The Miami Dolphins have reached the quiet part of roster season. The cuts are done, the practice squad is set, and now the only real changes figure to come from injuries or surprise moves.
That leaves a group of practice squad players who may not look like much in early September but could matter a whole lot by 2026. Miami’s 53-man roster kept 12 of its 13 draft picks, with Max Llewellyn the lone exception. He was cut after briefly making the 53, then came right back to the practice squad once he cleared waivers.
The Dolphins have enough depth concerns that several practice squad players should get their chances during the season. But a few names stand out as the ones most likely to grow into something bigger.
Jalen Reagor is one of them.
Miami opened with seven receivers, then trimmed to six after adding waiver claims a day after final cuts. Reagor was among the initial players let go, but his path back is easy to see.
The Dolphins are still thin enough at wideout that he should be first in line if injuries hit. Three rookies occupy three of the six spots, while Malik Washington and Jalen Tolbert hold two more.
Miami also likes Ryan Miller, a waiver addition, but Reagor’s practice squad stint should lead to call-ups, and by the end of the year he should be on the active roster.
Jarquez Hunter is another name worth watching.
Miami landed him in the trade that sent TuTu Atwell back to the Rams, and the upside is obvious. The Dolphins are set to open with three running backs, but one minor injury could push Hunter onto the roster quickly.
He runs with force, the kind of back who takes on defenders head-on instead of trying to dance around them. Hunter was a fourth-round pick of the Rams in 2025, and he was high on their wish list entering the draft.
Getting him may end up looking like a steal for general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan.
Then there’s Ethan Bonner.
The cornerback situation makes his path pretty clear, even if nobody wants to hear it yet. Miami’s secondary has depth issues, especially at corner, and Bonner looks like one of those players who will eventually end up on the 53.
He got off to a strong start in camp, but his preseason play was uneven. There’s plenty to like, but after three seasons he still hasn’t taken that next step.
Maybe this year under Jeff Hafley helps him finally get over the hump.
In Other News...
Raiders Receiver Move Gives Dolphins One More Week 1 Concern
The Raiders added a familiar depth piece on the eve of Week 1, signing wide receiver Ronnie Bell to their practice squad before facing the Dolphins. Bell has spent time with the 49ers and Saints, and while he is not on Las Vegas active 53-man roster, the move adds another name Miami has to account for as it opens the season.
Las Vegas also bolstered its practice squad with former Giants players Evan Neal and Azeez Ojulari while making room by releasing three other players. For Miami, the Bell move is the kind of small-bore roster shuffle that still matters this time of year, when every layer of depth can shape how a defense plans for the opener. [Read more 🡒]
Packers May Have Handed Eagles An Edge Before Week 1
The Dolphins will spend plenty of time studying their own opponent this week, but the Packers already found themselves dealing with a different kind of tape problem before the season even got rolling. Miami coach Jeff Hafley said Philadelphia obtained fan-recorded video from Green Bays training camp, giving the Eagles a better sense of the defensive pressures they might see in the opener. It was a reminder that in the NFL, edge cases can come from unexpected places, even from the stands.
Green Bay has a policy limiting fan videotaping during certain portions of practice, and the team enforced it more strictly this preseason. The issue only added another layer to a Week 1 matchup the Eagles went on to win, in a game that produced notable defensive and offensive numbers. For a Dolphins team watching the leagues top contenders closely, it was another example of how much can happen before a game is even played. [Read more 🡒]
Dolphins Rebuild Hinges On One Sign Fans Need To See
The Dolphins rebuild is still in the stage where patience matters as much as results, with every snap offering another clue about how far this roster and coaching staff can really go. Head coach Jeff Hafley and quarterback Malik Willis sit at the center of that evaluation, but the larger question is whether Miami can show enough growth across the board to make the next set of decisions easier when the season is over.
For a team trying to climb out of a reset, the most important thing may not be the record so much as the trajectory. Miamis offseason plans will hinge on how the current group develops, and the front office will be watching closely to see whether the team and its key players can make steady improvement before those choices have to be made. [Read more 🡒]