Dolphins Keeping Two Impending Free Agents

The Miami Dolphins took care of bringing back two of their three exclusive-rights free agents

Miami Dolphins linebacker Cameron Goode (53) participates in drills during practice at the PSD Bank Arena. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Miami Dolphins have begun the process of signing some of their free agents ahead of the March 12 kickoff to the new league year, taking care of two young players.

The team tendered linebacker Cameron Goode and offensive lineman Kion Smith, both of whom were scheduled to be exclusive-rights free agents. As the description suggests, exclusive-rights free agents are players who can't negotiate with another team if they are offered a qualifying tender. It now becomes just about a formality that each player will re-sign because neither has no other option but a holdout and that simply doesn't happen.

According to overthecap.com, the tender for each player is for a little over $1 million and each will become a restricted free agent next offseason.

Goode, a seventh-round pick in the 2022 NFL draft, spent most of last season on the Physically Unable to Perform list as they worked his way back from a serious knee injury he sustained in the 2023 regular season finale against the Buffalo Bills.

Goode played in three games last year after playing all 17 in 2023, with most of his playing time coming on special teams.

As for Smith, he played in nine games in a backup capacity in 2023 before spending all of last season on injured reserve because of a preseason ACL injury.

The Dolphins have one other impending exclusive-rights free agent this offseason, wide receiver Grant DuBose.

Claimed off waivers from the Green Bay Packers after the roster cuts to the 53-player limit, DuBose's season was marred by two significant injuries, a shoulder issue in Week 2 and the concussion that was the result of the scary hit he took against the Houston Texans in Week 15.

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THE OTHER DOLPHINS FREE AGENTS

Addionally, the Dolphins have three restricted free agents: cornerback Kader Kohou, wide receiver Anthony Schwartz and linebacker Quinton Bell.

Between now and March 12, the Dolphins will have to decide whether they extend qualifying offers to any or all of those players.

There are realistically four types of tenders, all of which give the Dolphins the opportunity to match an offer sheet, buthere are the official amounts with the compensation involved if they declined to do so:

-- A first-round tender would guarantee the player at 2025 salary of $7.5 million and make the compensation a first-round pick

-- A second-round tender will be $5.3 million

-- A tender for the original round in which the player was selected will be $3.4 million

-- A tender for only the right of first refusal but no compensation will be $3.3 million

The Dolphins don't have to extend qualifying tenders to any of their restricted free agents and still could re-sign them, but they also could sign with another team with Miami having no right to match.

In 2024, the Dolphins had two pending RFAs, but they ended up re-signing both Robert Jones and Elijah Campbell before the start of the league year.

Additionally, after declining to use the franchise or transition tag on any player this year, the Dolphins have 26 players who will become unrestricted free agents March 12 if they're not re-signed before then.