Monday Dolphins Notebook: FA Guard Visits, Fuller's Family Race, and More
In addition to re-signing one of their own free agent offensive lineman and adding one from another team, the Miami Dolphins also had a free agent visit with guard Phil Haynes on Monday.
Haynes is an unrestricted free agent after spending the past four seasons with the Seattle Seahawks.
After making five starts in his first four NFL seasons after arriving as a fourth-round pick in 2019, Haynes became a full-time starter last season but his season was cut short after eight games because of a toe injury that landed him on injured reserve.
Haynes, who played collegiately at Wake Forest, is listed at 6-4, 322.
The Dolphins re-signed guard Isaiah Wynn on Monday and signed guard/tackle Jack Driscoll as a UFA from the Philadelphia Eagles.
SUPER BOWL ODDS UPDATE
The first wave of free agency was not good for the Dolphins — at least as it pertains to their Super Bowl odds from BetOline.
The Dolphins went from 18/1 to 28/1 after losing Christian Wilkins, Robert Hunt and Andrew Van Ginkel in free agency, going from tied for eighth-best odds to tied for the 13th-best with the Atlanta Falcons, who entered the offseason at 33/1.
The Dolphins should feel alone, though, as 17 teams saw their odds get worse. Among contenders, the Detroit Lions had the biggest fall, going from 7/1 to 14/1.
Kansas City and San Francisco are now co-favorites at 6/1, after the Chiefs moved from 5/1 and the 49ers stayed put.
FULLER FAMILY FEUD
New Dolphins cornerback is the fourth member of his family to play in the NFL, following in the footsteps of Vincent, Corey and Kyle Fuller.
While Corey was a wide receiver, Vincent, Kyle and Kendall all are defensive backs, and it's Kyle who holds family bragging rights when it comes to NFL interceptions.
Kyle Fuller played nine seasons with the Bears, Broncos and Ravens from 2014-22 and record 19 career picks; Kendall is not far behind with 16.
“I mean, it’s definitely going to end up with me having more," Kyle said with a smile during a Zoom media session Monday. "But Kyle’s been a tremendous role model for me. He’s someone I’ve always relied on ever since I got to college. So even just in terms of my offseason, just following his routine, his plan, studying his tape and things like that. So all my brothers, my parents, are the reason why I’m the player I am today. I always have a high and a tremendous amount of respect for them.”
THIS AND THAT
-- DT Byron Cowart, who spent the 2023 season on the Dolphins practice squad, has signed with the Chicago Bears.
-- The signings of WR DeVante Parker (Philadelphia), DT John Jenkins (Las Vegas) and WR Cedrick Wilson Jr. (New Orleans) all became official.
-- On this day in 2004, the Dolphins traded 2001 first-round Jamar Fletcher and a sixth-round selection to the San Diego Chargers for WR David Boston, closing the book on Fletcher's disappointment tenure in Miami.
THEY SAID IT ...
Selected comments from Dolphins newcomers' Zoom media sessions Monday:
-- G/T Jack Driscoll, who signed after playing with the Eagles, on whether the NFL should ban the "tush push: “That’s a great question. There is a lot more that goes into it than meets the eye. Those guys up front on the Eagles do a great job and Jalen (Hurts) spearheads it with being able to squat 600 pounds. I don’t think they are going to ban it.”
-- DT Jonathan Harris on what he saw from the Miami offense when it scored 70 points on his Denver Broncos last September: "Explosive. They exposed a lot of weaknesses in our defense. But after that, we figured out a lot of things and kind of went on a streak ourselves. I guess thank the Dolphins for exposing us.”
-- CB Kendall Fuller on seeing Hard Rock Stadium, where he won a Super Bowl title with the Kansas City Chiefs in the 2019 season: "When I first pulled up and saw the stadium, it just brings back that excitement. I think the last game I played in here was that game, so it just gives you that reminder and those feelings and that excitement. That’s something everybody chases in the offseason, to get to that game and win it and holding up that trophy. So I’m excited to meet everybody here and start that journey for that goal.”
