Each year when training camp rolls around, the challenge is not deciding who the starters at any one position will be – at least in most cases. Instead, it’s about figuring out who’s going to fill out the Dolphins roster and give teams the best depth possible. But sometimes that depth comes from the least likely places.
It never fails. Every season, there’s always a few players who raise eyebrows and perform better than expected. For instance, in 2016, defensive end Julius Warmsley went from a practice squad player to making the 53-man roster. Unfortunately, his production didn’t last and he’s currently waiting for another team to sign him off the free agent market.
The fact remains that teams have players who possess hidden potential, and the Dolphins are no exception. Here are the top five dark horse candidates to shock everyone and make Miami’s final 53-man roster.
Jayrone Elliott, LB
For all the issues the American Alliance of Football (AAF) had, it did give free agent players a chance to showcase their skills in-game. Of all the players from that now defunct league, pass rusher Jayrone Elliott might be the most intriguing. Formerly a 2014 undrafted free agent of the Green Bay Packers, Elliott set a record in the AAF by tying for first in the league with 7.5 sacks in just eight games. That level of pass rushing production is unheard of, regardless of what level of football it is.
So what makes him a dark horse candidate? Simply put, he had to be in the AAF to begin with. He was unable to stick with any NFL teams; he was traded from the Packers to the Cowboys in 2017 for a conditional seventh-round pick. Two weeks later, Dallas waived him, and then Elliott signed a reserve/future contract with the New Orleans Saints, only to not make the final cut in 2018.
But make no mistake, Elliott has talent. With good coaching, he could easily make more flashy plays that will not only enable him to make the roster, but give him a chance to prove he’s not just a fringe player. Miami needs 3-4 pass rushers, and look at the kind of things he’s done during his limited NFL playing time.
True, all of this is against less than elite talent, but that should not be an indictment against Elliott. You don’t become any league’s top pass rusher if you don’t have something to offer. With the Dolphins needing pass rush help, Elliott could answer that call and prove to be more than what he’s expected to be.
Preston Williams, WR
Preston Williams stands in at an impressive 6’5″, 218 pounds, and runs a 4.61 40-yard dash. That run is also, presumably, not one of his better showings, so it’s likely he’s actually faster than that, much like former Dolphins WR Jarvis Landry. However, what makes Williams a dark horse candidate is that there’s a lot of talent standing in his way.
Kenny Stills, Albert Wilson, and Jakeem Grant are likely guaranteed roster spots. Williams’s chances increase depending on how many receivers Miami decide to keep. If it’s six, he’s got a fairly good chance at making it. But if it’s only five, there are two guys in front of him who currently stand a better chance.
Brice Butler, a seven-year veteran who stands in at 6’3″, 211 pounds, made a splash during the 2018 season after being off the street due to numerous injuries. He played physically, made tough catches, and some even believed he was better than DeVante Parker. That last part remains to be seen, but there’s no denying that Butler was effective in the short time he got to play.
Then there’s Parker himself. The former 2015 first-round draft pick also stands in at 6’3″, and was supposed to be their go-to for beating press coverage and making contested catches. But Parker’s lack of maturity and durability has kept him from realizing his potential. Now, he’s getting a second chance to prove himself on a 2-year, $10 million dollar contract.
This brings us back to Preston Williams. He’s already shown the coaches he’s a physical player, and he’s not afraid to get his hands dirty. In college, he made flashy plays on a weekly basis, but the talent he faced was far from elite, potentially skewing the film.
On top of that, there is the minor concern of his off-the-field concerns. In 2017, Williams had an altercation with his girlfriend that led to him getting arrested. He was arrested again later for violating a restraining order. Granted, those things are in the past, and Williams has stated as such.
Being compared to Martavis Bryant by NFL analyst Lance Zierlein, Williams has all the talent in the world. But he has shadows looming over him, so he’ll have to stand out in training camp if he wants to be chosen over his competition.
