2016 Dolphins tight end preview

With Jordan Cameron and Dion Sims rounding out the top two spots at tight end, who will be the third and final TE in 2016?

The tight end group can expect to be more involved in Adam Gase’s offense this year but with the top two spots seemingly already taken, who will put together a strong enough camp and preseason to secure the last spot? Lets take a look at the candidates the Dolphins have selected. This is assuming Gase decides to keep 3 TE’s like he had in Chicago at the start of last season.

I will break the candidates into 2 groups based on the likely hood of making the roster. “Insiders” and “outsiders” (Keep in mind special teams play will have a role in this earning this position).

INSIDERS

Jake Stoneburner

At 6’3, 250, 26 year Jake Stoneburner has an inside track for the final TE spot after playing in 11 games for the Dolphins in 2015 with 1 start, 5 catches for 47 yards and 2 touchdowns. Stoneburner entered the NFL after being undrafted in the 2013 draft. Stoneburner dressed for the Packers in 2013 in 9 games with no statistical presence. Last year he showed a knack for sneaking into the endzone as an unsuspected target for Ryan Tannehill but if he makes the roster this year, teams will not sleep on him going forward.

Thomas Duarte

Most people will assume that Duarte is the favorite for the 3rd TE position based on his receiving ability and because he selected by Miami in the 7th round this year. Speculation is that Duarte will be asked to play TE despite his 6’3, 225 wide receiver type frame. This puts Duarte in position for an uphill battle because he will be asked to block in the NFL unlike his time spent at UCLA.

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Duarte was listed and lined up as a WR while wearing a Bruins uniform in 2015, catching 53 balls for 872 yards and 10 touchdowns. Duarte benefits from the current regime having a draft pick invested in him and that Stoneburner was not drafted by the team. Regardless Duarte will have to at least match Stoneburner’s play because moving a 7th round pick to the practice squad is not hard to do and might be what is best for him. Time on the p.s. would allow him to bulk up and get better as a blocker.

MarQueis Gray

Gray is 26 years old and going into his 5th year in the NFL after spending the last 2 years in Buffalo and 1 year in both Minnesota and Cleveland before that. He has appeared in 29 games with 12 receptions for 144 yards and 0 td’s. He won’t gain headlines going into 2016 but he has solid NFL experience and could reasonably make a push for the 3rd spot with a good camp.

OUTSIDERS

Gabe Hughes

Gabe Hughes is a 6’4, 240 pound undrafted free agent out of Florida Tech where he caught 32 passes for 566 yards and 3 touchdowns in 2015 for the Panthers. Hughes comes from a very obscure college so it is difficult to find much on him other than his production and this youtube highlight. It would be an enormous upset if he could make the final 53.

Dominique Jones

Jones is 6’3, 270 pounds and 28 years old. He will be going into his 5th NFL season after failing to catch on with a team last year. Previous teams include the Broncos, Chiefs and Colts for two years. He has dressed for 13 games with 3 starts coming in his first two seasons with the Colts and has a total of 3 receptions for 42 yards and no touchdowns. Jones being one of the older players of the bunch would have to blow away his competition in order to earn the 3rd spot a TE.

Unlike some other positions where Miami may be in need of more depth, the TE battle seems to be ready to go with the players on the current roster.

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