Adam Gase drafted players who may not make it past Saturday

The Miami Dolphins will cut down to 53 on Saturday and several Adam Gase drafted players may not make the final roster.

Since the Miami Dolphins hired Adam Gase three seasons ago the drafts have been pretty decent with only Brandon Doughty no longer with the team. The 7th round quarterback spent time on the practice squad but couldn’t make the next jump in his career. All other players are still on the roster but that might change this weekend.

The Dolphins along with the rest of the NFL have to trim their rosters by 37 players to get to the league mandated 53 man rosters. Some will inevitably return as members of the practice squad. Some however will not. Are all of the draft picks made by Gase, Chris Grier, and Mike Tannenbaum safe? Nope.

The next question is who will not be around come Sunday? That is a little harder to predict, but there is no harm in trying. Here is a look at the players drafted since Gase’s arrival are in trouble of making the roster.

2016

Thomas Duarte – the former 7th round draft pick is stacked in a loaded tight-end room and it’s unlikely that he survives the cuts. In fact, Duarte may not even come back to the practice squad. Miami has two rookie tight-ends this year. Mike Gesicki and Durham Smythe and neither are in danger of losing a roster spot. Miami also has MarQueis Gray and A.J. Derby and both players have played well. Miami very well could carry four tight-ends into the season but there simply is no room for Duarte.

Jordan Lucas – Lucas is versatile but inconsistent and the Dolphins can’t rely on him to play outside of special teams. Lucas hasn’t made a huge impact on special teams and while he provides depth in the secondary, the Dolphins have added to their secondary as well.

Leonte Carroo – Carroo hasn’t been able to play in pre-season and Adam Gase even mentioned him in a press conference this week as having to step up on Thursday night. The injury to DeVante Parker may open the door, albeit temporarily, for Carroo to land on the 53 come Sunday. It is unlikely however that he lasts beyond that. Carroo was a bad choice for the Dolphins who actually traded up to draft him. He has had no impact with the team since being drafted.

2017

Isaiah Ford – Ford was injured last season and spent his rookie year on IR. He has shined at times in training camp but has not taken that practice to the field in pre-season. It’s unclear if the Dolphins value him more than Carroo. The former 7th round draft pick could be added to the practice squad if he clears waivers.

Isaac Asiata – when Asiata was drafted in round five many believed that he only needed a little bit of time to acclimate to the NFL. Asiata has a mean streak on the field but his intensity that came with him from college has not translated to the next level. He barely saw action his rookie season and thus far through three pre-season games hasn’t looked as though the game is slowing down for him.

2018

Cornell Armstrong – It’s hard to put a prediction on a rookie but has anyone heard anything from Armstrong this camp or pre-season? Drafted in round six, Armstrong is going to need to make the roster as a special teams player but that might not be possible either given some of the other secondary depth players that are fighting it out on ST’s as well.

Quentin Poling – Poling is still learning the NFL and the scheme but the Dolphins seem to have some positive thoughts on him. He isn’t necessarily going to get released but he needs to start getting more consistent on defense and needs to prove he belongs on special teams. I predict he will remain but he could be another practice squad player if he is in fact released.

Jason Sanders – If Sanders is released then it means that Greg Joseph has won the kicking job. Both have big legs but Joseph has made the longer field goals thus far. It’s really a flip of the coin with these two. Do the Dolphins value the draft spot more than an undrafted player? We will see.

Overall the Dolphins have done well in Gase’s three seasons as it relates to the draft but players who haven’t taken the next step are going to find themselves looking for work. At some point you have to cut your losses and move on. For the players listed here, that time could come on Saturday.