MIAMI GARDENS — Dolphins edge rusher Cameron Goode , like many others, is fighting for a spot on the 53-man regular-season roster. He was somewhat surprisingly listed as the fourth-team edge rusher on the initial depth chart that was issued last week and hasn't made an upward move. And he plays perhaps Miami's weakest position.
This is the plight of an end-of-the-roster player in a NFL training camp. You patiently play within the system, which coaches value, and hope your discipline and hard work gets noticed.
Goode, such as everyone in his situation, could use a strong week of practice, especially Thursday's joint session against the New York Giants , and a big showing in Saturday's preseason game against the Giants. He needs to gain some traction on the depth chart.
It's a familiar situation. Goode, the 2022 seventh-round pick who totaled 22 tackles and one start last season while playing in all 17 games for the Dolphins , needed to make a play in Friday's preseason opener against the Washington Commanders . He did, recording a third-down sack.
But neither that play nor the ones that precluded it have been enough to move him up the depth chart, even on a team starved for pass rushing help.
Goode, who has made his living as a special teams standout with 698 snaps in three seasons, and could take that route to earning a roster spot again this season, downplayed his backburner status at edge rusher.
"I try not to look at the depth chart too much," he said.
Goode, who didn't get a snap with the starters in Tuesday's practice and has rarely run with starters the entire offseason, has seemingly had a good training camp. I've seen him making plays in practice. Granted, it's almost always against backups, but he's been making plays.
Yet on the depth chart Goode is listed behind starter Chop Robinson , injured veteran Clelin Ferrell and rookie seventh-round pick Max Llewellyn. On the other side of the defensive line there are edge rushers Josh Uche , Robert Beal Jr. and David Ojabo .
"What we're looking for is someone to kind of take over," Dolphins coach Jeff Hafley said of the edge rusher position, including backups. "Line up the right way, play the right technique, set edges, have some good pass rushes, and I think we're still looking for that consistency … big-picture wise, I think just like we keep saying, and you're going to get bored of it, it's just who can consistently do the job over and over again."
That last part, the consistency, might be Goode's undoing. But he can make plays from time to time.
Goode, who has no sacks in 196 career snaps from scrimmage, lined up on the left side of the defensive line midway through the third quarter in Friday's 20-7 loss at Washington.
It was third-and-7 and Washington was at its own 41-yard line when Goode, running a stunt, looped inside of defensive tackle Keith Cooper Jr., took dead aim at quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis, dropping him for an 11-yard loss.
Goode was a spot player from scrimmage in the Dolphins' previous 3-4 defense. But now Goode needs to impress from scrimmage in the 4-3 system, which means he has his hand in the dirt more frequently.
Goode said being in the 4-3 defense also means "a lot more going forward every play, not as much dropping into coverage. We have a few in there that we drop, but mostly it's just going forward, setting the edge, or getting back there to the quarterback."
To help with that task, Goode has added five to 10 pounds "depending on the day," he said in a nod toward South Florida's notorious heat and humidity.
He hopes special teams still help him get on the 53-man roster.
"Special teams are always going to be a part of it for me," he said, "so I'm trying to be dependable on both phases so I can be out there as much as I can to help the team."
But ideally Goode will do enough this week to get noticed and move up the depth chart at edge rusher.
