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No Room For LB Ronnie Harrison In Miami?

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No Room For LB Ronnie Harrison In Miami?


With a couple teams set to report for training camp in just two weeks, we can start to look at each team’s roster makeup and determine how things might play out. In Miami, a recent influx of talent at linebacker could make veteran offseason addition Ronnie Harrison a free agent again before the start of the season.

Harrison signed to join a Dolphins team transitioning between defensive schemes and returning a decent group from last year. When they ran mostly in a 3-4 base defense under former defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver, Jordyn Brooks and Tyrel Dodson dominated playing time for Miami’s off-ball linebackers. After Brooks and Dodson, three safeties played more snaps in the box than the Dolphins’ backup linebackers.

While new defensive coordinator Sean Duggan runs a variety defensive looks, the base defense is 4-3, introducing an additional spot for an off-ball linebacker. On its surface, that seems like a positive development for Harrison, an experienced veteran with starting time under his belt, but Miami clearly knew it needed bodies to compete for that third spot as it worked efficiently to add talent in the offseason.

Brooks and Dodson are joined in their return by veteran Willie Gay Jr., a former full-time starter for the Chiefs who started two games in his first year with the Dolphins last year. With Brooks and Dodson dominating the playing time, Gay put up some career lows with fewer snaps, but he’s got experience as a starter and experience playing among his fellow Dolphins, and the team opted not to let him walk when they re-signed him in free agency.

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Harrison’s other competition all comes from this past year’s draft. Ohio State’s Sonny Styles got recognition throughout the pre-draft process as the class’s best linebacker, but Texas Tech’s Jacob Rodriguez stole all the headlines throughout the college football season. The unanimous All-American got Heisman votes and won two awards for the best defensive player in the country (Bronko Nagurski Trophy & Chuck Bednarik Award) as well as the Butkus Award for the nation’s top linebacker. Over the past two seasons, he combined for 255 total tackles, 22.5 tackles for loss, six sacks, six interceptions, 10 passes defensed, four fumble recoveries, and 10 forced fumbles, including an NCAA-leading seven last year.

Rodriguez is joined by two others in the rookie class, though they weren’t strictly known as linebackers at the collegiate level. Both of the team’s fourth-round picks, Trey Moore and Kyle Louis, have been getting time at linebacker in the offseason, according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. Moore split his time evenly in Austin, playing off-ball and on the edge for the Longhorns. The Texas-product is expected to continue working at both spots in the NFL, per Jackson. Louis was regarded as a safety coming out of Pitt, where he played mostly in the box while covering a good amount in the slot, as well.

Brooks and Dodson are locks for roster spots, as are the three rookies, most likely, and it’s not often that a team is looking to carry for than five players at linebacker. So, if any spots are available, it may be just one Harrison must compete for with Gay and Jackson Woodard, an undrafted rookie last year. Gay might be a tough matchup for Harrison, too, as he holds a bit more consistent past starting experience and familiarity with the team.

It’s not all doom for Harrison, though, and his saving grace may come as a result of returning to his hybrid safety role. For much of his early career in Jacksonville and Cleveland, Harrison played a hybrid safety-linebacker position weighing a bit more towards safety. The Dolphins saw three players — Minkah Fitzpatrick, Ashtyn Davis, and Ifeatu Melifonwu — play similar roles last year, and all three defenders now play for other teams. Per Jackson, the team seems to like fifth-round Texas rookie Michael Taaffe and last year’s fifth-rounder Dante Trader Jr. to fill those roles this year with veteran Lonnie Johnson Jr. and special teams ace Zayne Anderson backing them up.

With so many new additions at the linebacker position, Harrison’s recent transition to a more consistent linebacker role seems to have bitten him. If the Dolphins decide they’d like a bit more experience with so much turnover in the secondary, though, Harrison might be able to secure a role by tapping into his old position. Additionally, a rebuilding Dolphins team with lots of young talent may be looking to trade Brooks or Dodson if the season gets off to a cold start, though they’ve expressed interest in extending Brooks. If either player is dealt, a bit more room on the roster may become available for a hybrid-type of player.

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Can Jason Marshall push for a starting spot – The Splash Zone 7/10/26

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Can Jason Marshall push for a starting spot – The Splash Zone 7/10/26


The Miami Dolphins will have new starters at their cornerback positions since both Jack Jones and Rasul Douglas are not back with the team. The team drafted Chris Johnson in the first round and it’s pretty likely he’ll have a large role and should claim the one starting spot. The other starting spot should be up for grabs among the rest of the group. Jason Marshall is one of those players who has a better chance of claiming that starting spot after showing some flashes his rookie season. Jeff Hafley has already said he envision Marshall playing on the outside and the second-year corner should get plenty of chances to prove himself during the preseason.

