Dolphins bring back starting linebacker Elandon Roberts, keep position group intact
The Miami Dolphins are keeping most of their linebackers corps intact after reaching agreements to resign Elandon Roberts and Duke Riley on Tuesday.
Roberts and Riley both started at times last year for the Dolphins, and are coming back to Miami on short-term deals, agent Drew Rosenhaus told the Miami Herald.
Roberts will make $3.5 million and Riley will make $3 million.
Later in the day, they also reached a deal to resign Sam Eguavoen on a one-year deal, a source told the Herald. Eguavoen is guaranteed $800,000 and could make as much as $2 million.
Free agency officially begins Wednesday. Tuesday was the second day of the legal negotiating period for teams to talk to impending free agents.
Roberts spent the last two seasons with the Dolphins and continued his reputation as one of the better run-stuffers in the NFL. He started 15 games at middle linebacker and had 83 tackles, six tackles for loss, one sack, two quarterback hits, two forced fumbles and four passes defended. He also had one interception, which he returned 85 yards for a touchdown.
Last season was Riley’s first in Miami Gardens, and he started three games and had 26 tackles, mostly in a reserve role.
After winding up with one of the best defenses in the league last year, the Dolphins are emphasizing continuity on their strongest side of the ball, even after they replaced former coach Brian Flores with new coach Mike McDaniel. Miami also reached a deal to resign defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah on Monday after he broke out with nine sacks in each of his first two seasons with the Dolphins. Every other pick-up since the so-called “legal tampering” window began Monday — save for cornerback Keion Crossen, who has primarily been a special-teams player — has been an external addition on offense as Miami tries to reshape its offense in the image of McDaniel, who was a long-time offensive assistant coach.
With Roberts and Riley set to return, the Dolphins are poised to have back all but one of the linebackers who started at least one game last season. Jerome Baker, Jaelan Phillips and Andrew Van Ginkel all remain under contract, while fellow linebacker Brennan Scarlett, who started four games, is a pending free agent.
Baker, Phillips and Van Ginkel are probably frontrunners to start once again, and Roberts and Riley will be two other options inside.
Neither, however, is being paid like a no-doubt starter, which means Miami could still look elsewhere — perhaps the 2022 NFL Draft — for potential upgrades or additional competition.
This story was originally published March 15, 2022 at 1:18 PM.
