Miami Dolphins add a third Houston Texan in three days and an-ex Eagles linebacker
The Miami Dolphins added two outside linebackers with significant starting experience on Friday: former Houston Texans player Brennan Scarlett and former Philadelphia Eagle special teams standout Duke Riley.
Both agreed to one-year deals, according to two league sources.
Scarlett, 27, has 5 1/2 sacks, 139 tackles, an interception and three forced fumbles in five NFL seasons, starting 22 of 56 games. Signed by Houston as an undrafted free agent out of Stanford, he finished four of his first five seasons on injured reserve.
Last season, the 6-4, 260-pound Scarlett had 28 tackles in 11 games, including four starts. He’s the third Houston Texan to join the Dolphins in the past week.
At 6-1 and 230 pounds, Riley, 26, isn’t as big as Scarlett but also can play outside linebacker in a 3-4 defense.
Riley had 159 tackles, half a sack and an interception in four seasons, including 57 games and 24 starts, for Atlanta and Philadelphia.
A former Falcons third round pick out of LSU, Riley was traded to the Eagles for safety Johnathan Cyprien and a swap of late-round picks in September 2019.
He was a special teams captain for the Eagles and started eight games last season, finishing 2020 with 55 tackles and a forced fumble.
“Excited for Duke to head to Miami and bring both his leadership and versatility to a team that is poised for tremendous success in the 2021 season,” his agent, Peter von Gontard said via text message.
Before the addition of Scalett and Riley, Andrew Van Ginkel and Vince Biegel were the team’s lone established outside linebackers.
Benardrick McKinney, Scarlett’s teammate his entire time as a pro, told reporters that he can also play the edge, but he’s primarily an inside linebacker.
So significant questions remain about how the Dolphins will replace the pass rush lost when they cut Kyle Van Noy and traded Shaq Lawson to Houston for McKinney.
Emmanuel Ogbah is the most accomplished of the group, but the Dolphins consider him a defensive end. Sam Eguavoen, Jason Strowbridge and Tyshun Render will also be in the mix come training camp.
The additions of Scarlett and Riley should be able to relieve Van Ginkel’s responsibilities on special teams; his role is expected to increase significantly on defense.
McKinney, Scarlett and receiver Will Fuller all made the move from Miami to Houston this week. All three are in line for significant playing time on their new team.
The Dolphins began the day with just over $12 million in cap space, and the signing of two depth players to low-money deals won’t significantly impact that.
This story was originally published March 19, 2021 at 6:20 PM.
