Lonnie Johnson Jr. Isn't Even Guaranteed a Spot and Miami's Rebuild is WILD Right Now

Alright 12s, we're deep into April, the Hawks are cooking, the M's are heating up, the Kraken are battling. Our focus is always on the green and blue, but sometimes you gotta peek over the fence, right? What's happening in other parts of the league? Well, down in Miami, things are getting kinda chaotic. The Dolphins are tearing down their roster, bringing in new blood, and honestly, the sheer drama unfolding even with their *fringe* players is something else. We're talking about guys ranked 36-40 on their roster, and trust me, some of these stories are wild, especially for guys fighting to even make the squad!

The Former Second-Rounders Fighting for Their Lives

Can you believe a former second-round pick isn't even guaranteed a spot on the 53-man roster? That's Lonnie Johnson Jr.'s reality in Miami. This dude, a second-round pick for the Houston Texans back in the day, is trying to jumpstart his career and get back to being a starter. There's an opening for sure, but the source says it's all on him to have a strong training camp performance. With all the new faces, he's barely holding on, which just shows you how intense this Dolphins overhaul really is. Talk about high stakes for a guy at the back of the roster! And then you've got EDGE David Ojabo, another former second-rounder, who, to his credit, "looked the part" in the spring. He's got plenty of opportunities for edge defenders, but man, those draft picks don't mean squat if you don't perform.

Speed That Can't Break Through and Surprise Tight Ends

Let's talk about Ethan Bonner, ranked 39th. The speed demon! His teammates are always hyping him up, talking about his raw talent. But despite all that praise, this dude hasn't quite broken through to earn a major defensive role

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yet. There's nothing stopping him from doing it this summer, but he absolutely has to make it happen. You gotta wonder what's holding him back when everyone sees the talent. And then there's Ben Sims, a free agent tight end. The Dolphins literally drafted two other tight ends, Will Kacmarek and Seydou Traore, after signing him. You'd think that'd push him to the back of the line, right? WRONG! He showed in the spring he shouldn't be dismissed as a viable option. Sometimes it's the guys you least expect that make a noise, huh?

The Rookie Who Needs to Make Some Noise

And finally, rounding out this crew at 40, we've got rookie safety Michael Taaffe, a fifth-round pick out of Texas. He's almost certainly gonna make the 53-man roster, which is a win for a late-round guy. But here's the kicker: the team has a hard time envisioning a major role for him on defense at this time. Rookie safeties can be electric, but he's gotta prove he can contribute beyond just being on the squad. This is the challenge for all these guys, from the veteran fighting to stay relevant to the rookie trying to make his mark. Miami's roster is a pressure cooker, and it's only April! Man, talk about a team in flux. The Dolphins have 91 players on the roster right now, including Seydou Traore, an England-born rookie tight end with an International Player Pathway Program exemption. They signed former UFL tackle Gottlieb Ayedze recently, too. Their GM, Jon-Eric Sullivan, and head coach Jeff Hafley are overseeing a full-blown rebuilding project. It's a total overhaul, a completely different squad from how they ended the 2025 season. It's wild to see how much turnover there is, even on the fringes. As the season gets going, we'll keep an eye on how these guys carve out their spots in Miami. You gotta love the grind, even if it's not our boys in blue and green doing it!

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.