The #36 Most Important Dolphin Isn't Even Guaranteed a Roster Spot, and Miami's Massive Rebuild Is Just Starting

Holy smokes, did you see what's happening down in Miami? The Dolphins are rolling into training camp at the end of July with a roster that's pretty much unrecognizable from what they ran out there in 2025. We're talking a TOTAL offseason overhaul, veterans out, fresh faces in, and it's making the battle for a roster spot absolutely brutal.

Miami's Roster Is Absolutely Stacked With Questions

After a flurry of moves, including signing former UFL tackle Gottlieb Ayedze this week, the Dolphins are sitting on 91 players right now, not even counting their International Player Pathway Program guy, tight end Seydou Traore. It's wild! This isn't just a few tweaks, folks, it's a full-blown rebuild under GM Jon-Eric Sullivan and Head Coach Jeff Hafley. They're ranking every player based on ability, expected role, and how much they matter to the team's progress for 2026. When you've got this many guys vying for a spot, every single player, especially the ones lower on the importance list, has a mountain to climb just to make the cut.

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These Five Dolphins Are Fighting for Their Future, RIGHT NOW

Let's talk about the guys ranked 36-40, because their situations tell you everything about this rebuild. Rookie fifth-round safety Michael Taaffe, from Texas, is ranked 40th. He's almost a lock for the 53-man roster, which is cool for a rookie, but honestly, nobody's envisioning him having a major defensive role. Then there's cornerback Ethan Bonner at 39. This dude is intriguing! His teammates are always hyping up his speed, but he hasn't cracked a big defensive role yet. There's nothing stopping him this summer, but he absolutely has to make it happen. You gotta show up when it counts, right?

At 38, we've got tight end Ben Sims. He was a free agent signing, but then the Dolphins drafted Will Kacmarek and Seydou Traore, which looked like it'd push him way down the depth chart. But Sims showed in the spring that he's still a viable option and shouldn't be dismissed. Keep an eye on him. Former second-round pick David Ojabo, an edge defender, comes in at 37. He looked the part in the spring, and there are definitely opportunities for edge rushers to grab playing time. But the real kicker is Lonnie Johnson Jr. at 36. This former second-round pick for the Texans is trying to restart his career and get back to being a starter. There's a chance, for sure, if he has a killer training camp. But here's the wild part: even at #36 on the importance list, given all the new blood, he's not even guaranteed a roster spot. That's a huge gut punch and a clear sign of how competitive Miami's camp is gonna be.

For these five players, and really, the entire Dolphins organization, the next few weeks leading into camp are everything. What happens between now and late July will show if these guys can truly make an impact, or if they'll be another casualty in Miami's quest to build a whole new squad. It's gonna be a high-stakes, knock-down, drag-out fight for every single roster spot, and we'll be watching every step of the way.

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