The Miami Dolphins dress rehearsals — if we can even call preseason games that — are now done after the 24-14 loss against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Friday night, and now it’s time to get down to business.
Specifically, it’s time to get down to the business of slashing the 90-man roster down to the 53-player limit, which must be done by no later than 4 p.m. ET on Tuesday.
Some of the decisions already have been made, including releasing quarterback Mike White and tight end Jody Fortson on Sunday, along with placing players on injured reserve.
As is usually the case, there are some positions that look pretty clear cut and others not so much, with the secondary jumping out as being part of the latter.
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Here then is Miami Dolphins On SI Publisher Alain Poupart’s fifth and final 53-man roster projection of 2024:
On the 53: Tua Tagovailoa, Skylar Thompson
Off: None
Changes from roster projection 4.0: Mike White out
Analysis: We discuss in detail the decision to let go of White, who clearly was outplayed by Thompson all summer and now is a free agent eligible to sign with any other team. The Dolphins obviously will bring in another quarterback — at the very least on the practice squad, though it’s important to note the proposed bylaw change that would have allowed teams to elevate a player on the practice squad an unlimited number of times to serve as emergency third quarterback was dropped after the NFLPA refused to approve the change. So we’re back to the 2023 rule stating the emergency third quarterback must be on the 53-man roster. This was part of the reason we thought the Dolphins would stick with both Thompson and White.
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On the 53: Raheem Mostert, Devon Achane, Jaylen Wright (R), fullback Alec Ingold, Chris Brooks
Off: Jeff Wilson Jr., Zavon Horvath, Anthony McFarland Jr.
Changes from roster projection 4.0: None
Analysis: This is pretty simple from this end. Wilson will be on the 53-man roster if the Dolphins can’t work out a trade for him because Mike McDaniel is a big fan of his game, but he’s also clearly fourth on the pecking order and Miami likely can get at least a draft pick in return.
On the 53: Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, Braxton Berrios, Malik Washington (R), Erik Ezukanma, Odell Beckham Jr.
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Off: Je’Quan Burton (R), Anthony Schwartz (IR), Braylon Sanders, Mike Harley Jr., Kyric McGowan, River Cracraft (IR), Jadon Janke
Changes from roster projection 4.0: Beckham out
Analysis: The big mystery here remains whether Beckham will wind up starting the season on PUP, which would keep him out for at least the first four games. And that’s just one of the injury issues here because River Cracraft likely will begin the season on IR and the same might go for Ezukanma, who was spotted in a walking boot on the sideline before the preseason finale. This is a position where a veteran newcomer could wind up on the 53.
On the 53: Durham Smythe, Julian Hill, Jonnu Smith
Off: Hayden Rucci (R), Tanner Conner
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Changes from roster projection 4.0: None
Analysis: The big question here is whether the Dolphins would keep a fourth tight end on the initial 53. If that happens, we’d give Conner the edge over Rucci, though ultimately we easily could see both ending up on the practice squad.
On the 53: T Terron Armstead, T Austin Jackson, C/G Liam Eichenberg, G Robert Jones, T Patrick Paul (R), C/G Aaron Brewer, T Kendall Lamm, G/T Jack Driscoll, G Lester Cotton
Off: Andrew Meyer (R), Matthew Jones (R), Ryan Hayes, Bayron Matos (R), G Isaiah Wynn (PUP)
Changes from roster projection 4.0: None
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Analysis: Projecting the offensive linemen has become easier because it’s looking more and more like Wynn indeed will be starting the season on PUP.
On the 53: Jaelan Phillips, Emmanuel Ogbah, Chop Robinson (R), Mohamed Kamara (R), Quinton Bell
Analysis: Nothing has changed here, except that Quinton Bell no longer appears to be the lock he was early in training camp because he was barely noticeable in any of the joint practices or preseason games. Before that, the injury that landed Cam Brown on IR made things pretty clear cut, though the tricky part will come when Chubb is ready to come off PUP, whether it happens at the moves to 53 or after four weeks.
