Dolphins League Year Kickoff Notebook: X, Barrett, and More
The arrival of the new league year at 4 p.m. Wednesday almost felt anticlimactic after the events of the past two days, and so it was for the Miami Dolphins.
The team made one official announcement once the 2024 league year kicked off, that being the release of cornerback Xavien Howard with a post-June 1 designation. The one noteworthy aspect of the announcement was that Howard was released with a "failed physical" designation.
That, of course, is the result of Howard's foot injury sustained in the Week 17 loss at Batlimore, which forced him to miss the regular season finale and the playoff game at Kansas City. Howard was shown in a social media post after the season doing some on-field drills, but the designation indicates he's not quite ready to pass a physical.
The post-June 1 designation means the Dolphins won't be allowed to use the $18.5 million cap savings associated with Howard's release until that time.
BUCCANEERS SAYS GOODBYE TO BARRETT
Speaking of post-June 1 releases, that's how the Tampa Bay Buccaneers handled the move with linebacker Shaq Barrett, who reportedly agreed to terms on a one-year deal with the Dolphins on Tuesday, though the move remained unofficial as of 5 p.m. Tuesday.
Head coach Todd Bowles acknowledged two weeks ago that the Bucs were going to release Barrett, but they didn't make the move official until Wednesday.
They sent Barrett on his way with a message of gratitude.
"Shaq's contributions to the Buccaneers both on and off the field these past five seasons have been extraordinary and he will be missed by many in and around the organization," General Manager Jason Licht said. "His leadership, work ethic, and dedication to the game have been unmatched and the courage he displayed last season was truly inspirational. We are grateful for Shaq's time here in Tampa and will always have a special place in our hearts for the Barrett family."
CEDRICK WILSON'S STATUS
The NFL released the complete list of free agents at the start of the new league year, and the Dolphins' list included everybody who was a pending free agent except for the three players who signings were made official before then — CB Nik Needham, G Robert Jones and DB Elijah Campbell.
The list did include two UFAs the Dolphins reportedly have agreed to re-sign (RB Salvon Ahmed, P Jake Bailey) along with the five players who reportedly agreed to terms with another team the past two days — Christian Wilkins (Las Vegas), Robert Hunt (Carolina), LB Andrew Van Ginkel (Minnesota), DB Brandon Jones (Denver) and DT Raekwon Davis (Indianapolis).
The remaining official Dolphins UFAs are CB Eli Apple, WR Braxton Berrios, CB Justin Bethel, WR Robbie Chosen, WR Chase Claypool, WR River Cracraft, S DeShon Elliott, DT Da'Shawn Hand, C Jonotthan Harrison, LB Justin Houston, LB Melvin Ingram, LB Bruce Irvin, TE Tyler Kroft, T Kendall Lamm, LB Calvin Munson, C Connor Williams, WR Cedrick Wilson and G Isaiah Wynn.
It should be noted that because Wilson's 2024 contract was voided, he stopped being eligible to be a compensatory free agent, meaning the Dolphins couldn't get a compensatory pick for losing him no matter what kind of contract he signs with another team.
FREE AGENT FORMER DOLPHINS
Three former Dolphins players became unrestricted free agents because their team declined to extend a tender offer.
Those three players are defensive lineman Jonathan Ledbetter (Arizona), wide receiver Lynn Bowden (New Orleans) and defensive tackle Benito Jones (Detroit).
The list of former Dolphins who are UFAs includes WR Mack Hollins (reportedly signing with Buffalo), LB Kyle Van Noy (with Baltimore last season), WR Trent Sherfield (Buffalo), WR Jakeem Grant (Cleveland), CB Noah Igbinoghene (Dallas), OL Michael Deiter (Houston), LB Neville Hewitt (Houston), RB Brandon Bolden (Las Vegas), TE Mike Gesicki (signing with Cincinnati), RB Matt Breida (N.Y. Giants), LB Sam Eguavoen (N.Y. Jets), P Thomas Morstead (re-signed with the N.Y. Jets), T Billy Turner (N.Y. Jets), RB Chase Edmonds (Tampa Bay), QB Ryan Tannehill (Tennessee) and QB Jacoby Brissett (Washington).
