland Finnegan | CB |
10 | Brandon Gibson | WR |
21 | Brent Grimes | CB |
82 | Brian Hartline | WR |
72 | Ja'Wuan James | T |
26 | Lamar Miller | RB |
55 | Koa Misi | LB |
90 | Earl Mitchell | DT |
28 | Knowshon Moreno | RB |
98 | Jared Odrick | DT |
69 | Samson Satele | C |
79 | Derrick Shelby | DE |
64 | Shelley Smith | G |
94 | Randy Starks | DT |
17 | Ryan Tannehill | QB |
77 | Billy Turner | G |
50 | Olivier Vernon | DE |
91 | Cameron Wake | DE |
11 | Mike Wallace | WR |
52 | Philip Wheeler | LB |
27 | Jimmy Wilson | S |
The 26th player was center Mike Pouncey, who is still on the Active/Physically Unable to Perform list, meaning he could not play in the game, but he does count against the 75-man roster limit. If they Dolphins transfer him to the Reserve/PUP list on Saturday, he will no longer count against the roster limit, but he will also be out of action until sometime after Week 6.
Three other players took one snap during the game: linebacker Dannell Ellerbe, safety Louis Delmas, and linebacker Jordan Tripp.
After that, the snap count jumps to nine snaps for wide receiver Jarvis Landry.
Running through the names of all the players who did not play, plus the three players who only took one snap, all of them appear to be players who are safely on the 53-man roster. The majority of the names are starters, with the addition of players like Terrence Fede and Tripp. If that analysis holds to be true, that would be 29 of the 53 roster spots, plus a position for punter Brandon Fields, kicker Caleb Sturgis (or Jake Rogers if Sturgis is not 100-percent healthy), and long snapper John Denney, leaving 21 positions to be claimed by the players who played last night.
Who will fill those 21 positions?