Breaking down all the Miami Dolphins’ roster battles on offense heading into the summer

We explored the Miami Dolphins’ defensive position battles in this piece on Friday.

Sizing up the Dolphins’ roster battles at each position on offense:

QUARTERBACK

▪ Likely number: Two.

▪ Who’s on the team/comment: Tua Tagovailoa and Jacoby Brissett, with Reid Sinnett likely again on the practice squad, unless the Dolphins find a better developmental quarterback.

For all the Tagovailoa questions, keep in mind that he threw more touchdowns in his first nine NFL starts than Josh Allen or Kyler Murray, as ESPN’s Booger McFarland noted the other day.

Brissett is a top-10 quality NFL backup. His 84.1 career passer rating is higher than Ryan Fitzpatrick’s 82.3.

RUNNING BACK

▪ Likely number: Four.

▪ Who’s on the team: Myles Gaskin and Malcolm Brown.

▪ Who’s more likely than not to stick: Salvon Ahmed.

▪ Who’s on the bubble: Patrick Laird, Jordan Scarlett, seventh-rounder Gerrid Doaks.

▪ Comment: Barring any roster additions, this could be as simple as Gaskin, Brown, Ahmed and the winner of the “bubble” battle.

While Doaks has a decent shot to stick, he will be at particular risk if the Dolphins add a veteran back this summer. New England’s Sony Michel would be an interesting option if he’s cut. Whether Miami adds another back or not, Laird’s in major jeopardy, despite his value on special teams.

While Ahmed did enough last season (4.3 per carry average) to be a front-runner to stick around, he’s not automatic to make it if 1) he has durability issues after missing three games last November/December and 2) If Doaks outplays him in camp.

WIDE RECEIVER

▪ Likely number: Six.

▪ Who’s on the team: DeVante Parker, Will Fuller, Jaylen Waddle.

▪ Who’s more likely than not to stick: Preston Williams.

▪ Who’s on the bubble: Jakeem Grant, Albert Wilson, Lynn Bowden, Allen Hurns, Mack Hollins, Robert Foster, Malcolm Perry

▪ Who’s a major long shot: Kirk Merritt, Kai Locksley

▪ Comment: One major issue is whether the Dolphins feel compelled to keep Hollins or Foster because they have experience as a gunner on special teams. If special teams coordinator Danny Crossman can identify a gunner elsewhere on the roster, then that would allow Miami potentially to keep two among Grant/Wilson/Bowden/Hurns/Perry if the Dolphins keep six receivers.

But if the Dolphins believe they must keep either the 6-4 Hollins (who offers a bigger target than Foster) or the 6-2 Foster (faster than Hollins) for that key special teams role, then it’s difficult to see how there’s room for more than one among Bowden, Grant, Wilson, Hurns and Perry unless Miami keeps seven receivers instead of six.

Among the veterans competing for roster spots 5 and 6 (presuming Williams is the fourth), Grant might have the most trade value because of his return skills. He third in the league in punt return average last season at 11.4.

Keep in mind that Fuller will be serving an NFL suspension in Week 1. Williams, off foot surgery, is expected to be ready for the opener. We hear Wilson has impressed the team in the offseason program.

I asked Dolphins coach Brian Flores why the team decided to keep this many receivers into late June, and he said he wants the competition.

Releasing Wilson would save $3.9 million against the cap, with $1.3 million in dead money. Releasing Grant saves $4.1 million against the cap, with $600,000 in dead money. Cutting Hurns would save $2.5 million against the cap, with $433,333 in dead money.

As far as guaranteed money this season, Hurns is due $1.25 million guaranteed even if he’s cut and Wilson $1 million. Grant has no guaranteed money due.

TIGHT END

▪ Likely number: Four or five.

▪ Who’s on the team: Mike Gesicki, Hunter Long.

▪ Who’s more likely than not: Durham Smythe, Cethan Carter and Adam Shaheen.

▪ Major long shots: Chris Myarick, Carl Tucker.

