5 Dolphins Bubble Players Who Should At Least Make Practice Squad

The Miami Dolphins will play their final preseason game on Saturday night, and roster cuts will come quickly after that.

Teams must go from a 90-man to a 53-man roster by Tuesday afternoon, but some teams don’t wait that long to make the bulk of their decisions. In that spirit, we’re going to highlight five Dolphins players who are on the roster bubble but should at least make the practice squad.

Of course, a player must clear waivers to land on a team’s practice squad, which does play a significant factor in who makes the team. We’re not saying these players won’t make the final roster, just that they’ll be Miami’s top priority to bring back if they don’t.

Also, practice squads consist of 16 players, so we’re not saying these are the only players who have earned a spot.

5 Dolphins Bubble Players Who Should at Least Make Practice Squad

Tahj Washington, Wide Receiver

Miami’s wide receiver room has four seemingly guaranteed spots taken up by Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, Nick Westbrook-Ikhine and Malik Washington.

That’s left an incredibly tight roster battle for the fifth spot between Tahj Washington, Dee Eskridge and Erik Ezukanma. The Dolphins could keep six receivers, but that does seem like a lot for one team.

Currently, Eskridge appears to have the edge, but Washington has performed well throughout camp. He was a seventh-round pick in the draft last year but landed on injured reserve during training camp, ending his rookie season early.

The 5-10, 174-pound receiver has good speed and some route-running chops. He’s the prototype Mike McDaniel receiver and has some return versatility, too.

Tahj has put up solid numbers during the preseason (7 catches, 86 yards), giving him a fair chance to make the roster. If he doesn’t, it would be shocking to see Miami not try to retain him on the practice squad.

Grayson Murphy, Edge Rusher

The Dolphins’ recent addition of veteran Matthew Judon complicated an already tight battle at the bottom of the edge rusher depth chart.

Before Judon’s addition, it seemed like Grayson Murphy, Cameron Goode and Derrick McLendon were battling for one spot. At the time, Chop Robinson, Jaelan Phillips, Bradley Chubb and Quinton Bell felt like locks.

Now, Bell has likely been pushed down the rotation for Judon, leaving four players to compete for one or possibly two roster spots.

As for Murphy, he’s proven he’s got the tools to be an effective NFL pass rusher. His speed and bend off the edge make him an excellent option as a designated pass rusher. Murphy’s run defense is pretty lackluster, though, and he’s not a core special teams player like Goode.

If the Dolphins value those two things for a depth spot more than Murphy’s pass-rush prowess, he could find himself on the outside looking in.

The Dolphins should keep him on the practice squad if he clears waivers. However, it wouldn’t surprise us if another team adds him to their 53-man roster.

Zeek Biggers, Defensive Tackle

Defensive tackle is another position where the Dolphins have too many NFL-caliber players for too few roster spots. Zach Sieler, Kenneth Grant, Benito Jones and Jordan Phillips should have their roster spots locked up.

Matthew Butler has been the team’s fourth defensive tackle in both preseason games, so it stands to reason he’s the leading candidate for the fifth spot. That could leave Zeek Biggers, Matt Dickerson and Ben Stille off the roster.

Each has a good argument to make the final cut, too, but you’d have to think Miami’s priority would be to secure its most recent seventh-round pick on the practice squad. Biggers has the length and athletic profile to be a disruptive presence up front, but he needs a fair bit of development still.

The Georgia Tech product really is the ideal practice squad player. If you’re leaning toward Biggers making the roster, you could insert any of the team’s depth defensive tackles into this spot.

One or, perhaps, two could end up on the practice squad.

Channing Tindall, Linebacker

Miami’s linebacker group seems pretty set. Jordyn Brooks, Tyrel Dodson, Willie Gay Jr. and K.J. Britt more than likely will be the group that makes the initial 53-man roster.

Of course, the team could keep a fifth player, but they’ll likely need that spot elsewhere. Channing Tindall hasn’t lived up to his draft billing (third-round pick), but he’s a toolsy backup who plays on multiple special teams units.

That’s not the flashiest role in the world, but when you’re building out a roster to survive an 18-game season, it’s good to have players with developmental upside and special teams experience.

Tindall’s preseason tape has been the same as the rest of his career — inconsistent. He’s made some nice plays coming downhill, but he’s still late to react in coverage and misses tackles near the line of scrimmage.

Still, the practice squad is made for players like Tindall.

Patrick McMorris, Safety

Patrick McMorris mostly falls into the same category as Tindall. The safety room is pretty crowded, but McMorris does have the skills to be an effective special teams play and depth contributor.

He was a sixth-round pick in the draft last year and spent most of the 2024 season injured. He got limited snaps in his return, but there was nothing to really take away from them.

Miami’s safety room is in a bit of a weird spot, but there does seem to be a surplus no matter how it shakes out. Minkah Fitzpatrick, Ifeatu Melifonwu, Ashtyn Davis, Elijah Campbell, and Dante Trader Jr. are the most likely combination to make the final roster.

However, Davis is injured and could start the season on injured reserve. Plus, Trader Jr. has been on a snap count throughout camp, so he’s clearly not fully healthy either.

Keeping McMorris around on the practice squad is a solid hedge against those players missing extended time or not being ready to play early in the season.

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