Dolphins camp battle preview: Tight Ends

The Miami Dolphins are now weeks away from starting their training camp session instead of months. Camp battles are expected at all positions including tight-end.

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The Dolphins did not do a lot in free agency to shore up their tight-end position but they didn’t really need to. Miami opted to keep Jordan Cameron despite a disappointing 2015 season. Of course the entire team was a dissappointment in 2015 which is why almost all of the coaching staff is gone.

Cameron is hoping to return to the production levels he enjoyed while with the Browns. Under new head coach Adam Gase, who uses the position well in his system, Cameron may just get that opportunity.

There is no question that Cameron, barring injury, will be the starter but who will get the opportunity when Cameron is not on the field?

The logical choice is Dion Sims but Sims really needs to take another step in the proverbial “right-direction”. 2016 will be his 4th season in the NFL and Miami can no longer wait for him to reach the levels they hoped he would achieve.

The Dolphins could face a potentially interesting situation in 2016 as two tight-end sets may not be used that often. Miami has a solid wide-receiving group and the Dolphins lack of depth at tight-end should put more wide-receivers on the field with Cameron the showcased end.

Sims is not guaranteed a job this year. His production has not been consistent enough to warrant a guaranteed spot. He is also however not specifically in danger of losing his job. This is where the camp battles at this position will begin, behind him.

The Dolphins have Jake Stoneburner who last year filled in well for Sims early in the season. Sims started the season looking good until a week one injury sidelined him. Stoneburner is getting a fresh look this year under Gase. He is slightly younger and slightly cheaper than Sims but Stoneburner is not going to take a roster spot from Sims this year.

MarQueis Gray has been in the league for three years making him the 3rd most experienced tight-end on the team but Gray’s chief competition is Stoneburner as the 3rd tight-end. Where the competition comes in is with rookie Thomas Duarte who was drafted by the Dolphins in April.

Duarte is interesting because it’s not clear where the Dolphins envision him in 2016. Is he simply a prospect that was on their 7th round board? A prospect they want to put on the practice squad? Or is Duarte someone they view as a potential contributor on special teams in 2016 as he acclimates to the NFL?

The Dolphins are likely to carry only three tight-ends in 2016 and those three spots should belong to Cameron, Sims, and Stoneburner or Gray. The outside looking in players are more or less camp bodies. Gabe Hughes and Dominique Jones.

Tight end won’t get a lot of press when training camp starts but if Sims doesn’t pick up the Gase offense and another tight-end does quicker, we could see a battle emerge behind Cameron that is more than just a simple attempt to make the roster.