▪ Comment: While most teams keep three, the Dolphins might need to keep five.

Though tight ends coach/co-offensive coordinator George Godsey has repeatedly raved about Smythe’s value and versatility, there is the possibility the Dolphins could try to trade him for a late-round pick if they determine in August that there isn’t enough room on the roster for five tight ends and if Long impresses to the point that the Dolphins feel comfortable giving him significant playing time immediately.

Smythe is the only one of the three (among Shaheen, Carter, Smythe) who isn’t due any guaranteed money this season. The Dolphins would save $2.2 million against the cap by cutting him, with just $158,000 in dead money. But a case could be made that Smythe is the best player among those three.

If Miami dumped Shaheen a year after giving him an extension, the Dolphins would have $1.9 million in cap savings but still must pay him $1.5 million guaranteed.

The Dolphins made Carter their first signing of the offseason, guaranteeing him $2.7 million through three years. So it would look foolish to cut him even if Smythe and Shaheen outplay him in camp. He’s listed as a tight end, though his role is more of an H-back.

There is one other scenario, albeit unlikely: If Long looks brilliant as a receiver in training camp and preseason — and if Jimmy Sexton and the Dolphins cannot agree to a contract extension on Gesicki, who is set to become an unrestricted free agent next March — then it’s conceivable the Dolphins could trade Gesicki in late August or early September. But don’t expect that.

OFFENSIVE LINE

▪ Likely number: Nine.

▪ Who’s on the team: Austin Jackson, Robert Hunt, Liam Eichenberg, Matt Skura, Jesse Davis and Solomon Kindley.

▪ Who has a good chance to stick: Michael Deiter and either D.J. Fluker or Jermaine Eluemunor (or perhaps both)

▪ Who’s on the bubble competing for one or two spots: Robert Jones, Larnel Coleman, Cameron Tom, Adam Pankey and potentially who least impresses between Fluker/Eluemnunor.

▪ Who’s a long shot for the 53: Jonathan Hubbard, Tyler Gauthier, Durval Queroz-Neto.

▪ Comment: Eluemunor could be anything from a starting right tackle (if front-runner Eichenberg disappoints in camp/preseason) to not on the team altogether. He began last season as the Patriots’ starting right tackle but then sustained a knee injury.

If Fluker and Eluemunor both stick, that’s nine jobs accounted for, presuming Deiter sticks. And Flores made clear that Deiter is very much in the mix for playing time; he’s expected to seriously challenge Skura at center.

Keep an eye on Jones; the Dolphins gave him $130,000 guaranteed as an undrafted free agent out of Middle Tennessee State, and Senior Bowl executive director Jim Nagy told me that his college tape was every bit as good as former second-rounder Hunt’s.

But you certainly cannot rule out Coleman (after all, the Dolphins rated Coleman ahead of Jones heading into the draft) and Pankey, who they’ve opted to keep around all three years of the Flores regime.

But if the Dolphins keep Fluker and Eluemunor (both can play tackle and guard), that’s nine and there’s likely no room for Coleman or Jones or Pankey because of the logjam at receiver and tight end.

It would be difficult to justify keeping 10 offensive linemen when Miami needs to keep at least six receivers and four or five tight ends.

BOTTOM LINE

Getting to 25 players on offense is as challenging as any time in recent years.

You get to 26 with Tagovailoa and Brissett, four running backs, six receivers (which means saying goodbye to at least three NFL-caliber receivers), five tight ends (if all four established veterans make it, along with third-round pick Long) and nine offensive linemen. But keeping 26 on offense means keeping 24 on defense.

If Miami wants an even 25/25 split, the Dolphins likely will need to try to trade (or release) one of their veteran tight ends (Smythe, Carter, Shaheen) unless Miami keeps only three running backs or only eight offensive linemen.

A conundrum, to be sure. But better than the alternative, of not having enough competent players.

Here’s a look at the Dolphins’ battles on defense.

Here’s my Monday Miami Hurricanes 6-pack.

Here’s my Monday story on two potential Miami Heat trade targets.