NFL free agency starts on March 15th and with the Dolphins having an NFL leading $61.2 million in cap space available there will be many a rumor in the weeks to come as to which free agents Miami may sign. But before we start looking at what free agents from other teams may be to the Fins liking, let’s take a look at their own free agents.
The bad news is there is a reason Miami has so much cap space available and that is because they have 28 free agents which means they have a lot of roster holes to fill. The good news is there is only one player, defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah, who is a must sign.
Ogbah is an every down player who led the team in sacks and passes tipped at the line of scrimmage. He is one of the better defensive ends in the NFL.
If they fail to re-sign Ogbah, who will command a multi-year deal in excess of $15M/yr, they will need to find a replacement, which would be easier said than done. It’s possible Miami could use the franchise tag to retain him while they work out a long-term deal.
The most challenging free agent decision facing Dolphins management may be deciding what to do with tight-end Mike Gesicki. Whether the Dolphins attempt to re-sign Gesicki will depend on what role, if any, new head coach Mike McDaniel envisions for Gesicki. The style of run game that McDaniel likes to operate requires a tight end that blocks, and the next block Gesicki throws will be his first.
Okay, I’m exaggerating … a bit. But Gesicki is really a wide-receiver in a tight-ends body. On 80% of his snaps last season, he lined up out wide or in the slot. Gesicki had a solid 2021 season with 73 receptions for 780 yards and 2 touchdowns. A decent year to be sure, but they were hardly All-Pro stats especially if he’s viewed as a wide receiver.
I can’t envision Miami bringing back Gesicki as a tight-end due to his inability to block. Would they be willing to pay him $10M+ to be a wide receiver? Personally, I would look elsewhere.
Of the other 26 free agents Miami has there are several more that should be retained mostly to fill backup and special teams’ roles. On the offensive side of the ball, the Dolphins will need some running backs and Duke Johnson & Phillip Lindsay were the best running backs Miami had last season. While neither is a legit #1 running back, they would be solid backups who won’t cost a lot.
Wide receiver and special team’s maven Mack Hollins should also be brought back. And Miami will need a backup quarterback for Tua Tagovailoa, so I would bring back Jacoby Brissett for another season.
The following offensive free agents the Dolphins can probably do without: center Greg Mancz, WR Will Fuller, WR Albert Wilson, RB Malcolm Brown, TE Durham Smythe, RB Salvon Ahmed, WR Preston Williams (talented, but always injured), WR Isaiah Ford and RB Patrick Laird.
As for the defensive side of the ball, Miami has 13 free agents besides Ogbah. There are two that I would definitely try to resign. One is cornerback Nik Needham, a restricted free agent, who has played well the past 2 seasons as the #3 cornerback/nickelback. They should be able to retain him without breaking the bank.
I would also try to keep linebacker Duke Riley who has played well as a quasi-starter, pass rusher and special teams’ contributor. He wouldn’t cost a lot to retain.
Of the remaining defensive free agents, there are a few who might be worth retaining for depth purposes depending on what it would cost and what other alternatives are out there. These players are defensive backs Justin Coleman, Jason McCourty, Trill Williams, Elijah Campbell, Sheldrick Redwine and Jamal Perry. There are also linebackers Elandon Roberts, Brennan Scarlett, Vince Biegel and Sam Eguavoen. The last defensive free agent is defensive tackle John Jenkins.
The Dolphins final free agent is punter Michael Palardy and that is a position Miami should look to upgrade.
Bottom line, out of 28 free agents, there is only one, Ogbah, who in my opinion is a must sign. There are 6 others who I feel they should also resign, none of whom should cost a lot. This would still leave Miami with a lot of cap space to spend on other free agents to fill holes, primarily on the offensive line.
With free agency only 2 weeks away, we should learn soon enough what GM Chris Grier and head coach McDaniel think about their own free agents as they can be signed before the 3/15 start to free agency.
