Dolphins lose a draft pick, add a tight end at start of Day 5 of free agency
The Dolphins added a tight end but lost a late-round draft pick on Friday in a busy start to Day 5 of NFL free agency.
Miami agreed to terms with veteran tight end Pharoah Brown to a one-year deal, according to a league source. A skilled blocker, Brown likely will compete with Julian Hill for snaps to be Miami’s primary blocking tight end.
Jonnu Smith will be Miami’s primary tight end after setting team records at the position in receptions and yards in 2024.
Brown essentially replaces Durham Smythe, who was released by Miami and signed with the Bears.
Brown appeared in 15 games and started seven for Seattle last season and has made 87 NFL appearances with 54 starts. Brown has played for Cleveland twice, as well as the Raiders, Browns and New England before joining Seattle last season.
He had eight receptions for 65 yards last season and has 72 for 751 yards (10.4 average) and three touchdowns in his career.
He played 264 snaps on offense last season (27% of Seattle’s snaps) and 191 (47%) on special teams.
Brown, 30, signed with the Raiders after going undrafted out of Oregon in 2016.
Hill had some good moments as a blocker last season, but PFF rated him the worst tight end in the league and the fifth-worst run blocker.
Meanwhile, the NFL informed teams that 2025 compensatory picks have been recalculated and the Dolphins lost one of their three seventh-round picks as a result. So Miami will now have 10 picks in April’s draft, not 11.
The Saints were awarded a seventh-round pick.
Miami lost the 256th overall pick, which was the next to last one in the draft. That originally had been awarded as part of a complex formula that credited Miami with losing Cedrick Wilson Jr. in free agency.
That leaves Miami with these picks in the April 22 to 24 draft:
First round: 13th overall
Second round: 48th overall
Third round: 98th (compensatory pick for losing Robert Hunt to the Panthers)
Fourth round: 116th
Fourth round: 135th (compensatory pick for losing Christian Wilkins to the Raiders)
Fifth round: 150th
Fifth round: 155th (trade with Denver)
Seventh round: 224th (trade with Chicago)
Seventh round: 231st
Seventh round: 253rd (compensatory pick for losing De’Shon Elliott to Baltimore).
This story was originally published March 14, 2025 at 11:14 AM.