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On the 53: Zach Sieler, Benito Jones, Da’Shawn Hand, Calais Campbell, Brandon Pili
Off: Isaiah Mack, Mario Kendricks (R), Leonard Payne (R), Jonathan Harris, Neville Gallimore, Robert Cooper
Changes from roster projection 4.0: None
Analysis: This is based on the assumption that Pili’s injury from Friday night isn’t serious, and we should mention this is a position where the Dolphins very well might look outside to bring in some reinforcements.
On the 53: Jordyn Brooks, David Long Jr., Duke Riley, Channing Tindall
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Off: Curtis Bolton, Anthony Walker Jr., Dequan Jackson
Changes from roster projection 4.0: None
Walker is more than good enough to belong on the 53, but we’re thinking his prolonged absence likely will keep him off the roster or maybe he’ll just wind up starting the season on IR. Bolton actually has had himself a very good training camp, but we’re thinking the Dolphins will be sticking with Tindall in the hope he takes a big leap on defense or at the very least can be a core member of the special teams.
On the 53: Jalen Ramsey, Kader Kohou, Ethan Bonner, Kendall Fuller, Siran Neal, Jevon Holland, Jordan Poyer, Marcus Maye, Elijah Campbell, Cam Smith, Storm Duck (R)
Off: Isaiah Johnson (R), Jason Maitre (R), Nik Needham, Jordan Colbert (R), Mark Perry (R), Patrick McMorris (IR)
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Changes from roster projection 4.0: Smith in
This remains the position that presents the toughest decisions from this end because of the three good-looking rookie cornerbacks and additionally rookie safety Mark Perry. We’ve got Cam Smith back on the initial 53, even though IR remains a possibility because of his hamstring injury, but either way he’ll be with the team. And it could be any one of Duck, Johnson and Maitre who lands that last spot at cornerback. The Dolphins also have tough decisions when it comes to Needham, who’s a veteran with position flexibility, and Perry.
On the 53: K Jason Sanders, P Jake Bailey, LS Blake Ferguson
Off: None
Changes from roster projection 4.0: None
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Analysis: As we wrote all summer, while there’s an argument to be made that maybe the Dolphins should have brought in competition here, you gotta love it when the Dolphins make it easy for all of us doing roster projections.
1 dead, 1 hospitalized after shots fired at car in Miami Gardens, police say; 3 toddlers in vehicle OK – WSVN 7News | Miami News, Weather, Sports | Fort Lauderdale
MIAMI GARDENS, FLA. (WSVN) – A man was killed and another was rushed to the hospital after their car came under fire in Miami Gardens with three toddlers in the back seat in what police described as a targeted shooting.
Miami Gardens Police and Miami-Dade Fire Rescue units responded to the scene of the shooting in the area of Northwest 183rd Street and 45th Avenue, at around 8:40 p.m., Sunday.
“Our victims were coming from a party, and they were followed,” said Miami Gardens Police Officer Diana Delgado-Gourgue.
Detectives said whoever was following the victims opened fire on their car.
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A witness who spoke with 7News said she heard multiple shots.
“It was, like, more than 10 gunshots,” she said.
The man who was driving the car that was targeted was pronounced dead at the scene.
Police said the man who was sitting in the front passenger seat was shot multiple times, and he ran into a nearby McDonald’s for help.
Paramedics transported the surviving victim to an area hospital, where he is listed in serious condition.
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7News cameras captured officers placing evidence markers where the gunfire erupted. Officers were seen surrounding the bullet-riddled car; its windshield was shattered.
Delgado-Gourgue confirmed there were three young children in the back seat of the vehicle, but they were not hit.
“Thank God, they did not sustain any injury, and they are safe, and the family is here, and they’re with their family,” she said.
Police shut down Northwest 183rd Street between 42nd and 47th avenues. They advise drivers to avoid the area and seek alternate routes.
If you have any information on this shooting or the whereabouts of the subject or subjects involved, call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS. Remember, you can always remain anonymous, and you may be eligible for a reward of up to $5,000.
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On Saturday, Aug. 24, David Beckham shared a photo on Instagram of himself, Leo Messi and Tom Brady posing together at the Inter Miami CF game against FC Cincinnati.
“THE GREATEST 🐐 🐐 doesn’t get any better 🩷🩷,” Beckham, 49, wrote in the post’s caption. “@leomessi @tombrady to watch us go into the playoffs @intermiamicf 🇦🇷 & 🇺🇸 xx.”
