Miami Dolphins TE camp competition is a 3 man race
By Brian Miller
The Miami Dolphins will keep at least three tight ends in 2022 but four is certainly not out of the realm of reality under Mike McDaniel.
With training camp now counting down in days instead of months or weeks, we can look at some of the better competitions that will be played out for a 2022 roster spot. In this case, the Miami Dolphins will have a tough decision. Keep three, or keep four.
Mike Gesicki will make the Dolphins roster unless for some unseen reason he is hurt or worse, traded. We can also assume that Durham Smythe will make the roster given his off-season extension. That leaves the final two spots or maybe even one spot left between four TEs.
Of the TEs on the Dolphins roster, Tanner Conner is as far away as an afterthought as there can be. It is not a knock on him, he is a rookie and maybe he can earn a practice squad spot. That would be a perfect spot for a young TE at this level.
With Conner likely out, the competitions is in reality, a three-person competition.
Adam Shaheen has the better statistics on the field over both Cethan Carter and Hunter Long. Long has the higher draft investment taken in round three of the 2021 NFL Draft. Long is considered by many to be the future at the position for Miami in some way or another.
If I were a betting man, the 3rd roster spot at the position is between these two and I don’t see a clear path for Cethan Carter, but I’m not a betting man. This is a three person race but since I’m making predictions, I would say that the 3rd spot will go to Long and the 4th spot will be between Shaheen and Carter.
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The reason I say this is I believe that Long has a longer future in Miami, or at least an intended future and that will move Shaheen down a notch on the pecking order. I think Miami will keep Shaheen as well but if Mike McDaniel sees more value in Carter I would be surprised.
Will Miami keep four TEs on the roster? I think so and I think those spots will go to Gesicki, Long, Smythe, and Shaheen with Carter and Conner moving on after camp.