Durval Queiroz Neto, DT
Given that the Dolphins project to switch to a hybrid defense, there is need of a true nose tackle. Traditionally, nose tackles are extremely large, hulking brutes whose only goal is to take on double teams to let linebackers run in and finish the job. This fits Brazilian defensive tackle Durval Queiroz Neto to a tee. Standing in at 6’4″ and 330 pounds, Miami picked him up through the International Player Pathway Program, and he’s a prime candidate to be the Dolphins 0-tech DT, lining up over the center.
He’s a Brazilian judo champion, he played on the two best teams in Brazil these past four years, and most importantly, he’s willing to learn. He has his work cut out for him though. Miami already has four talented defensive tackles standing in front of him. 2019 first-rounder Christian Wilkins, seven-year veteran Akeem Spence, and three-year veterans Davon Godchaux and Vincent Taylor all have an advantage on Queiroz, and it’s hard to imagine the Dolphins keeping that many more defensive tackles.
To make matters worse, Godchaux is reportedly putting in work at the nose tackle position, making Queiroz’s niche less of a need overall.
Queiroz is a talented and impressionable player, and his body type makes him ideal as a true nose tackle. If he can make some flashes in training camp and preseason, there’s an outside chance he could make the 53-man roster as a nose tackle. He’s huge, he’s athletic, but he’ll have to show his production in Brazil can carry over to the NFL.
Maurice Smith, SS
Safety Maurice Smith always catches eyes on the field. But for whatever reason, he can’t seem to stick on the roster. The most common one is a simple lack of space on the roster. Since signing as an undrafted free agent back in 2017, Smith has been blocked by the likes of Reshad Jones, T.J. McDonald, Michael Thomas, Walt Aikens, and even veteran Nate Allen. Fair or not, established players usually have an advantage over players trying to squeeze onto the roster.
In spite of the roadblocks in his way, Smith has managed to get playing time in spurts these past two seasons. He’s played in a total of 13 regular season games, totaling six tackles and two pass deflections. On the surface, that’s not much to brag about, but one has to keep in mind that Smith didn’t play a lot of snaps in those games, usually through no fault of his own.
This season might be Smith’s best chance to stick around, but he’ll have to continue his trend of improvement. Currently, Jones and McDonald are still projected to be Miami’s main safeties, and cornerback Bobby McCain is getting in work as a free safety. Add to that the presence of Walt Aikens and young do-it-all defensive back Minkah Fitzpatrick, It’s hard to justify keeping so many safeties when cornerback is a more pressing matter.
Head coach Brian Flores will doubtlessly have an increased emphasis on the secondary in his defense, but Smith is still a long shot to make the roster unless he proves he can play safety above and beyond his more versatile constituents.
Myles Gaskin, RB
Some might say it’s a hot take to say that one of Miami’s draft picks are already a dark horse candidate. Nevertheless, Washington RB Myles Gaskin could already be on the outside looking in. The Dolphins presumably have two slots locked up at running back with Kenyan Drake and Kalen Ballage. That leaves one, maybe two, slots left for other players. Considering coach Flores has stated in no uncertain terms that Miami will carry a fullback on the roster, that means one slot could easily go to one of two players: Kenneth Farrow, or Chandler Cox.
Cox was the RB/FB chosen literally one pick before Gaskin, and his claim to fame is his blocking prowess. Farrow, on the other hand, spent time on New England’s practice squad before being released and going to the AAF’s San Antonio Commanders, where he was the lead back and ran 106 times for 372 yards and four touchdowns. Both are bruisers and both can block extremely well, which is something Gaskin trails behind them in.
If the Dolphins keep four running backs, then Gaskin’s biggest competition will be Mark Walton, who’s being given a second chance by this regime after he made several bad decisions off the field. Walton himself could easily be named an honorable mention as a dark horse candidate based on potential legal repercussions, but it goes to Gaskin here due to Walton having previous NFL experience and more projected potential.
To be clear, this is not a knock on Gaskin. In all four years of college, Gaskin was a steadily productive runner, and production is what New England coaches are all about. Reminder, Flores and offensive coordinator Chad O’Shea are part of the Bill Belichick coaching tree.
Gaskin could easily remain his steadily productive self, but Walton is probably extremely motivated to succeed now that his career may be on the line. Gaskin will have to find an extra gear and prove he deserves to be on the final roster, rather than waiting to be placed on the practice squad.
