Entering into the first days of Miami Dolphins training camp this upcoming week, Dolphins head coach Brian Flores would likely tell you that every position on the roster is open to be won. But financially speaking and from a team development perspective, there are just some things that we can’t see going in a different direction than the assumed starter.
Which is which offensively? Here are the offensive positions for the Dolphins and each spot in the starting lineup’s most likely status as either open, closed or in between:
Quarterback: Closed
This job is Tua Tagovailoa’s barring injury. The Dolphins have invested too much in Tagovailoa and his supporting cast to allow anything that happens at training camp to deter or push them in a different direction.
Running Back: Closed
Perhaps there’s some shuffling of the board behind Myles Gaskin to be done but even that feels like something of a long shot. The Dolphins stood firm at running back despite opportunities to attack a different option and it appears as though the team is banking on the per-game production of Gaskin to be his baseline for performance.
Wide Receivers: Somewhat open
There are plenty of questions to be asked about this group but none of them have to do with the starters. If they’re healthy and the Dolphins are in 11-personnel; expect to see DeVante Parker, Will Fuller and Jaylen Waddle on the field. Anything and everything else behind that on the depth chart? Consider it open season.
Tight End: Somewhat open
Mike Gesicki is the tight end on passing downs. But who takes the role of the traditional in-line blocker is pretty interesting and wide open — because it won’t be Gesicki; that’s just not his game.
So a three-way battle between Adam Shaheen, Durham Smythe and rookie Hunter Long will be one to watch.
Left Tackle: Closed
The Dolphins invested a top-20 choice in the 2020 draft in Austin Jackson, who is now entering his second NFL season and first with a full offseason to prepare. He’s not going anywhere other than at the top of the depth chart at left tackle.
Left Guard: Open
The favorite figures to be Solomon Kindley, who played left guard at Georgia. But there’s no shortage of contenders here and Kindley isn’t a prominent enough pick (4th-round in 2020) to warrant an assumed starting role. Just ask one of his teammates also qualified to compete for this job; Michael Deiter. Deiter started 15 games in this spot in 2019 as a 3rd-round rookie before getting pushed to the bench for 2020.
This is a no holds barred battle.
Center: Open
Speaking of no holds barred battles, look for Matt Skura, Cameron Tom and Deiter to do battle here — and we may not get clarity on a winner until the depth chart is released for Week 1.
Right Guard: Closed
If someone else claims the right tackle gig, Robert Hunt is going to be your starting right guard. It seems to be Miami’s preferred outcome but coach Brian Flores did leave the possibility open that the Dolphins could see Hunt manning the right tackle position again in 2021. Either way, one of these jobs on the right side is closed: it belongs to Hunt.
Right Tackle: Open
For the sake of this debate, we’re considering the right tackle job to be the one that is open. Should Hunt perform well enough, he can win the job. If not, he’ll fall back into the right guard role. His contenders here figure to be veterans Jesse Davis and DJ Fluker plus 2nd-round rookie Liam Eichenberg.
If you’ve got four possible answers, you’ve got yourself a battle worth watching.
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