Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Rating the roster’s new faces
Who will be the difference makers as OTAs being this week
Miami’s newcomers will hit the field Tuesday with the goal of doing their part to improve a team coming off of a 6-10 season as the 90 players on the Dolphins’ training camp roster begin the offseason’s on-field practices during the first of the 10 organized team activities the NFL allows.
Here’s a look at how Dolphins beat writer Omar Kelly ranks the top-20 veteran and rookie newcomers added over the past few months, projecting their possible roles in the 2018 season:
20. Rookie kicker Greg Joseph
Joseph, who the Dolphins signed just hours after the completion of the NFL draft to serve as competition for fellow rookie kicker Jason Sanders, holds nearly all of FAU’s kicking records, including being successful in 165-of-170 point after attempts. He was 57 of 82 on field goals in college with his longest being a 54-yarder.
19. Quarterback Bryce Petty
The Dolphins claimed Petty off the waiver wire after the New York Jets released him in the week that followed the draft. Petty, 26, has a 1-6 record in his seven NFL starts. For his career, he’s completed 130-of-235 passes (53.1 percent), throwing for 1,353 yards, with four touchdowns and 10 interceptions.
18. Rookie cornerback Cornell Armstrong
Armstrong, a 2018 sixth-round pick, recorded 146 tackles, five interceptions and forced one fumble in his four-year career at Southern Mississippi. He will likely compete with Torry McTyer, Trae Elston, Jordan Lucas and Walt Aikens for one of the final defensive backs spots on the 53-man regular-season roster.
17. Rookie linebacker Quentin Poling
Poling, Miami’s 2018 seventhround pick, recorded 373 tackles, 18 sacks, seven interceptions and forced five fumbles during his four seasons as a starter for Ohio. He’ll likely compete with Mike Hull and Chase Allen for the role as Raekwon McMillan’s backup, and will need to excel on special teams to make the 53-man roster.
16. Linebacker Terence Garvin
Garvin, a five-year veteran who has tallied 77 tackles, 1.5 sacks and forced one fumble during his career, should provide muchneeded linebacker depth, and special teams help. The fact that he’s playing for his fourth team in six years indicates that the 27-year-old has some limitations that might explain his journeyman status.
15. Rookie tailback Kalen Ballage
Ballage has great size (6-2, 228), impressive speed (4.46 in the 40-yard dash) and soft hands, which helped him catch 82 passes for 684 yards and two touchdowns in college. He was never utilized as a featured back at Arizona State, and that likely won’t change because of Kenyan Drake and Frank Gore’s presence on the roster.
14. Rookie tight end Durham Smythe
Smythe's talent as a run blocker should create an opportunity for him to be a contributor as a rookie, but the 2018 fourth-round pick’s playing time will likely be package based. Smythe, who caught 28 passes for 381 yards and scored six touchdowns in four seasons at Notre Dame, needs to improve his route running.
13. Tight end Gavin Escobar
Escobar has caught 30 passes for 333 yards and eight touchdowns during his five-year career, which includes him playing in 64 games with seven starts. The bulk of Escobar’s playing time came during his four seasons with the Cowboys, where he was one of many backups to Jason Witten.
12. Rookie linebacker Jerome Baker
Baker’s blend of speed (4.53 in the 40-yard dash) and strength (22 reps of 225 pounds) are rare, and indicates that he could be a starting outside linebacker in a 4-3 scheme. But his size limitations (6-1, 225) and inexperience might make it a challenge for the 2018 third-round pick to unseat Stephone Anthony and Chase Allen for that role.
11. Quarterback Brock Osweiler
The Dolphins signed Osweiler hoping that he’d be a respectable replacement for Matt Moore, who wasn’t re-signed, and a reliable backup for Ryan Tannehill. Osweiler has spent the past six seasons serving as Peyton Manning’s understudy in Denver, and then struggled as starter for the Texans and Broncos. His 72.5 passer rating from last season was below his career passing rating of 76.5.
10. Defensive tackle Akeem Spence
The Dolphins traded a 2019 seventh-round pick for Spence, who has made 41 starts in 72 games with Detroit (2017) and Tampa Bay (2013-16), hoping he’ll be good enough to make Miami’s three-player defensive tackle rotation a force. Last season, Spence produced a career-best 39 tackles and 3.0 sacks, which tied a career high.
9. Rookie kicker Jason Sanders
Sanders, who the Dolphins selected in the seventh-round of the 2018 draft, connected on 25 of his 35 career field goal attempts in his three seasons as New Mexico’s kicker. He has a powerful leg, which produced a career-long 53-yard field goal in college, and consistently places his kickoffs deep into the end zone.
8. Tailback Frank Gore
Gore is entering the final chapter of what could be a Hall of Fame career as the former UM standout lives out a lifelong dream of playing in his hometown. Gore, who has rushed for 14,026 yards in his 13 seasons, will be given an opportunity to compete with Kenyan Drake for the starting job, and will likely share the backfield duties if he can remain healthy.
7. Receiver Albert Wilson
Wilson, a Port St. Lucie native, caught 124 passes for 1,544 yards and scored eight touchdowns the past four seasons, which were spent with the Kansas City Chiefs. Last year, Wilson had 42 receptions for 554 yards and scored three touchdowns. The Dolphins hope his speed and toughness will open up the screen play, which has been non-existent in Miami’s offense for the past two seasons.
6. Rookie tight end Mike Gesicki
Gesicki is a phenomenal athlete who has a prototypical blend of size (6-6, 252), long arms (34 inches), speed (4.54 in the 40-yard dash) and athleticism. However, Miami’s 2018 second-round pick doesn’t possess the strength to create movement as an in-line blocker, and will need some time to develop. But he should push A.J. Derby to be the seam threat tight end.
5. Center Daniel Kilgore
Kilgore, who was gifted to Miami in a trade involving a swap of seventh-round draft picks with the 49ers this offseason, is expected to replace Mike Pouncey, who was released in a cost-cutting maneuver. The 30-year-old has started 39 of 74 games he’s played the past seven seasons, but needs to prove he’s a legitimate NFL starter.
4. Slot receiver Danny Amendola
Amendola, a nine-year veteran with 426 career receptions and 19 touchdowns, is expected to replace Jarvis Landry as Miami’s slot receiver. His knack for creating space from defensive backs should benefit Miami’s passing game, but his age (32) and injury history means he’s more of a Band-Aid than long-term solution.
3. Rookie safety Minkah Fitz- patrick
Fitzpatrick won the Bednarik Award as the best defensive player in college football last season and the Dolphins hope his playmaking prowess accompanies him to the NFL. This first-round pick is expected to compete with T.J. McDonald for the free safety role, but there’s a possibility that Miami could switch its base defense into a 4-2-5 scheme, utilizing three safeties at the same time.
2. Left guard Josh Sitton
Sitton, a four-time Pro Bowl selection, has started 137 of the 147 games he’s played the past 10 seasons. The former Central Florida standout will serve as Miami’s starting left guard, and the hope is his presence and leadership will help Laremy Tunsil develop into a respected left tackle.
1. Defensive end Robert Quinn
The Dolphins acquired Quinn from the Rams for a 2018 fourthround pick. Quinn, a two-time Pro Bowl selection, contributed 32 tackles and 8.5 sacks last season working as a linebacker in a 3-4 scheme. The hope is that the 27 year old will regain the form that helped him record 62.5 sacks and force 20 fumbles in seven seasons with his return to an end role in a 4-3 scheme.