You can check out that story here, and the rest of the day’s round-up below.

Phinsider News You May Have Missed



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Miami-Dade Schools names six semifinalists for superintendent

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Miami-Dade Schools names six semifinalists for superintendent


With Miami-Dade Superintendent Jose Dotres’ contract ending in February 2027, school board members are now looking to have his replacement by August.

Dotres has served as the superintendent for the third-largest school district since 2022. The school board started the search for his replacement in April.

More than 20 people applied for the position, but now only six have secured spots as semifinalists.

Here’s a closer look at who Miami-Dade’s superintendent might be:

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Jose Bueno

With roughly 33 years of experience within Miami-Dade County Public Schools, Bueno currently serves as Dotres’ Chief of Staff.

According to his LinkedIn profile, Bueno’s tasks include coordinating and implementing major projects “that have significant district-wide impact on the goals of the district and involve coordination of other divisions and offices.”

He started as a teacher within the country back in 1993 and is a Florida International University and Nova Southeastern University graduate.

Ernie Lozano

Lozano is currently Broward County’s Public Schools Chief Human Resources Officer.

His passion is creating a safe and secure environment for both students and staff.

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“He has been recognized for his contributions to the District’s safety and security initiatives, receiving accolades for his exceptional leadership and commitment to student and staff well-being,” according to a bio on the site for the National Student Safety and Security Conference & Workshop.

Before his career in human resources, Lozano served within education as a teacher, assistant principal and more.

Sylvia Mitchell

Hope builder, executive leadership coach and seasoned superintendent are all descriptions Mitchell has on her LinkedIn.

Living in Houston, Texas, Mitchell is familiar with the Sunshine State since she was a principal at Charter Schools USA in Fort Lauderdale back in 2012.

She has also served as superintendent twice in Texas and is currently Executive Vice President, Curriculum, Design & Development for Per Scholars.

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Carlos Perez

Perez is a charter school principal in West Palm Beach and the former executive director of the Education Reform Project, a nonprofit organization based in Miami Beach.

According to the nonprofit, Perez has over 25 years of experience within education, mainly in New York, but now in Florida.

Perez has also been an assistant superintendent in the past, as well as taking part as an Executive Board Member for the New York State Association of School Personnel Administrators.

Christopher Ruszkowski

Currently based in South Carolina as CEO of South Carolina’s Children’s Fund, Ruszkowski has moved all over the country, and Florida will be no exception.

According to his LinkedIn, he served as New Mexico’s Secretary of Education back in 2019. Before living in South Carolina, he was a conservator for the Texas Education Agency. A conservator oversees the state’s takeovers of large school districts and charter school networks.

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Getting his master’s at Stanford, Ruszkowski was a Distinguished Policy Fellow at the Hoover Institute located within the university.

Rafael Villalobos

Since 2022, Villalobos has been the South Region Superintendent of Miami-Dade County Public Schools. Before that, he was a principal for over ten years.

The Nova Southeastern alum has been in Miami for most of his life, even graduating from South Miami Senior High School in 1990.



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I went to 2 famous Miami restaurants, a flashy steakhouse and a Cuban hot spot. Here’s how they compared.

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I went to 2 famous Miami restaurants, a flashy steakhouse and a Cuban hot spot. Here’s how they compared.


Café La Trova celebrated the city’s Cuban heritage through live music, warm hospitality, and dishes that felt deeply rooted in local culture.

Papi Steak, meanwhile, embraced Miami’s flashy, see-and-be-seen reputation with theatrical presentations, celebrity appeal, and an atmosphere that often felt more like a nightclub than a standard steakhouse.

Despite Papi Steak’s over-the-top reputation, nearly every dish I tried — from the wagyu pastrami to the hamachi crudo — was thoughtfully prepared and tasted just as good as it looked. If you’re looking for an indulgent, special-occasion dinner where the spectacle is part of the fun, it’s easy to understand why the restaurant has become such a phenomenon.

Still, if I could only recommend one restaurant to a first-time visitor, I’d choose Café La Trova.

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While Papi Steak offered the more decadent, once-in-a-lifetime meal, Café La Trova delivered a more authentic Miami experience, pairing outstanding food and cocktails with a genuine sense of the city’s history and culture.





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