When the Dolphins kick off training camp later this month, there will be a handful of intriguing offensive roster battles to keep an eye on. In his recent Dolphins roster projection, Adam H. Beasley of ProFootballNetwork.com noted that there could be some intriguing cuts at both running back and wide receiver.
At RB, Beasley backs what we heard back in May; veteran RB Salvon Ahmed is on the roster bubble. In fact, Beasley writes that Ahmed probably wouldn’t have re-signed with the team had he known the Dolphins would add fourth-round RB Jaylen Wright. The rookie will surely stick to the roster, as will Raheem Mostert and De’Von Achane.
That means the final RB spot will likely be between Ahmed, Jeff Wilson Jr., and Chris Brooks, and Beasley opines that Ahmed is currently trailing that entire grouping. Of course, a fresh start elsewhere could be in the player’s best interest. After collecting 646 yards from scrimmage through his first two years in the league, Ahmed has been limited to only 221 yards over the past two seasons.
Elsewhere on offense, the Dolphins are unlikely to keep both of their WR draft picks on the active roster. Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, Odell Beckham Jr., and Braxton Berrios are probably safe atop the depth chart, meaning sixth-round rookie Malik Washington or seventh-round rookie Tahj Washington could be squeezed off the roster. The team also has former UDFA River Cracraft and former fourth-round pick Erik Ezukanma pushing for roster spots, so the two rookies won’t be a shoo-in for Miami’s initial 53-man roster.
Beasley ultimately projects that Malik Washington will earn one of the final spots on the roster. The receiver broke out during his lone season at Virginia, finishing with 110 catches for 1,426 yards and nine touchdowns. Tahj Washington spent the past three seasons at USC, culminating in a 2023 campaign where he finished with career-highs in receptions (59), receiving yards (1,062), and touchdowns (eight).
This isn’t the first time that Miami has tried letting go if Ahmed, so I wouldn’t be surprised to see them finally pull the plug. If I remember correctly, he stuck on the roster after having to sub in due to some injuries, and scrapped well to stay on the roster since.
Wilson is a McDaniel system player from San Fran who was brought in to help implement the attack, but given how set Miami is now in its scheme, I believe that it may just end up being s toss up if Ahmed isn’t already who the team is favoring to go. Ahmed is still relatively young, and has contributed as a reserve back before. If he’s cut, chances are high that he’ll end up in a similar situation as a reserve who gets a few touches, and will get there relatively quickly.