Dolphins re-signing Durham Smythe, bringing back team’s top two tight ends
The Dolphins are re-signing tight end Durham Smythe to a two-year deal, a league source confirmed to the Miami Herald Friday.
The move was first announced on Twitter by fellow tight end Mike Gesicki, a close friend of Smythe who campaigned for the team to sign him to an extension during the season. According to ESPN, the deal is worth $8 million.
Smythe, 26, set career-highs for receptions (34) and yards (357) this past season.
With Gesicki signing his one-year franchise tag and Smythe re-signing with the team, the Dolphins are set to return their top two tight ends in an offense under new coach Mike McDaniel that uses the position not only in the passing game but the running game. While Gesicki has been mainly used as a pass-catcher, Smythe has filled the team’s role of a blocking tight end.
“The one thing Durham has done is he kind of quietly goes about his business,” running backs coach and then-co-offensive coordinator Eric Studesville said November 2021. “He’s there, he’s constant and he’s consistent. That’s what we’re looking for, dependable players that can go in there. He’s got one of those dirty, kind of job descriptions. You’re not going to see a lot of what he does. You may not notice it unless you really go back and study what he does. He’s being physical on the end of the line of scrimmage, we use him in second tight end roles too and he’s catching passes and getting what he can out of the pass routes when he does catch them. I’m happy for Durham in what he’s doing and I’m happy for us that we have him because I think he’s a valuable part of what we’re trying to do.”
Adam Shaheen, who appeared in 12 games in 2021, and Hunter Long, who played sparingly as a rookie, are also under contract for 2022, as is Cethan Carter, who primarily contributed on special teams.
The re-signing of Smythe is the latest move for a Dolphins team that has prioritized upgrading the offense during the first week of free agency. The team has officially signed running backs Chase Edmonds and Raheem Mostert, wide receivers Cedrick Wilson Jr. and Trent Sherfield, guard Connor Williams, fullback Alec Ingold and quarterback Teddy Bridgewater to back up Tua Tagovailoa.
The Dolphins are seeking upgrades at offensive tackle, where many of the top options are still available, such as Terron Armstead, Eric Fisher and Trent Brown, who visited the Seattle Seahawks Friday. There is also interest in La’el Collins, who was released by the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday and visited the Cincinnati Bengals Friday.
This story was originally published March 18, 2022 at 2:30 PM.
