Dolphins' Mike McDaniel has made his stance on WR battle crystal clear

The Miami Dolphins have a lot of decisions to make with their 53-man roster, but one position is shaping up to be a lot less dramatic than initially thought.

Miami defeated the Detroit Lions in Saturday's preseason contest, but a Mike McDaniel pregame decision may answer who will make the team and, more importantly, who will not.

McDaniel said he was going to sit the starters for their second preseason game, but no one expected Nick Westbrook-Ikhine to be one of those sitting out the game, especially after his camp performance.

Dolphins tip their 53-man roster hand by sitting out two receivers in preseason Week 2

There was no question that Tyreek Hill, who is sidelined due to injury, and Jaylen Waddle would sit out the preseason game, but fans are questioning why Westbrook-Ikhine and Malik Washington didn't suit up. Westbrook-Ikhine hasn't stood out much during camp, so the extra reps would have helped make his case. Washington has been better and probably earned the break.

With both sitting out, McDaniel has made it clear they are likely to make the roster this season. Dee Eskridge did play and returned punts on Saturday. Eskridge also became a favorite target of Zach Wilson. He scored the first Dolphins touchdown of the game and showed the coaches he is more than just a return specialist.

If we do the math, there is one wide receiver position available if the Dolphins go with six.

Eskridge is likely to take the fifth spot, leaving the rest of the guys fighting for one position. With the camp Tahj Washington is having this year, it will likely be him.

This isn't good news for Erik Ezukanma, who did not stand out beyond the first week of training camp. He has been competing for his roster spot since OTAs and minicamp, but he has become a long shot. On Saturday, McDaniel's decision to sit four receivers doesn't bode well for the bottom of the roster.

Tahj Washington continued to show why he deserves a roster spot. The Dolphins may have hoped to slide him through waivers, with the hopes of adding him to the practice squad, but Washington is making a case to McDaniel and the rest of the NFL.