'Blessed' Griffin Not Sweating Final Roster Cuts

It's been almost four weeks since Shaquem Griffin signed with the Miami Dolphins and the veteran linebacker can't say enough about what a great opportunity this has been.

That gratitude is part of the reason Griffin isn't sweating out the possibility that his time with the Dolphins soon could be coming to an end.

The inspirational one-handed player clearly is on the roster bubble a few days before the preseason finale and less than a week before the Dolphins have to join the rest of the NFL in getting down to the 53-player roster, but he refuses to start looking ahead and worrying about decisions that will be out of his control.

“My experience is I’ve been a guy who made the team, I’ve been a guy who’s been waived before," Griffin said after practice Wednesday. "My whole thing is the only thing you can control is the controllables and that’s kind of the thing I teach the young guys is don’t allow decision-making that’s not on you to stress you out. Because that’s only going to hurt yourself mentally. In this game, in this sport and this business, you’ve got to learn how to protect your mental (health) at all times. No matter being on the cusp, being a guy who they want, being the guy they don’t want, the only thing you can control is what you do. And then you’ve got 31 other teams who also are looking in, so handle your job.”

Griffin's standing on the roster might be looking bleak after he didn't get a snap on defense (he got seven on special teams) in the 37-17 victory against the Atlanta Falcons on Saturday night.

That kind of inaction usually isn't a good sign for a player toward the bottom of the depth chart, as Griffin is, but again he's not sweating it because he sees it as coaches maybe wanting to take a look at younger players on the roster.

Besides, Griffin likes the way his training camp has gone.

“I feel confident," he said. "This has definitely been my best camp since I’ve been in the league, so as far as that, no matter what happens, no matter what’s the outcome of the situation or a roster (spot), I know I’ll be in a good position because I handled my business as far as making sure I learned the plays, making sure I’m a guy who has energy, making sure that I’m making plays, making sure that I’m running around. The only thing I can do is control the controllables and when the decision is made, I’ll be happy with any decision, there on the team or not.”

Griffin joined the Dolphins on July 23, more than four months after the Seattle Seahawks declined to extend him a qualifying offer as a restricted free agent.

He spent three seasons with Seattle, including last season when he was cut before the regular season before being elevated from the practice squad and eventually signed to the active roster.

Signing with the Dolphins represented a homecoming of sorts for Griffin, who starred at the University of Central Florida alongside his brother Shaquill, who's now with the Jacksonville Jaguars after playing four seasons in Seattle.

“You gotta understand, there’s millions of people who want to be in the position that I am," Shaquem said. "I’m blessed and honored just to be able to be here. I had family come visit, so this is like, you gotta understand, everything can’t go your way, everything is not 100 percent your way, but the things that can be your way, seeing family, enjoying the sun, being back in Florida, being around a great group of guys who want to learn, who want to go as hard as possible and play for a coach that they love, you don’t see that in every area.

"For me to be able to have the opportunity to be here, be coached, be around some great guys, be around great coaches and coaches who want to teach and excited when you ask questions ... it’s like I’m blessed and honored just to be able to be here this camp.”