Miami Dolphins bring in former first-round safety for a visit
The Miami Dolphins’ retooling of their safety room might not be done.
Three days after drafting Oregon’s Jevon Holland with the 36th overall pick, the Dolphins summoned veteran starter Malik Hooker for a free agent visit, NFL Network first reported on Tuesday.
Hooker started 14 games for the Colts in 2018 and 13 in 2019 and intercepted two passes each of those seasons.
He started the first two games for the Colts last season and then tore an Achilles in a Sept. 20 game against the Minnesota Vikings, ending his season.
The Colts selected Hooker 15th overall out of Ohio State in 2017 - two months after he underwent surgery to repair a hernia and a torn labrum.
The injury problems have continued throughout his professional career; he tore an ACL seven games into his rookie season and has missed 29 games in four seasons.
Asked on Twitter late in the afternoon whether he agreed to a deal with the Dolphins, Hooker said: “Not that I know of.”
The Dolphins already have seven safeties: starters Bobby McCain and Eric Rowe, Brandon Jones (last year’s third-round pick), Holland, Clayton Fejedelem, Nate Holley and Brian Cole (who spent last season on the practice squad).
Veteran Kavon Frazier was not re-signed.
Hooker has played a lot of free safety in his career - a job that McCain handled last season.
McCain’s $6.4 million salary for 2021 is not guaranteed; if he’s cut after June 1, Miami would have $740,000 in dead money with $6.4 million cap savings. But McCain was very good in coverage last season.
Rowe’s $2.5 million base salary is not guaranteed; if he’s cut after June 1, Miami would have $525,000 in dead money with a $5.5 million cap savings. But Rowe was very good against tight ends in 14 games last season, struggling against the Chiefs’ Travis Kelce and the Raiders’ Darren Waller.
The Dolphins have $10.3 million in cap space, barely enough to sign their draft class.
Beginning this week, teams can begin signing free agents without it counting against the NFL’s compensatory pick formula.
According to overthecap’s Nick Korte, the Dolphins are expected to receive a fifth-round compensatory pick in the 2022 draft as a result of losing defensive tackle Davon Godchaux to the New England Patriots.
This story was originally published May 4, 2021 at 3:09 PM.
