Dolphins signing receiver with ties to McDaniel as offensive tackles remain available
The Dolphins are bringing in another former 49er with ties to coach Mike McDaniel, signing wide receiver Trent Sherfield to a one-year deal, a league source confirmed to the Miami Herald Thursday.
The signing, first reported by NFL Network, makes Sherfield the third former San Francisco player who spent time with McDaniel coming to Miami. The Dolphins also signed wide receiver River Cracraft and running back Raheem Mostert.
Sherfield, 26, appeared in 17 games with one start in 2021, catching nine passes for 87 yards and one touchdown. An undrafted rookie in 2018, he spent his first three seasons with the Arizona Cardinals, where he contributed sparingly as a receiver but played on special teams. Since 2019, Sherfield has played at least 194 special teams snaps every season.
Former Dolphins wide receiver Mack Hollins is signing with the Las Vegas Raiders, leaving the team with a void for another player on special teams. The Dolphins also signed cornerback Keion Crossen, who is primarily a special teams ace.
The 6-1, 219-pound Sherfield is the latest offensive free agent from another team the Dolphins have brought in an attempt to revamp a unit that was one of the league’s worst in 2021. The team on Thursday officially announced the signings of Mostert, Crosson, fullback Alec Ingold, running back Chase Edmonds, wide receiver Cedrick Wilson Jr., guard Connor Williams and quarterback Teddy Bridgewater.
The early days of free agency have reflected the vision of an organization set on upgrading an offense that ranked 22nd in scoring and retaining the core of a defense that led its 8-1 finish in the second half of the season.
The Dolphins are re-signing Brennan Scarlett to a one-year deal, his agent said Thursday, the fourth free agent linebacker the team has brought back. Defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah was re-signed to a four-year deal and restricted free agent cornerback Nik Needham was given a second-round tender before the start of free agency.
Meanwhile, the Dolphins have found additions at wide receiver, running back and interior lineman but have yet to sign a free agent at arguably the team’s weakest position, offensive tackle.
The market for tackles has been slow-moving since the beginning of the legal negotiating window Monday and more options have become available through veteran cuts and trade discussions. One player, La’el Collins, was released Thursday by Dallas Cowboys after the team failed to find a trade partner.
The Dolphins were linked to Collins, 28, as a potential trade destination and there is mutual interest in Miami. Collins, however, is visiting the Cincinnati Bengals, according to NFL Network. Cincinnati’s offensive line coach Frank Pollack was Collins’ position coach for the first three years of his career. If the Dolphins were to sign Collins, graded out by Pro Football Focus as the league’s 15th-best tackle in 2021, he would likely slot as the team’s starting right tackle over Jesse Davis. It would also give the Dolphins more flexibility at left tackle, where Liam Eichenberg and Austin Jackson started games in 2021.
Terron Armstead, the top offensive tackle in this year’s free-agent class, remains unsigned along with veterans such as Trent Brown and Eric Fisher.
However, the Dolphins’ movement — or lack thereof — to this point in adding multiple veteran offensive linemen may also underscore the belief in the team’s young group decision-makers spoke of in the weeks prior to free agency.
“There are a lot of guys that I’m excited about on the offensive line,” McDaniel told the Miami Herald at the NFL Scouting Combine. “There are so many things that go into offensive line play that I think coaches can control. I feel good about the human beings that are there. We’re always looking to get the best players of the right value. We have free agency coming up and the draft. We’re not ever going to put blinders on and say we’re good. I have a very confident and high expectation that the coaches that we’ve hired can develop a lot of these guys because I do think there is some talent and there’s some hunger. It’s a moving, evolving process but I feel good with the young guys and I’m excited to coach them.”
This story was originally published March 17, 2022 at 9:09 AM.
