MIAMI -- The Miami Dolphins start the season on the road on Sept. 10 against the Los Angeles Chargers.
The Dolphins snapped a six-year playoff drought last season and return 20 starters on both sides of the ball. They added All-Pro cornerback Jalen Ramsey this offseason and hired defensive coordinator Vic Fangio to fix a defense that held them back at times a season ago.
Miami will be without Ramsey for an undetermined amount of time after he underwent meniscus surgery three days into training camp, but this team believes it's deep enough to hold down the fort until his return. With a healthy (and bulked-up) quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, and star power throughout the locker room, it wouldn't be much of a shock if the Dolphins win the AFC East -- and possibly the conference.
Here is a 53-man roster projection:
QUARTERBACK (3): Tua Tagovailoa, Mike White, Skylar Thompson
The position battle for backup quarterback lasted most of the summer without a clear winner. After last season's woes, the Dolphins assuredly will enter the season with three quarterbacks and likely another on the practice squad.
RUNNING BACK (5): Raheem Mostert, Jeff Wilson Jr., De'Von Achane, Alec Ingold, Salvon Ahmed
Despite serious conversations about interest in Dalvin Cook and Jonathan Taylor, the Dolphins enter the season with virtually the same running backs room as last year. Achane figures to carve out a prominent role at some point in 2023, and Salvon Ahmed is a possible cut-and-re-sign candidate after a strong summer.
WIDE RECEIVER (6): Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, Braxton Berrios, Erik Ezukanma, River Cracraft, Cedrick Wilson Jr.
The deepest position group on this roster makes a difficult decision by cutting Robbie Chosen -- who could be brought back after cut day. Berrios has emerged as the third receiver, although several players (regardless of position) might share the role of Tagovailo'a No. 3 target behind Hill and Waddle.
TIGHT END (3): Durham Smythe, Eric Saubert, Tyler Kroft
Smythe is the clear leader in a room that lacks a pure pass-catcher. This is a position group the Dolphins will likely look to upgrade next offseason. Keep an eye on Julian Hill to be released and re-signed if he doesn't make the initial roster. The UDFA has stood out in training camp and his absence from the initial roster could be more bureaucratic than anything.
OFFENSIVE LINE (9): Terron Armstead, Isaiah Wynn, Connor Williams, Robert Hunt, Austin Jackson, Kendall Lamm, Robert Jones, Dan Feeney, Liam Eichenberg
Miami worked to add depth to this much-maligned unit from a season ago, and the newcomer Wynn may have landed a starting job from the third-year guard Eichenberg. Lamm has stood out as the Dolphins' clear swing tackle, should Armstead or Jackson miss time.
DEFENSIVE LINE (5): Christian Wilkins, Zach Sieler, Raekwon Davis, Emmanuel Ogbah, Brandon Pili
Wilkins sat out team drills toward the end of camp over a contract dispute -- which should be resolved by the time the Dolphins touch down in Los Angeles. Sieler is one of the top unheralded players in this league while Pili makes the roster as an undrafted rookie.
LINEBACKER (8): Jaelan Phillips, Bradley Chubb, Jerome Baker, David Long Jr., Andrew Van Ginkel, Channing Tindall, Malik Reed, Duke Riley
Miamis hopes Phillips and Chubb will replicate the production Chubb put up with Von Miller in Denver under Vic Fangio. Baker and Long will contribute in the middle of the field, while van Ginkel and Reed add to the pass-rushing rotation.
CORNERBACK (7): Jalen Ramsey, Xavien Howard, Kader Kohou, Trill Williams, Cam Smith, Keion Crossen, Eli Apple
Ramsey will likely start the season on injured reserve, paving the way for Miami to re-sign a released player. Apple and Smith will vie for the starting job opposite Howard, while 2020 first-round pick Noah Igbinoghene will possibly be cut and brought back.
SAFETY (4): Jevon Holland, Brandon Jones, DeShon Elliott, Verone McKinley III
Holland could make a Pro Bowl or even an All-Pro jump this season. Jones is returning from a torn ACL last season and will likely rotate with offseason signee Elliott.
SPECIALISTS (3): Jake Bailey, Jason Sanders, Blake Ferguson
Sanders and Ferguson return as two of the longest-tenured players on the Dolphins. Bailey joins as the third punter in three years.