90-in-90 Miami Dolphins roster breakdown: Drew Morgan

The Phinsider’s annual 90-in-90 series is back today with another in-depth look at the players who are currently vying to make the Miami Dolphins’ 53-man roster. This series of articles takes a look at each individual on the roster, breaking down how they performed in 2017, why they could progress or regress in 2018, and the odds that the player makes the team when the regular season arrives.

This year, we have already finished the reviews for wide receiver Leonte Carroo, punter Matt Haack, safety T.J. McDonald, running back Buddy Howell, wide receiver DeVante Parker, defensive end William Hayes, wide receiver Isaiah Ford, safety/cornerback Walt Aikens, defensive end Claudy Mathieu, linebacker Kiko Alonso, cornerback Xavien Howard, long snapper Lucas Gravelle, wide receiver Danny Amendola, tight end A.J. Derby, running back Frank Gore, defensive tackle Gabe Wright, wide receiver Kenny Stills, cornerback Tony Lippett, kicker Jason Sanders, kicker Greg Joseph, left tackle Laremy Tunsil, tight end Mike Gesicki, linebacker Raekwon McMillan, running back Kalen Ballage, wide receiver Jakeem Grant, tight end Durham Smythe, quarterback David Fales, wide receiver Albert Wilson, defensive tackle Akeem Spence, linebacker Chase Allen, defensive end Cameron Wake, running back Senorise Perry, and tight end MarQueis Gray, offensive lineman Ted Larsen, defensive end Andre Branch, running back Kenyan Drake, defensive end Quincy Redmon, quarterback Bryce Petty, wide receiver Francis Owusu, defensive end Jonathan Woodard, defensive end Charles Harris, center Connor Hilland, guard Jesse Davis, safety Reshad Jones, defensive tackle Jordan Phillips, and guard Isaac Asiata, and defensive end Robert Quinn. Today, we take a look at wide receiver Drew Morgan.

2017 Review

The Dolphins signed Morgan as an undrafted free agent following the 2017 NFL Draft. He impressed coaches, media, and fans during training camp and the preseason, but was released during final roster cuts on September 2nd of last year. He was signed to the practice squad the next day.

Morgan reportedly had interest from several NFL teams, and there was speculation that some were even interested in offering him a roster spot, but he chose to stay in Miami because of his affinity for the coaching staff and culture. Miami signed Morgan to a reserve/futures contract on January 1st of this year.

Why he might progress

As with all second-year players, Morgan has the benefit of a full season under his belt on an NFL team. He should now be fully familiar with Adam Gase’s offense, the way the team is run, and how the Dolphins operate both on and off the field. This means he’ll be able to spend training camp and the preseason honing in on the skills he most needs to improve as opposed to busying himself with acclimating to the NFL as he had to do as a rookie.

Morgan also has the advantage of now playing and practicing alongside veteran Danny Amendola, who Miami signed as a free agent this offseason. Amendola has nine seasons of NFL experience and is a very similar player in style and build to Morgan (Amendola: 5’11”, 190 lbs. Morgan: 6’0”, 194 lbs). Both are slot receivers who have experience as kick returners, and Morgan would do well to learn as much as possible from the two-time Super Bowl champion.

Why he might regress

Given that Morgan hasn’t done much in his short NFL career, it’s hard to see a situation in which he regresses. Injury is always a possibility in professional football, but health aside, it seems the only way forward for Morgan is up. It is worth noting however, that the Dolphins currently have 11 wide receivers on the roster. With a maximum of five or six slots for the position on the roster, and with only ten total open positions on the practice squad, it may be difficult for Morgan to stick with the team in any capacity as he did last year.

Chances of making the 53-man roster

As I just mentioned, the Dolphins have 11 wide receivers on the roster. At this point, Kenny Stills, DeVante Parker, Albert Wilson, and Amendola are all virtually guaranteed a spot given their contracts, experience, and production. That leaves just one or two more roster spots for eight wide receivers. Currently I’d give Jakeem Grant and Isaiah Ford the best chances of taking those positions, but anything can happen during camp. Given his outside shot at making the roster, I’d tag Morgan for another year on the practice squad.