Dolphins Reported Offer to Douglas Not Enough to Get Deal Done

Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce (87) reacts as he talks to Buffalo Bills cornerback Rasul Douglas (31) during the AFC Championship game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium last season. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The Miami Dolphins remain in the mix for free agent cornerback Rasul Douglas, but competition for his services is heating up.

Douglas has yet to decide where he’ll play his ninth NFL season and reportedly “didn’t move” on an offer from Miami on Thursday, according to NFL reporter Josina Anderson. Instead, the Dolphins wound up signing Cornell Armstrong after he was among four cornerbacks who tried out for the team. Anderson added that multiple teams remain interested in signing the 29-year-old veteran.

I'm also told free agent cornerback Rasul Douglas didn't move on an offer from the Miami Dolphins Thursday. Douglas continues to field interest from multiple teams, per league source. pic.twitter.com/rV7dMJu5z6

— JosinaAnderson (@JosinaAnderson) July 25, 2025

Douglas, a 2017 third-round pick by the Philadelphia Eagles, started 15 games last season for the Buffalo Bills, finishing the year with 58 tackles, five pass breakups, and a forced fumble. Primarily a boundary corner, quarterbacks completed 45 of 62 pass attempts for 569 yards and three touchdowns when targeting him in coverage last season, according to PFF.

Miami and Douglas have been linked throughout the offseason, with Douglas reportedly rejecting a contract offer last month. Now, one week into training camp, neither side has shown signs of budging on contract terms — yet.

“We're not closing the door on anything,” coach Mike McDaniel said Wednesday. “There are multiple players we talk about each and every day."

State of the Cornerback Room 

One of Miami’s primary goals this preseason is to find a cornerback to start alongside Kader Kohou, and another who can be trusted in nickel packages.

The front office hopes former second-round pick Cam Smith or 2024 UDFA Storm Duck can develop into long-term cornerback options, but the Dolphins will likely need to add another starting-caliber corner before turning its attention to the regular season.

Miami's depth at cornerback took an early hit when Artie Burns suffered a torn ACL on the first day of training camp, but he hasn’t played a snap since 2022 and may be better suited to a special teams role. 

The team's unique salary cap situation could be contributing to its unwillingness to increase its offer to Douglas. Kohou, the top cornerback under contract, has a cap hit of $3.3 million. However, it’s important to factor in $36 million in dead money tied to Xavien Howard, Jalen Ramsey and Kendall Fuller.

Considering Miami’s limited offseason budget, the team may be willing to give its younger cornerbacks more time to develop and prove themselves before feeling pressured to make a costly free-agent addition.