Counting Down the Top Dolphins UFA Signings
The 2021 free agency period is set to begin March 17, and the Miami Dolphins will be looking to find an impact player or two (or three or four) to help them take the next step.
Among the 11 unrestricted free agents the Dolphins signed in 2020, several of them made an immediate impact, most notably defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah, linebacker Kyle Van Noy and cornerback Byron Jones.
But who have been the best pick-ups since free agency arrived in the NFL in September 1992.
We count down the top 10 based on their production with the Dolphins. Keep in mind we’re including only unrestricted free agents, players whose contracts with their previous teams had expired and not players who had been let go. It’s because of that reason that you won’t see Chad Pennington on this list, for example. Cameron Wake also is not include because he was NOT an unrestricted free agent when he came over from the CFL, but rather what's known as a "street free agent."
And we’re not talking about the best players signed, we’re talking about the signings that proved most successful. So here we go with the countdown.
10. DE Emmanuel Ogbah (2020, from Kansas City)
Even though it's only been one year, Ogbah sneaks into the top 10 because of the impact he made last season. It wasn't just that Ogbah led the Dolphins with nine sacks, but let's not forget about the two forced fumbles that produced touchdowns. With more performances like he had in 2020, Ogbah will move up this list.
9. DT Larry Chester (2002, from Carolina)
Chester was the only player the Dolphins signed as an unrestricted free agent in 2002, but he made an immediate impact as a run-stuffing specialist. After being a backup his first four NFL seasons, Chester arrived in Miami and teamed up with Tim Bowens to give the Dolphins a wall in the middle of the defensive line. With those two leading the way, the Dolphins were second in the NFL in run defense in 2002. Chester started 15 games in 2003 before his career ended after he sustained a knee injury early in the 2004 season.
8. WR Mike Wallace (2013, from Pittsburgh)
If the criteria is meeting expectations, Wallace would be nowhere on this list because his numbers didn’t match the contract he was given. But it’s also unfair to call him a bust during his two seasons in Miami because he produced solid numbers (140 catches, almost 1,800 yards, 15 touchdowns) and he also could have done more with better deep passing from Ryan Tannehill those two years.
7. QB Ryan Fitzpatrick (2019, from Tampa Bay)
The veteran turned out to be the perfect quarterback for the Dolphins’ rebuilding project. His leadership helped the players persevere through a difficult season and finish with five wins in the last nine games in 2019. While his numbers weren’t great, they also didn’t do justice to an on-field performance that made him a clear choice as team MVP. He followed that with another good season in 2020, even as he gave way to Tua Tagovailoa as the starting quarterback.
RELATED: Fitzpatrick Addresses His Future
6. T Branden Albert (2014, from Kansas City)
The Dolphins really needed a veteran anchor for their offensive line when they got Albert, and he delivered in a big way. Though knee injuries eventually ended his career, Albert was a rock at left tackle and he bounced back from an ACL injury to make the Pro Bowl in 2015. He also served as a mentor for 2016 first-round pick Laremy Tunsil during his final season with the Dolphins. It also was during that 2016 season when the Dolphins had their best offensive line — Albert, Tunsil, Mike Pouncey, Jermon Bushrod and Ja'Wuan James — of the past decade.
5. TE Keith Jackson (1992, from Philadelphia)
Jackson was part of the original class of free agents after a judge’s ruling in September of 1992. After signing with the Dolphins, he scored a touchdown in his first game at Buffalo and continued to produce as another target for Dan Marino. Jackson started 42 games for the Dolphins before being traded to the Green Bay Packers in March of 1995.
4. DT Ndamukong Suh (2015, from Detroit)
Like Wallace, Suh’s time with the Dolphins always will be remembered as not producing the impact many felt it should have done given the monster contract he was given. No, Suh wasn’t a game-changer in his three seasons with the Dolphins, but he started every single game, made several big plays and earned a Pro Bowl invitation in 2016 when the Dolphins earned a playoff berth.
RELATED: Suh Reflects on his Dolphins Days
3. DT Randy Starks (2008, from Tennessee)
Unlike Suh, Starks wasn’t a household name when he joined the Dolphins in the spring of 2008. But over the course of the next seven seasons, he became one of the most reliable defensive players on the team. Starks started 96 games for the Dolphins and showed the versatility of being able to play either defensive end or even nose tackle in a 3-4 under Tony Sparano or defensive tackle in a 4-3 under Joe Philbin. Starks earned Pro Bowl invitations in 2010 and 2012.
2. S Brock Marion (1998, from Dallas)
Jimmy Johnson put together a stellar secondary during his time as Dolphins head coach and one of the big pieces to the puzzle was signing Marion, who had played for him in Dallas. He ended up starting all but one game during his six seasons in Miami and made the Pro Bowl in 2000, 2002 and 2003. And in that one season when he didn’t make the Pro Bowl, Marion had five picks, including two he returned for touchdowns.
1. CB Brent Grimes (2013, from Atlanta)
When the Dolphins signed Grimes as a free agent in the spring of 2013, they gave him a prove-it one-year contract because he was coming off an Achilles injury in the 2012 opener. It worked out better than they could have hoped. Grimes earned a Pro Bowl invitation for his performance in that 2013 season and he then was signed to a four-year contract the following March. Grimes repeated as a Pro Bowl cornerback each of the next two seasons before he was released in March 2016 when he refused to restructure his contract, though incidents involving his wife also played a role in his departure. But ultimately you can’t beat three Pro Bowls in three seasons.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alain Poupart has covered the Miami Dolphins on a full-time basis since 1989. You can follow him on Twitter at @apoupartFins.
YOU MIGHT ALSO ENJOY:
