Five questions that could determine how the Dolphins fill out their 53-man roster

As Dolphins general manager Chris Grier cuts the team’s roster from 80 players to 53 by the NFL’s 4 p.m. Tuesday deadline, he will have to consider many factors: depth, positional value, injuries and more.

Head coach Mike McDaniel acknowledged that in the quest to find the best 53 players for the season, the team might leave itself deeper or thinner in certain spots. But each team seeks balance across the roster. The work won’t stop Tuesday, though. Hundreds of players will be exposed to the waiver wire, and the Dolphins will sift through names not only in the search for potential roster additions but members of their 16-man practice squad.

Here are five questions that could determine the makeup of the Dolphins’ roster:

Is keeping three QBs a legitimate option?

Seventh-round pick Skylar Thompson initially seemed destined for the team’s practice squad. But the 25-year-old has played his way into consideration for the 53-man roster with an impressive training camp. The former Kansas State signal-caller has shown good decision-making and an ability to push the ball downfield. Teddy Bridgewater signed a one-year, $10 million deal to be Tua Tagovailoa’s backup in 2021, but the Dolphins could have a potentially high-end, inexpensive backup in Thompson for the next few years. It seems unlikely a team would put in a claim to get Thompson as its new backup with two weeks until Week 1, but exposing him to the rest of the league might be too risky.

Are the Dolphins OK with just three running backs?

With McDaniel’s focus on the running game, the Dolphins will need multiple capable players in the backfield. Chase Edmonds and Raheem Mostert will be the team’s top two running backs, and Sony Michel appears to be the leader for the No. 3 position. But does the team need more reinforcements? Mostert has a lengthy injury history and Edmonds wasn’t a bell cow with the Arizona Cardinals. Keeping fullback Alec Ingold also complicates matters with one fewer ball carrier to allocate a spot. If the Dolphins want a fourth player, Myles Gaskin or Salvon Ahmed likely makes the team. There’s a chance they could get one back on the practice squad — new rules allow teams to sign up to six practice squad players with more than two accrued seasons — as well as Gerrid Doaks or ZaQuandre White.

Do the Dolphins need a sixth receiver?

The Dolphins appear to have five players set at wide receiver: Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, Cedrick Wilson Jr., Trent Sherfield and Erik Ezukanma. Many teams keep six — and in some cases, seven — wideouts, and the Dolphins have multiple viable candidates such as Lynn Bowden Jr. and Braylon Sanders.

The argument could be made for the Dolphins to keep just five receivers given the personnel they’re expected to use with McDaniel’s offense. Ingold will get a lot of snaps each week, and the team could continue its high usage of formations with two tight ends, as Mike Gesicki, Durham Smythe and Hunter Long are all expected to be on the roster. The Dolphins will have to part ways with some talented pass-catchers, but they could likely bring Sanders back on the practice squad. Veterans such as River Cracraft or Mohamed Sanu could be signed if their depth is tested during the season.

Where does the team stand with injuries?

McDaniel has remained “hopeful” that cornerback Byron Jones will be activated from the physically unable to perform list in time for Week 1. However, Jones’ offseason surgery on his lower leg kept him out of training camp, and time is winding down for him to ramp up ahead of the regular-season opener on Sept. 11. The Dolphins could move Jones from the active/PUP list to reserve/PUP list ahead of the roster cutdown deadline. This would sideline him for the first four games of the season and open a roster spot, possibly for another corner. The team could also wait until after the cutdown deadline to place Jones on injured reserve, which would force him to miss the first four games, too.

Meanwhile, the Dolphins have other players with undisclosed injuries, but they don’t appear to be dealing with long-term absences. Outside linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel, who missed the last two camp practices, had his appendix removed, but there is a chance he can play in Week 1. If it turns into a multigame absence, the Dolphins could place Van Ginkel on IR. Fellow outside linebacker Brennan Scarlett missed the final two weeks of camp, and there has been no recent update on his status. Waddle has been heavily limited in practice the past two weeks but was incorporated into individual drills this past week. Any player placed on IR before the cutdown deadline will miss the rest of the season unless he agrees to an injury settlement and is released.

Do any attractive options emerge on cutdown day?

Grier’s phone won’t rest in the lead-up to the cutdown deadline and probably won’t afterward. Countless teams will be looking to trade talented players they can’t fit on their roster (A report earlier this month said the Dolphins have had trade talks regarding Bowden and wide receiver Preston Williams). As players are released, the Dolphins could find good fits, particularly at positions with questionable depth, such as offensive tackle and cornerback.

By 4 p.m. Tuesday, the Dolphins will be down to 53 players. Odds are the front office will still tinker with the roster before they kick off against the New England Patriots at Hard Rock Stadium.