Miami Dolphins fan concerns as regular season approaches

The Miami Dolphins set their initial 53-man roster for the 2023 NFL regular season this week - then immediately began making changes to it including placing players on injured reserve, re-signing released players, and creating their practice squad. Those roster moves will likely continue throughout the next several days as the team looks to bolster the depth on the roster.

There are always going to be concerns when it comes to a roster, especially when it is limited to just 53 players in a contact sport where injuries are unfortunately too common. Where are the concerns for the Dolphins’ 2023 roster? We asked our readers for their thoughts using our SB Nation Reacts survey, brought to us by DraftKings Sportsbook.

For the offense, the clear concern was the offensive line, with over three-fourths of the responses worried about Miami’s front five players. Injuries are always a concern for the offensive line, and there are already questions about the availability of starting left tackle Terron Armstead for Week 1. Will the Dolphins be able to put out their top five linemen to start the year? Do they have enough depth if and when an injury does occur? The fans are concerned, and they are probably right to have those worries.

Behind the offensive line, the tight ends received 17 percent of the vote, with the quarterbacks third at five percent and the running backs receiving one percent of the fan responses.

On defense, the major concern for the fans are the linebackers, where Miami has some strong players, but as a unit they still need to come together and prove they are ready for the season. Add in the distinct difference between the outside linebackers, who work primarily as edge rushers, and the inside linebackers, providing run support, and Miami’s depth at both positions could be a concern. The fan vote had 41 percent point to the group as their biggest worry.

The cornerbacks received the second-most votes from the fans with 34 percent of the responses. An injury to All-Pro Jalen Ramsey is likely to keep him sidelined for much of the year. Xavien Howard will start on one side of the defense and veteran free agent addition Eli Apple most likely will start on the other side, but Miami is going to be relying on several younger players to step up with Ramsey out.

The defensive linemen were the third-most concern inducing group, receiving 16 percent of the vote. The safety group is the least concerning to the fans, picking up nine percent of the responses.

Did our survey results match your concern level? Let us know your thoughts in the comments at the bottom of the page.

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