The Dolphins and Good Free Agent Fits on Defense
The 2022 free agent market once again will feature plenty of big names, and that's not even including players who have been placed on the trading block and might end up getting released.
With the free agent negotiation period — and with it the start of reports of players agreeing to terms with a new team — arriving Monday at noon, ET, there were countless players who had been tied to the Miami Dolphins in some form or fashion.
Some were more realistic possibilities than others, as we break it down by position in terms of what to expect the Dolphins might do in free agency.
In this installment, we look at the defensive market:
INTERIOR DEFENSIVE LINEMEN
There aren't many areas on the roster where the Dolphins seem pretty set, but this sure seems like one of them, particularly after the breakout season that Christian Wilkins enjoyed in 2021. Between him, Raekwon Davis and Zach Sieler, the Dolphins are in pretty good shape there, though they obviously could use a little more depth, particularly since they're not likely to re-sign veteran John Jenkins. One name that would be worth watching here is D.J. Jones of the 49ers, who's young, productive and won't break the bank.
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RELATED: THE DOLPHINS AND GOOD FREE AGENT FITS ON OFFENSE
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EDGE DEFENDERS
There are going to be some awfully big names on the market (barring some late moves) and the Dolphins could find themselves very much in the market if they end up losing Emmanuel Ogbah after declining to use the franchise tag on him. Make no mistake, Ogbah is in line for a major raise after getting $7.5 million each of the past two years, and it says here it might as well be the Dolphins who give it to him. If he leaves, sure, the Dolphins could try to land a big fish like Von Miller or Chandler Jones, but both guys are going to be pricey and Miami would have a lot of competition. Jadeveon Clowney absolutely would be somebody to consider here because of his well-rounded game and Haason Reddick is a dynamic pass rusher, though he's not known for his run-stopping ability. Randy Gregory is another possibility now that he's gotten his career on track in Dallas, though the feeling was that the Cowboys were going to make every effort to keep him. Two under-the-radar names would be Arden Key and Jordan Willis, who both played for the 49ers. But the best move here still would be to re-sign Ogbah, and while he's prepared to leave if he doesn't get the deal he wants, we have to believe the Dolphins still could end up re-signing him.
LINEBACKERS
One of the best off-the-ball linebackers became available this past week when the Seahawks released perennial Pro Bowl selection Bobby Wagner, but there are going to be an awful lot of teams after him and he'll be very expensive, so let's just say him landing in Miami is an awfully long shot. The Dolphins absolutely do need a playmaker at this position and are likely to let Elandon Roberts leave via free agency. Dont'a Hightower, who was familiarity with DC Josh Boyer, certainly is a name to watch and we'd also include Jordan Hicks, who became available after he was released by the Arizona Cardinals. De'Vondre Campbell was a first-team All-Pro for Green Bay last year, but we'd expect him to re-sign with the Packers.
DEFENSIVE BACKS
This is another position with some big names on the market, starting with Patriots Pro Bowl cornerback J.C. Jackson, but there's a lot of buzz he's going to end up signing with the L.A. Chargers. If we've already the Dolphins' complicated situation at cornerback in light of Xavien Howard's touchy contract and Byron Jones' recent surgery, though the Dolphins did take care of making sure Nik Needham would be back by extending him a qualifying offer as an RFA. This is an area where we shouldn't be surprised if the Dolphins' activity here is marginal, maybe relegated to depth signings. Don't be surprised if the Dolphins end up re-signing Justin Coleman, who actually had a pretty good season for them and a sleeper target, we would mention 49ers cornerback Jason Verrett, who likely won't be able to command a big deal because of his injury history but is a guy who's always been very good when he's been on the field. At safety, what the Dolphins end up doing might depend on where they stand with Eric Rowe, whose release would create some cap space but also would create a need for another front-line player to go alongside Jevon Holland and Brandon Jones. If the Dolphins go looking for a cover safety, we should point out that Bobby McCain is a UFA and he's coming off a four-pick season for Washington. One last name to watch here is Damontae Kazee, who started 15 games for Dallas last season.
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Alain Poupart has covered the Miami Dolphins on a full-time basis since 1989 as an editor for Dolphin Digest, writer for miamidolphins.com and now publisher of SI Fan Nation All Dolphins. You can follow him on Twitter at @PoupartNFL.
