Veteran Free Agent CB Options for Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins suffered a big blow at training camp Thursday when cornerback Jalen Ramsey went down with a knee injury.
Ramsey was scheduled to have meniscus surgery Friday and could miss the first month of the season, if not the entire 2023 campaign. The former All-Pro cornerback is incredibly important to the Dolphins defense, and head coach Mike McDaniel wasted no time announcing the team would hold tryouts for free agent cornerbacks.
RELATED: EXAMINING THE DOLPHINS' IN-HOUSE OPTIONS AT CORNERBACK
While no free agent can replace Ramsey’s skill, here’s a look at a few options the Dolphins should consider.
Bryce Callahan
Callahan is an obvious option for the Dolphins because of his previous experience working with defensive coordinator Vic Fangio. Callahan started his career with the Bears in 2015 when Fangio was the team’s defensive coordinator.
The cornerback then followed Fangio to Denver when he became the Broncos’ head coach in 2019. Fangio’s scheme isn’t easy to pick up for defensive backs because it involves so much post-snap movement and pre-snap disguise.
In theory, Callahan would be well ahead in that category, allowing him to sign and make an impact early.
Callahan also played for new Dolphins passing game coordinator/secondary coach Renaldo Hill last season for the Los Angeles Chargers.
Still, there are a few reasons Callahan might not make a lot of sense. For starters, he’ll turn 32 in October, and his coverage grades have fallen off a cliff since the 2021 season. Regression comes for cornerbacks quickly, and there’s evidence it’s already hit Callahan.
Additionally, Callahan — listed at 5-9, 188 pounds — is a slot-only option. If Miami is comfortable with an in-house replacement for Ramsey’s slot snaps, it might remove Callahan from their board entirely.
That said, Callahan still was productive last season despite his lackluster advanced stats. In 15 games (11 starts) with the Chargers, he recorded three interceptions, six passes defended and two tackles for loss.
Eli Apple
Apple probably is more known for his off-field stunts than his play at this point, but he’s still capable of providing valuable coverage snaps. Apple spent the past two seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals, where he was one of the team’s primary outside cornerbacks.
If the Dolphins are looking for a player with a bit more youth, Apple makes sense, as he’ll turn 28 in August. Unlike Callahan, Apple is capable of playing outside, making him a bit more of a seamless fit for most of Ramsey’s vacated snaps.
With that said, Apple struggled last season. His passer rating allowed was 96.6, and he gave up three touchdowns in coverage, according to Pro Football Reference. To put that in perspective, Kader Kohou’s passer rating allowed was 81.7, and Keion Crossen’s was 99.6.
Is it worth signing a player who was much worse than Kohou and barely better than Crossen? Probably not. But Apple’s playoff experience and ability to play outside make him a worthwhile option.
Kyle Fuller
Fuller falls into a similar category as Callahan. He’s an older player (31) with previous experience playing under Fangio. Fuller made his only All-Pro team in 2018 — Fangio’s final season as the Bears’ defensive coordinator — and the two reunited in Denver for the 2021 season.
Unfortunately for Fuller, it’s been mostly downhill from there. He’s coming off a torn ACL suffered in September as a member of the Ravens. The injury limited Fuller to just 80 snaps last season.
Fuller’s last solid season came in 2020 when he allowed a passer rating of 89.8 in 16 starts for the Bears.
If Fuller is healthy — it seems like a big if, given he is still available — his experience in Fangio’s scheme could make him a solid stopgap until Ramsey returns.
Anthony Brown
Brown is another player coming off a season-ending injury. He suffered a torn Achilles with the Cowboys last season. He’s spent some time rehabbing at the Cowboys facility, but Fan Nation sister site Cowboys Country reported this week that it’s unlikely the team will re-sign Brown.
Assuming Brown can pass a physical, he’s got some appealing traits the Dolphins could consider. He has a lot of starting experience from his time with the Cowboys (he’s started 69 of 94 games), and his best season, 2021, was somewhat recent.
In his 12 starts last season, Brown recorded seven passes defended and allowed a QB rating of 89.7. Those numbers are good enough in a limited role.
Conclusion
The Dolphins are scraping the bottom of the barrel at this point in the offseason. There’s a good reason every player is still available this time of the year.
Miami actually has good depth at cornerback, but even some of the players already with the team have question marks.
Nik Needham and Trill Williams are coming off season-ending injuries. Cam Smith is a rookie still adapting to the NFL. Crossen and Noah Igbinoghene haven’t played well when given extensive playing time.
The Dolphins will have to decide if they want to bet on the players they already have or take a shot on someone with an equal number of question marks but perhaps more experience.
