Predicting the Miami Dolphins secondary for the 2020 season
By Brian Miller
The Miami Dolphins secondary is deep and making cuts is not going to be easy.
When the Miami Dolphins make their final roster cuts, cornerback and safety will take a hit and there really is no way around it.
We have covered the entire Miami Dolphins roster except for safety and cornerback and those two positions are going to be a little harder to predict. Why? Because Brian Flores loves secondary players.
The Dolphins have a total of 15 players between safety and corner. Our predictions so far have the Dolphins at 42 players with the anticipation of the team keeping at least 11 in the secondary.
Cornerback guarantees
Xavien Howard
Barring a blockbuster trade, Xavien Howard will make the roster because, well, he is the best of what they have back there but he needs to get healthy quickly. He has returned to practice but is still somewhat limited.
Byron Jones
Jones was the highest-paid free agent during the 2020 Dolphins offseason and his $15 million cap number makes him the highest-paid player on the roster. Now he needs to prove he is worth it. His camp so far has been very inconsistent.
Noah Igbinoghene
The first-round rookie corner has been one of the more impressive players, veteran or otherwise in the Dolphins secondary and unlike Minkah Fitzpatrick, Igbinoghene has embraced the multiple roles the coaches are throwing at him.
Nik Needham
After starting the 2019 season with speculation on when he would be released, Needham fought hard and got better and by seasons end was trending upwards quickly, his training camp has continued to show improvement.
Eric Rowe
Listed as a corner, Rowe is really going to play safety this year and that is a good thing because he played it pretty well most of the time last year.
Clayton Fejedelem
Fejedelem isn’t going to see a lot of field work but his special teams play is one of the reasons he was brought to Miami in the first place. He will get his reps as a nickel defensive back but his money is earned by STs.
Safety guarantees
Brandon Jones
The rookie has had a very good camp and continues to make a case for more playing time. With the Dolphins not very deep at safety, Jones should see a lot of opportunities in 2020.
Bobby McCain
McCain is that working man who gets it done. It’s never pretty or making a highlight reel but he is very consistent and his work ethic allows him to continue improving.
light. Related Story. Final predictions for Dolphins DEs
Corners on the outside
Ken Webster
Miami lost Webster to an injury last year but they liked what they saw in him before the injury. There are not guarantees that he makes the roster this year but he has played well and given the others on the team, he less of a project.
The rest
Tae Hayes, Jamal Perry, Nate Brooks
All three are entering their second season in the NFL. It will come down to small details and intangibles.
Safeties
Kavon Frazier
With four years under his belt, Frazier has the experience that the other competing safeties do not have. It will bode well for him as the team begins looking to make cuts.
Nate Holley
There just wasn’t enough time or available reps for Holley to be fully evaluated.
Final predictions
Howard, Byron Jones, Brandon Jones, Igbinoghene, Fejedelem, McCain, Needham, and Rowe are all guarantees. I believe that Webster will get another season as well. That leaves two spots available for the remaining players. I believe that Frazier will get a roster spot and the last spot will go to Tae Hayes.