Dolphins roster bubble 2015 - Preseason Week 4

The 2015 NFL Preseason has reached the time of year when players are starting to be cut ahead of Tuesday's 75-man roster limit and Saturday's 53-man regular season limit. The Miami Dolphins started this past weekend with 88 players, having already released wide receiver Michael Preston and placed safety Louis Delmas on injured reserve. On Sunday, they brought that number down to 77 players by releasing defensive tackle Calvin Barnett, guard Bryant Browning, wide receiver LaRon Byrd, wide receiver Kevin Cone, defensive end Ray Drew, wide receiver Tyler McDonald, defensive end Kendall Montgomery, tight end Gerell Robinson, cornerback Sammy Seamster, safety Phillip Thomas, and offensive lineman J.D. Walton.

In the next five days, the Dolphins will release another 24 players, some of whom will be easy to predict, but some who seem to be sitting right on the roster bubble. Who are those players who could fall on either side of the cut line?

Matt Hazel, wide receiver

There really is not a lot more Hazel can do to try to make the Dolphins' roster. He has shown flashes of his potential, continuing to develop as an NFL player heading into his second year in the league. Drafted in the sixth round last year, Hazel appears locked into being the sixth wide receiver in Miami's position group, but Miami may not be able to keep six wide receivers. It is all a numbers game at this point, and it will come down to where the Dolphins think they need to keep depth on the roster.

Prediction: Makes roster

Mike Hull, linebacker

Hull appears to be behind fellow undrated free agent linebacker Zach Vigil on the depth chart right now. That is not a good place to be, but Hull made some plays in the game against the Atlanta Falcons, and could be worth keeping on the roster. He is easily a practice squad candidate, but he feels like that player Miami would try to stash, only to see another AFC East team claim him off waivers to get an inside look at the Dolphins' defense.

Prediction: Makes roster

Zack Bowman, cornerback

Bowman is a hard one to predict, mainly because he has great moments, then disappears for a while. He could be a solid depth option for Miami at cornerback, or he could be on the wrong side of the cut line. He got into the game early for Miami this past week, which either means he is higher on the depth chart than it appears, or it means the coaches wanted to get a better look at him.

Prediction: Cut

Tony Lippett, cornerback

Lippett's position on the roster may be determined by what the Dolphins do with Bowman. Lippett is raw, adjusting to live as an NFL cornerback after playing wide receiver in college, but the athleticism has been apparent and he seems to be catching the coaches' eyes. He could be a practice squad candidate, but might not have to worry about that.

Prediction: Makes roster

Tim Semisch, tight end

Semisch has not been much of a factor in the preseason, but to be fair, none of the tight ends really have been. At 6-foot-8, Semisch is an intriguing big red zone target, but the Dolphins probably do not have roster space for him, assuming the three tight ends making the roster are Jordan Cameron, Dion Sims, and Jake Stoneburner. Semisch's chances of making the 53-man roster increased with the release of Robinson on Sunday, but it still seems like a long shot that he makes the cut.

Prediction: Cut; Practice Squad