Stay or Go for Dolphins Free Agent Cornerback Rasul Douglas

The Miami Dolphins have a big offseason ahead with first-time general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan and head coach Jeff Hafley.

One of the first things they’ll have to decide on is the team’s 29 internal free agents. That is not a small number, and the Dolphins already have a ton of roster needs. Every player who isn’t brought back just adds another to the list.

With that in mind, we will break down Miami’s top internal free agents and try to decide whether they should stay or go. We’ll start with cornerback Rasul Douglas.

Why Dolphins Should Re-Sign Rasul Douglas

Douglas’ case is almost entirely based on the fact that he had a great 2025 season.

He recorded 13 pass breakups and two interceptions and didn’t give up big plays. His 430 yards allowed in coverage were the fewest he’s given up since 2021, and his 73 passer rating allowed was the second best of his career.

Those numbers are more than good enough for him to be viewed as a starting outside cornerback for the 2026 season. Plus, he’s even got some connections to Miami’s new leadership group.

Sullivan was a part of the Packers’ front office that signed Douglas during the 2021 season and saw him develop into a quality player in Green Bay.

It’s also important to note just how bad Miami’s cornerback room looks. The team’s only cornerbacks under contract for 2026 are Storm Duck, JuJu Brents, Jason Maitre, Isaiah Johnson, Jason Marshall Jr, and Ethan Robinson.

Only Marshall and Robinson made it through last season without a major injury, and Robinson didn't take any snaps on defense.

Re-signing Douglas would give the Dolphins a familiar, reliable veteran presence in a room that is likely to be filled with younger, inexperienced players next season.

Why the Dolphins Should Let Douglas Walk

The best argument for letting Douglas walk this offseason centers on his age and any interest he might attract from other organizations.

Douglas is 31, and although he had a nice rebound season with the Dolphins, his trajectory was firmly heading down before that. Miami might not want to invest in a player with little to no upside for the future, especially at a position like cornerback.

Although the team won’t say it publicly, 2026 will likely be a rebuilding year. If the team is on the same page about that, perhaps it would be more beneficial to go young and cheap at cornerback.

Duck, Brents, and Marshall are at least NFL players, so perhaps it’s worth supplementing the room with bargain free agents and some more rookies and seeing who emerges as a long-term option.

Of course, Douglas’ price has to factor into this conversation. As we covered above, Douglas was pretty good last season. So, we wouldn’t be shocked if he got a decent one or two-year contract from a contending team hoping to band-aid its CB spot for a season.

Miami can create some cap space with a few cuts, restructures, and extensions, but it has to be incredibly careful how it spends that money. Giving a decent-sized contract to a 31-year old cornerback might be a tough sell.

Final Verdict on Douglas

We went back and forth on this one quite a bit, but ultimately, it probably makes more sense to let Douglas at least explore free agency. Signing him up front would be super limiting for the rest of the Dolphins’ free agency plans, unless Miami can get him on a dirt-cheap deal.

If his market isn’t robust, and the team wants to work out another low-value, one-year deal after June 1 (Dolphins will likely get significant cap relief after this date), that would make a ton of sense.

To be clear, we’re not totally opposed to Miami re-signing Douglas early in the process. He played well last year, and the Dolphins could use his veteran presence in the CB room.

It’s just hard to justify spending a chunk of what little money the Dolphins have to bring back a player who doesn’t fit the team’s competition timeline.

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