Exploring Dolphins free agent options at safety and who would make sense. What to know
The Dolphins likely will need to find two new starting safeties this offseason, presuming that Jevon Holland will find greater riches elsewhere and Jordan Poyer won’t be retained.
The good news is that more than a dozen starters will be unrestricted free agents and a handful are potential difference-makers.
The Dolphins’ strategy at safety will be fascinating. Miami could opt to sign one moderately pricey frontline safety and wait to see if it can add another starter during the first two days of the draft or, if that fails, add a cheaper veteran starter after the draft. Some draft evaluators project Miami to take Georgia safety Malaki Starks with the 13th pick.
A savvy NFL talent evaluator, asked about Miami, said if his team needed a safety, he would target four free agents above others: Jeremy Chinn, Tre’von Moehrig, Justin Reid and Julian Blackmon.
The evaluator said if he couldn’t land one of those four, he would next turn to Talanoa Hufanga, Elijah Molden, Cam Bynum and Andre Cisco.
What to know about the impending free agent safeties:
▪ Kansas City’s Reid: He has started every game that he’s appeared for the Chiefs since 2019 and has often been a high-level performer, with a resume including 10 career interceptions.
But aside from two interceptions, his metrics weren’t great this past season: a 109.4 passer rating against (44 for 59 for 519 yards, four touchdowns).
▪ Las Vegas’ Marcus Epps and Moehrig: Epps started every game for Philadelphia in 2022, every game for Las Vegas in 2023 and the first three games of 2024 before tearing an ACL.
Moehrig started every game for the Raiders the past two seasons and had a 106.4 passer rating in his coverage area this past season, which isn’t very good. But he’s a good fit in Miami’s system and has played very well at times.
▪ Washington’s Chinn: Started every game this past season and had one interception and 117 tackles but a poor 117.4 passer rating against (38 for 48 for 364 yards). But he was a key component in Washington’s defense and intercepted Jared Goff to seal the Commanders’ upset playoff win in Detroit.
His versatility and athleticism could allow him to fill a role similar to the one that Kyle Hamilton fills in the Ravens’ defense. Because of Dolphins defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver’s background in Baltimore’s system, Hamilton is a good point of reference.
And Chinn can fill the boxscore: He has four forced fumbles, five fumble recoveries, six sacks, three interceptions and 23 pass breakups in a six-year career.
▪ Indianapolis’ Blackmon: He started every game in which he appeared for the Colts the past two seasons and had three interceptions, 86 tackles and a solid 91.5 passer rating against in 2024. At 26, the former third-round pick out of Utah is entering his prime.
▪ Minnesota’s Bynum: Had three interceptions and 96 tackles in 17 starts for the Vikings this past season, with a 94.2 passer rating against, including four touchdowns allowed. He would be a big upgrade over the 2024 version of Poyer, who had a 130 passer rating in his coverage area.
▪ Carolina’s Jordan Fuller: He started seven games in 2024 but missed 10 because of injury; when he played, he was dismal, allowing a worst-possible 158.3 passer rating in his coverage area (14 completions in 15 attempts for 221 yards and five touchdowns).
▪ Houston’s Eric Murray: Had one interception and 75 tackles in 14 starts and a 98.2 passer rating against.
▪ Tennessee’s Quandre Diggs: Started all 17 games for Titans for three years in a row before a Lisfranc fracture (an injury that generally worries the Dolphins) sidelined him for 10 games last season.
▪ The Jets’ Chuck Clark: He was a good starter for Baltimore from 2020 through 2022 but missed 2023 with a torn ACL and missed five games last season, in part because of a torn pectoral muscle that ended his season. He allowed a 115.2 passer rating in his coverage area last season: 12 for 20 for 113 yards and four touchdowns.
▪ Atlanta’s Justin Simmons: Has 11 interceptions the past three years, including two for the Falcons this past season after leaving Denver. He gave up five touchdowns and had a 105.1 passer rating in his coverage area (22 for 34 for 278 yards).
▪ San Francisco’s Hufanga: Limited to seven games by injury last season, Hufanga has started 37 games over the past three years for the 49ers and has one interception and 12 passes defended over that time, plus two sacks and eight tackles for loss. He allowed 9 completions in 10 targets for 95 yards this past season.
▪ The Rams’ John Johnson: A formerly effective starter with 15 career interceptions, Johnson missed all but two games last season because of a shoulder injury.
▪ Jacksonville’s Cisco: He has eight interceptions as a Jaguars starter during the past three seasons. But quarterbacks had a 125.7 passer rating in his coverage area last season.
▪ New Orleans’ Will Harris: Had 74 tackles and one interception as a 13-game starter for the Saints last season, with a solid 87.4 passer rating in his coverage area.
▪ Carolina’s Xavier Woods: Started every game he appeared in for Dallas from 2018 through 2020, for Minnesota in 2021 and for Carolina the past three seasons. In 2024, he had three interceptions, 119 tackles and a decent 93.8 passer rating in his coverage area.
▪ Cincinnati’s Vonn Bell: He returned to the Bengals last season after one season with Carolina, started 11 games and came off the bench in six others, and permitted a 113 passer rating (20 for 26 for 237).
▪ The Giants’ Jason Pinnick: He had three sacks but just one pass defended in 16 starts for the Giants last season, with a dismal 148.1 passer rating in his coverage area (22 for 27 for 271 yards and four touchdowns).
▪ Buffalo’s Damar Hamlin: He overcame a hit that nearly killed him in 2023 to become a Bills starter in 2024, with two interceptions and 89 tackles and a strong 85.4 passer rating against.
▪ Tampa Bay’s Mike Edwards: The Bucs claimed him off waivers from Tennessee last November; he’s a functional player with eight interceptions and 30 starts in seven seasons.
This story was originally published February 17, 2025 at 2:55 PM.
