Dolphins’ first day of free agency provides little excitement as team makes just two moves
Talk about silent.
Despite the flash and flare that usually comes with the start of free agency, the Miami Dolphins remained relatively quiet when the legal tampering period began Monday save for the early afternoon resigning of defensive tackle Matt Dickerson, a six-year veteran who appeared in just four games in 2024.
Then came the early evening news: Zach Wilson had signed as the backup quarterback to Tua Tagovailoa, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
A former No. 2 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, Wilson had previously played on two teams during his four-year career. During that span, he completed 57-percent of his passes for more than 6,200 yards. Wilson also threw 23 passing touchdowns and 25 interceptions.
Backup quarterback emerged as a critical piece for the Dolphins as of late. General manager Chris Grier acknowledged the position’s importance after the Dolphins’ regular season came to an unceremonious 8-9 end.
“That’s a position we will always focus on, and it will be a position that we will focus on this offseason,” Grier said Jan. 7. “I will tell you that every stone will be unturned at that position including the draft.”
With the backup quarterback spot officially filled, the Dolphins can now looks to address their many other needs. The list —offensive guards, inside linebacker, defensive tackle, cornerback, safety, tight end, etc. — is as long as they come.
Even worse?
Teams seemingly snatched valuable free agents left and right while the Dolphins’ inactivity became a point of jest for national pundits like Pat McAfee.
“Only team that hasn’t done a damn thing according to our tracker: Miami Dolphins,” McAfee said on his eponymous show Monday morning, later adding that Miami needs “a lot of things.”
“There’s zero on the scoreboard,” McAfee quipped again. “Maybe they’ll get to work.”
Of course, none of this will be official until Wednesday, but the perceived lack of movement has been surprising, to say the least, especially considering how quickly the talent pool has seemingly shrunk. Former San Francisco 49ers safety Talanoa Hufanga? The Denver Broncos scooped him up on a three-year deal worth up to $45 million, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Former Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle Milton Williams? Expect to see him twice a year as the New England Patriots snagged him, per Schefter. Even defensive tackle Grady Jarrett, whom the Atlanta Falcons released Monday morning, had found himself a home with the Chicago Bears.
Regardless of position, a lot of talent will be headed elsewhere. The few remaining safety options include Jevon Holland, Justin Reid, Justin Simmons and Julian Blackmon now that Jeremy Chinn (Las Vegas Raiders), Tre’von Moehrig (Carolina Panthers) and Cam Bynum (Indianapolis Colts) is off the board. The same goes for defensive tackle: the signings of BJ Hill (Cincinnati Bengals), TJ Slaton (Bengals), DJ Jones (Denver Broncos) and Sebastian Joseph-Day (Tennessee Titans) means that Miami must pray for Calais Campbell’s return.
The cornerback market has thinned out as well. With DJ Reed (Detroit Lions), Paulson Adebo (New York Giants), Carlton Davis (New England Patriots), Donte Jackson (Los Angeles Chargers) and Darius Slay Jr. (Pittsburgh Steelers) all off the board, the Dolphins’ best options will be Byron Murphy and Asante Samuel Jr. Even the guard market has thinned out: Aaron Banks will be a Green Bay Packer and Patrick Mekhari will join the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Dolphins will now have to chose among James Daniels, Kevin Zietler, Teven Jenkins and Will Fries or settle for lesser talent.
Meanwhile, the Dolphins also had to watch some names walk out the building. Receiver Braxton Berrios, who missed most of the 2024 season with a torn ACL, signed a one-year deal worth $2 million, according to the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson.
It’s worth wondering how many of the Dolphins’ conversations with players fell apart due to money. Holland, for example, could command a deal worth $15 million a year, something that might be outside of the Dolphins’ range, according to NFL Network’s Cameron Wolfe. Hufanga, another top safety on the market, will also earn an average of $15 million per year. With a little more than $30 million in cap space, the Dolphins might not have exactly wanted to spend roughly half of it on a single player.
The Dolphins’ lack of movement on day one doesn’t exactly mean all hope is lost. Miami still has more than enough chances to still build a competitive roster. But if the Dolphins Twitter was any reflection of how fans feel about their favorite team, the majority was not to happy. At all.
This story was originally published March 10, 2025 at 5:34 PM.
