Will the Miami Dolphins carry four tight ends when final cuts are made?

The Miami Dolphins have some talent for a change at the tight-end position but that also means making a decision on who should go will be tough.

When the Miami Dolphins open up the tight-end book and start evaluating who will stay and who will go there are three names that stand out as definites. Mike Gesicki, MarQueis Gray, and Durham Smythe.

The drama will start to unfold for the potential fourth tight-end spot. That is if the Dolphins opt to keep four on the roster. Frankly, I’m not sure they can afford not to. That would leave the fourth position up for grabs between three players.

Gavin Escobar is a former 2nd round draft pick of the Dallas Cowboys. He never lived up to his draft stock with the Cowboys and in his first training camp with the Dolphins he has been relatively quiet, by that I mean quiet. Escobar has little chance to make the roster and really isn’t even a threat to take a spot from Thomas Duarte.

Duarte is entering his third season with Miami after being drafted in round seven in 2016. He has spent most of his time on the practice squad appearing in only one game, back in 2016. While Duarte has had a decent camp and a pretty good pre-season it’s very unlikely that he gets the final spot on the Dolphins roster.

A.J. Derby was a mid-season pick up last year and when he is healthy he can be a good receiver and blocking tight-end. Derby missed some time in camp and pre-season but is healthy now. Derby isn’t a long-term solution for the Dolphins at least he hasn’t proven he can be but he has experience and Smythe and Gesicki do not.’

Prediction: 4 – Gesicki, Smythe, Derby, and Gray

Read the previous predictions of the QB’s, RB’s, and WR’s by clicking the links.