Will Dolphins Be Active in Second Wave of Free Agency?

The Miami Dolphins still could use some upgrades after the 2024 NFL draft and there are plenty of veteran free agents available

Greg Van Roten / Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports

The 2024 NFL draft is over, but the Miami Dolphins' roster-building process continues and the next step is the second wave of free agency.

Like every team around the league, the Dolphins will reassess their roster in light of their drafts selections and rookie free agent additions to see where they can supplement and hopefully upgrade.

There remain several high-profile free agents on the market, one reason being that any player signed after Monday at 4 p.m. ET no longer affects the compensatory pick process.

FREE AGENTS WHO COULD HELP THE MIAMI DOLPHINS

Based on their post-draft roster, the obvious positions where the Dolphins still could use some help would be guard, safety, defensive line and perhaps wide receiver (even though Miami did take two players at that position in the draft).

Operating through a one-year window, one free agent guard who could interest the Dolphins is veteran Greg Van Roten, who has spent time with the New York Jets, Buffalo Bills and most recently with the Las Vegas Raiders.

Word out of Las Vegas is that Van Roten was very impressive last season and his Pro Football Focus grade was the seventh-highest among all NFL guards.

Other guards to watch here might include Dalton Risner, Andrus Peat and Phil Haynes, who did make a free agent visit to Miami before the draft.

There's really only one player among defensive lineman who looks like he could represent an upgrade after the Dolphins signed seven defensive tackles in the offseason, that being Calais Campbell. While he is 37 years old, Campbell still was very effective for the Atlanta Falcons last season and he does have experience with the Baltimore defense, having played for the Ravens from 2020-22.

There remain several big-name safeties on the market — Justin Simmons, Jamal Adams, Eddie Jackson, Micah Hyde, Quandre Diggs — but those all were high-priced players and the Dolphins aren't likely to sign one of them to a huge contract. Simmons, the former Denver Broncos Pro Bowl selection, is the best of the bunch.

THE DOLPHINS' OWN FREE AGENTS

The end of the draft will open the market for all free agents, including those who became available after being released, and that's based on team needs.

It's why this could be when we start seeing some of the Dolphins' bigger-name offseason cuts find new teams, specifically Xavien Howard and Emmanuel Ogbah.

A report from NFL Network's Tom Pelissero last week indicated that Howard's injured foot is healed and he now can pass a physical, and one would think it wouldn't be too long before the four-time Pro Bowl selection finds another team.

As he indicated after the Dolphins released him, Howard is hoping to hook up with a Super Bowl contender, with the Houston Texans often mentioned as a possibility, in part because that's his hometown.

Other teams to watch when it comes to Howard would include the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers. The Detroit Lions also would have made sense, but their need at cornerback isn't as significant now after they drafted two cornerbacks in the first two rounds (Terrion Arnold and Ennis Rakestraw).

As for Ogbah, the Minnesota Vikings always seemed like a logical landing spot because of the success he had under Brian Flores, but Minnesota did take edge defender Dallas Turner with their first-round pick.

The other remaining Dolphins free agents — whether UFAs or players released — still looking for a new team are offensive lineman Connor Williams, cornerback Keion Crossen, wide receiver Chase Claypool, cornerback Eli Apple, tight end Tyler Kroft, cornerback Justin Bethel, center Jonotthan Harrison, wide receiver Robbie Chosen, linebacker Calvin Munson, and the three edge defenders signed late last season, Melvin Ingram, Justin Houston and Bruce Irvin.