Dolphins Re-Sign Yet Another Defensive Player
Stop us if you've ever this one before: The Miami Dolphins have re-signed one of their unrestricted free agent defensive players.
The latest to join the club is veteran defensive tackle John Jenkins, who re-signed with the team Thursday morning.
It's the third time in four offseasons that Jenkins has signed with the Dolphins as a UFA and the second consecutive year.
Jenkins first joined the Dolphins in 2019 after signing a one-year contract and spent the 2020 season with the Chicago Bears.
The 10-year NFL veteran played seven games for the Dolphins in 2021 and made two starts after Raekwon Davis went on injured reserve with a knee injury. But Jenkins was a non-factor down the stretch, playing only once (in the season finale) in the final seven weeks after being inactive six times and spending a game on the Reserve/COVID-19 list.
Jenkins' return addresses the need for a run-stopping backup along the defensive line.
Jenkins becomes the eighth defensive player the Dolphins re-signed as free agents this offseason, following Emmanuel Ogbah, Brennan Scarlett, Duke Riley, Sam Eguavoen, Elandon Roberts, Sheldrick Redwine and Nik Needham.
The only player from the Dolphins' 2021 defense who left via free agency was cornerback Justin Coleman, who signed with the Seattle Seahawks.
Linebacker Vince Biegel, cornerback Jamal Perry and DB Jason McCourty all remaining unrestricted free agents.
Given the pattern of this offseason, it's almost safe to predict that the Dolphins will en up re-signing all three of them.