In the photo, Beckham is wearing a navy blue suit with a matching tie and a light blue button-up shirt. Meanwhile, Messi, 37, and Brady, 47, opted for more casual looks, with the Argentine soccer player wearing black shorts, a white T-shirt and olive green shoes, and Brady sporting a green shirt and ripped jeans.
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The former quarterback shared the photo on his Instagram Stories the next day, writing, “I’m bringing @leomessi back to Birmingham with me.”
Beckham, who is co-owner of Inter Miami, welcomed Messi to the team last July.
“Ten years ago, I started my journey to build a new MLS team,” Beckham said at an event at the time, per ESPN. “I said then, I dreamt of bringing the best players in the world to South Florida and to the great city of Miami. Players who shared our ambition to grow soccer in this country … We are so happy that you are all here to celebrate this incredible moment.”
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Tom Brady reshares the photo on his Instagram Stories.
Tom Brady/Instagram
He continued, “So please forgive me for feeling a little bit emotional tonight. It truly is a dream come true to welcome Lionel Messi to Inter Miami … Bienvenido a La Familia.”
Messi expressed his gratitude for being a part of the team at the time. “I am very happy to have chosen to come to this city with my family, to have chosen this project, and I have no doubt that we are going to enjoy it very much,” he said in a speech at the event, per ESPN.
The PEOPLE Puzzler crossword is here! How quickly can you solve it? Play now!
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The soccer player has been benched since July 14, when he injured his ligament during the Copa América final, but it was recently reported by ESPN that he is expected to make his return to the field before playoffs begin in October.
Inter Miami head coach Gerardo Martino recently spoke about Messi’s healing process, saying in a recent press conference, per ESPN, “He is not training with the group. But yes, he is already out on the field and working with the physical trainers.”
Martino added, “He is developing well, it was foreseeable that he would not be with Argentina because he is not yet in a position to play, but we continue to see him develop. There is no estimate, because you are already starting to see how you feel as you add training on the field.”
The big Miami Dolphins personnel question of the summer has been answered: Skylar Thompson will be the backup quarterback.
The Dolphins have made that clear with the decision to release Mike White after he had served as the backup to Tua Tagovailoa in 2023. The news was confirmed by a league source Sunday morning.
The move was made despite the proposed rule change allowing practice squad quarterbacks to serve as the third emergency quarterback being rejected by the NFLPA, meaning the third emergency quarterback once again will have to be on the 53-man roster.
Releasing White will create $3.5 million of additional cap space for the Dolphins.
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White now will be free to sign with any team, and the possibility certainly exists that the Dolphins could bring him back to the practice squad and maybe even to the 53-man roster at some point.
White had been listed as second team on the depth chart all summer, though it was Thompson who started at quarterback in the preseason opener against Atlanta and who came in first after Tagovailoa in the preseason game against Washington.
White got the start in the preseason finale against Tampa Bay but couldn’t lead the offense to any points, while Thompson shined after coming in late in the second quarter. He threw for two touchdowns and his passer rating was near 130 before he threw an interception on his final pass of the evening.
Thompson didn’t see any action in the 2023 regular season when Tagovailoa played every game for the first time in his NFL career and White himself got only mop-up duty.
In 2022, Thompson was the third quarterback behind Tua and Teddy Bridgewater and saw action in seven games with two starts — against the Minnesota Vikings in October and in the season finale against the New York Jets when the Dolphins won 11-6 to clinch a playoff spot. Thompson also started the playoff game at Buffalo that season and had an unsightly 44.7 passer rating that day, though he also wasn’t helped by dropped passes.
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But Thompson was a rookie seventh-round pick back then and the Dolphins obviously feel confident he can handle the job as Tua’s main backup now.
“With Skylar, he got the opportunity to play early in his career and I thought, as a rookie, he demonstrated some aggressiveness and ability to make plays in this league,” McDaniel said after the preseason finale. “It’s been about, since then, training his craft and really owning the quarterback position within the offense and I thought this preseason, he’s exhibited growth and what that means. It means you are the leader of the unit, that you have to orchestrate play calls, decision making, all of those things, and I thought he took a good step forward tonight.”