Earlier in the week, Dolphins coach Brian Flores said it’s fair to surmise that there are just a small number of roster spots available ahead of the preseason finale against the Cincinnati Bengals. And with Flores opting to rest quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, along with other starters, the final preseason game will be an opportunity for those fringe players to leave one last impression on the coaching staff.
There’s also a number of players whose position on the 53-man roster is secure. But they will get extended playing time as the team will rely on them during the 2021 season.
Here are five players who have the most to gain Sunday afternoon.
Jaelan Phillips
Phillips, the No. 18 overall pick in this year’s draft, was set back with an injury earlier in training camp, which forced him to miss the preseason opener against the Chicago Bears. But that has not deterred the plan of the Dolphins coaching staff for him. When he’s been available, he’s frequently received snaps with the first-team defense.
The outside linebacker made his NFL debut against the Atlanta Falcons last week. He logged 27 snaps and his playing time lingered into the second half. With Emmanuel Ogbah and Andrew Van Ginkel having strong training camps and seemingly picking up where they left off from career years in 2020, the Dolphins might not need Phillips to be a Day 1 starter. But he will be an integral part of a pass rush that lost 10 sacks in the offseason between the departures of Shaq Lawson and Kyle Van Noy.
Kirk Merritt
Merritt may or may not be actually competing for a spot on the 53-man roster depending on how the coaching staff views the state of the wide receiver room. The top-six spots are seemingly set on the depth chart. However, Will Fuller V won’t count toward the active roster for Week 1 as he serves the last game of a six-game suspension. Albert Wilson has been sidelined from practice since the first week but his injury isn’t believed to be serious. And there’s trade speculation surrounding Jakeem Grant. The Dolphins could save about $4 million with a release or trade, according to Spotrac.
Regardless, injuries to the position have given Merritt a significant number of first-team snaps, and the 2020 undrafted free agent has made the most of the opportunity. He also caught a short touchdown in the Dolphins’ 37-17 win over the Atlanta Falcons last week and is poised to see a lot of playing time on Sunday. If he’s not on the 53-man roster, he’s a strong candidate for the practice squad, whether that be with the Dolphins or another team.
Hunter Long
Like Phillips, Long has been limited in parts of training camp because of injury. The No. 81 overall pick in the draft was carted off the field in the joint practices against the Bears but avoided a major injury scare. He has since returned with a bulky brace on his leg but has shown why he led the NCAA in catches by a tight end last season. Tagovailoa connected with him multiple times during Thursday’s practice, the last one that was fully open to the media.
Long played 20 snaps against the Falcons, catching one pass for four yards. Mike Gesicki likely won’t play much Sunday, if at all, and Adam Shaheen and Cethan Carter have been absent from recent practices. Long may not get any snaps with Tagovailoa on Sunday, but it’s still a good chance for him to show he’s up to speed after missing time earlier.
Noah Igbinoghene
Igbinoghene, the No. 30 overall pick in the 2020 draft, had an up-and-down camp and has been seemingly overtaken on the depth chart by Nik Needham, who has been the first boundary cornerback with the first team when starters Xavien Howard or Byron Jones are not in the lineup.
The Dolphins also experimented with Igbinoghene in the slot in minicamp but he doesn’t appear to be among the team’s top-three cornerbacks in a nickel package. At just 21 years old and a recent first-round pick, Igbinoghene’s status on the roster isn’t in jeopardy. A good showing in the preseason finale could boost the coaching staff’s confidence in a player who has the athletic gifts to be a quality player but has yet to put it all together.
Greg Little
Second-round pick Liam Eichenberg was a player likely to see a lot of snaps on Sunday but he was injured in Thursday’s practice and was not seen at the open portion of Friday’s session, placing his availability in doubt. It may be Little, whom the Dolphins traded for just last week, who ends up starting at right tackle with Jesse Davis likely to sit out the game.
Despite having just days of preparation, Little was able to play against the Falcons and logged 12 snaps. He’s set for much more playing time against the Bengals if Eichenberg cannot play. Though the Dolphins used draft capital to acquire Little, it was just a 2022 seventh-round pick, meaning his spot on the roster isn’t set. Little is still competing with players such as Adam Pankey and Larnel Coleman to back up Austin Jackson at left tackle.