Where Dolphins depth chart stands on offense, and notes at each position, heading into May

Where the Dolphins stand on offense heading into April, with more additions expected on the offensive line and tight end:

QUARTERBACK

▪ Who’s on the team: Tua Tagovailoa and Mike White

▪ Who’s likely on the team: Skylar Thompson

▪ Comment: With Tagovailoa’s durability issues, Thompson is a good bet to make the team unless he’s awful in training camp and a better option surfaces. This week, Mike McDaniel portrayed the No. 2 job as an open competition between White and Thompson.

But White is the heavy, heavy favorite. Thompson has a slim chance to overtake White for the No. 2 job, but only if he’s great in camp and White is very bad.

Even if that surprisingly happens, cutting White isn’t happening: he already has been guaranteed $4.5 million. “Their staff is smitten with him,” said an agent who pitched another prominent backup quarterback to the team, earlier in March.

Of White’s seven career starts, two have been exceptional, two decent, one below average and two very bad (including one playing with multiple cracked ribs against Seattle and a four-interception game against Buffalo)...

One of the misnomers about Tagovailoa is that he benefited from yards after catch more than many quarterbacks. That’s absolutely not true. Dolphins players averaged 4.9 yards after catch per reception on Tagovailoa completions, which ranked 20th in the league.

Conversely, Kansas City players averaged 6.6 yards in YAC for Patrick Mahomes completions, and Bengals and Jaguars players averaged 5.2 in YAC for Joe Burrow and Trevor Lawrence completions.

RUNNING BACK

▪ Who’s on the team: Raheem Mostert, Jeff Wilson Jr.

▪ Who’s very likely on the team: Salvon Ahmed

▪ Who’s more likely than not on the team: Myles Gaskin

▪ Comment: It’s rare for a team to bring back its entire running back group, but the Dolphins — after making an inquiry on Dalvin Cook — decided to re-sign all four at less than $8 million in combined salary.

Mostert and Wilson — who tied for 11th in the league in per-carry average at 4.9 — warranted a return. Ahmed impressed coaches in the Saturday night Bills game (6 carries, 43 yards) and has value on special teams.

And Gaskin handled himself like a total pro despite a vastly reduced role. Remember, Gaskin finished 10th in the NFL in average yards from scrimmage per game (97.2) in 2020.

There’s a chance an impressive late-round rookie or undrafted player could beat out Gaskin.

If Miami drafts a running back at 51 or 84, then Gaskin would be in trouble.

WIDE RECEIVER

▪ Who’s on the team: Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, Braxton Berrios, Erik Ezukanma

▪ Who has a good chance to make the team: River Cracraft

▪ Who likely will be on the team unless he’s traded: Cedrick Wilson Jr.

▪ Who’s on the bubble: Braylon Sanders, Freddie Swain

▪ Comment: The Dolphins could trade Wilson this offseason to reduce his cap hit from $8 million to $2 million or $1 million, depending on the timing of the trade. They’re open to that, but they’re also OK with having him on the team, according to an involved source.

But cutting him wouldn’t make sense; $5 million of his $7 million salary is guaranteed, and his cap hit would drop only from $8 million to $6 million if he’s cut after June 1, and to $7 million if cut before.

Berrios was top 13 in the league in average yards after catch in 2020 and 2021 before his role in the Jets offense diminished last season. The Dolphins envision an offensive role for him.

Though Wilson’s role was dramatically reduced because of Tyreek Hill’s signing, don’t overlook that in 2021 for the Cowboys, Wilson was sixth in the NFL in receiving yards from the slot (574) and tied for fourth in touchdowns (six) from that position, per Pro Football Focus.

So Miami has two good slot options (Berrios and Wilson) if Wilson isn’t traded.

The Dolphins like Sanders’ upside and he has a chance to make the 53.

Ezukama’s role figures to increase but it’s not certain he will crack the top four.

TIGHT END

▪ Who’s on the team: Durham Smythe

▪ Who’s likely on the team: Eric Saubert

▪ Who’s on the bubble: Tanner Conner

▪ Comment: Look for one or two more additions at the position in April. Dolphins coaches/staffers are working out several tight ends projected to go in rounds two through four of the draft. (Miami has picks in the second and third but not the fourth.)

The agent for one prominent tight end who’s no longer available said the Dolphins front office did not want to allocate much money for the position. That’s understandable considering the lack of receiving targets available for tight ends in Miami’s offense, coupled with the draft’s strong depth at the position.

Smythe started 15 games last season and has a good chance to continue starting.

Saubert — who has 15 NFL starts for four teams and played on the practice squad of two others — is a solid blocker with good speed for the position but has seven drops in just 52 career targets.

The Dolphins believe Conner, a receiver at Idaho State, can become a stretch tight end, but he will need to win a job in August.

OFFENSIVE LINE

▪ Who’s on the team: Terron Armstead, Connor Williams, Robert Hunt, Liam Eichenberg, Austin Jackson, Dan Feeney

▪ Who has a pretty good chance to stick: Kendall Lamm, Robert Jones

▪ Who’s on the bubble: Geron Christian, Lester Cotton, Kion Smith

▪ Comment: The Dolphins likely will add another right tackle at some point, either a veteran or a player in the second or third round. They have inquired about several veteran free agents but do not appear to have aggressively pursued any.

General manager Chris Grier listed Eichenberg among the team’s core players on the offensive line, and at the moment, he’s the front-runner to start again at left guard. But Feeney and Jones and perhaps another veteran could challenge him. Feeney, whose $1.1 million base salary for 2023 is guaranteed, has 40 NFL starts at left guard.

Feeney also will replace Houston-bound Michael Deiter at backup center.

The Dolphins, through earlier this week, hadn’t pursued incumbent backup tackle Greg Little.