Preseason 2026: Dolphins and Browns among the teams CBS says need their August reps most

The NFL preseason is now in full swing, and for some teams it is less about sightseeing and more about survival-by-detail. A new CBS Sports breakdown points to eight clubs that need August repetitions the most, framing the preseason as the stretch where depth charts stabilize, position battles get their final shape, and coaching staffs can evaluate which players truly fit their systems before September games begin.

In that list, the Miami Dolphins are one of the franchises singled out. The underlying premise is simple, preseason snaps are often where the most important questions surface, especially when a team is trying to tighten its execution across units. For a roster that must function in sync, the difference between a good practice week and a useful preseason drive can show up in timing, spacing, and decision-making under game cadence.

Cleveland is the other featured club in the CBS grouping. The Browns, like most NFL teams, use exhibition games to answer practical questions that cannot be resolved in drills alone. That includes how the offense and defense communicate when the game speeds up, how rotation players perform after the opener, and how the coaching staff balances evaluation with staying within plan.

CBS’s broader point extends beyond any one club: August is where the league’s competitive environment becomes tangible. Teams can spend months studying film and running installs, but preseason football is where coaches find out how players handle late-down pressure, unfamiliar coverages, and the rhythm of play calls in real time.

The stakes can be heightened when a team is dealing with major uncertainty, whether it involves a quarterback situation, shifting roles on offense or defense, or gaps that emerged between the end of last season and the current training-camp plan. CBS ties this to the preseason’s role as a roster spot-setter, not merely a tune-up, which is why some teams need reps more than others.

There is also a practical evaluation angle that matters for roster construction. Coaches are looking for consistent performers, not highlight moments, and preseason games can reveal who handles technique and assignment work when everything is more chaotic than practice.

With the NFL’s regular season approaching, the key to watching now is which teams use the next two-plus weeks to narrow questions quickly. For the Dolphins and Browns, CBS’s inclusion among the eight most in-need of August work suggests that the next preseason stretch could be pivotal for making the final calls on depth-chart order and readiness.

Still, preseason football is not the regular season, and results do not translate perfectly. The team-building value is often in how players process situations, execute assignments, and respond to play-by-play adjustments, not only in stat lines. The more a franchise treats these exhibitions as a decision window, the more meaning they can carry once September arrives.