NFL free agency live blog: Miami Dolphins agree to terms with five players on Tuesday
The frenzy known as NFL free agency is here.
The Dolphins had an active Monday, agreeing to terms with Emmanuel Ogbah, running back Chase Edmonds, receiver Cedric Wilson Jr., quarterback Teddy Bridgewater and special teams player Keion Crossen.
Beginning at noon on Monday, teams could begin speaking with other teams’ free agents and agree to terms on contracts, as long as nothing is in writing. Deals cannot be signed until 4 p.m. Wednesday.
We’ll be presenting a Dolphins-flavored free agent blog all week, with notes on anything that impacts Miami. We’ll add updates to the bottom several times, so keep checking back for more.
Here’s the Tuesday installment:
8:57 a.m.: The Dolphins got started early Tuesday by bringing back linebacker Duke Riley on a one-year deal, agent Drew Rosenhaus said.
Riley’s deal is worth $3 million.
Riley played in 16 games last year, starting three, and had 26 tackles.
He played 21 percent of the team’s defensive snaps (227) and 59 percent of the team’s special teams snaps (260). He blocked a punt against Carolina, leading to an ensuing touchdown.
Riley played well during parts of the Dolphins’ late-season winning streak, logging more than 25 defensive snaps against Baltimore, Carolina and the Giants.
He started eight games for the Eagles and played 64 percent of their defensive snaps in 2020.
The Dolphins like his speed, versatility, coverage ability and special teams contributions.
The Dolphins have now agreed to term with six players in free agency: incumbent Dolphins defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah, former Dallas receiver Cedric Wilson Jr., ex-Arizona running back Chase Edmonds, former Broncos quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, incumbent Dolphins linebacker Duke Riley and ex-Giants special teams player/cornerback Keoin Crossen. Also, tight end Mike Gesicki signed his franchise tender and will make $10.8 million next season.
The Dolphins are down to about $22 million in cap space but could clear out $21 million more by cutting Clayton Fejedelem, Cethan Carter, Eric Rowe, Jesse Davis, Allen Hurns, Adam Butler and Greg Little.
9:30 AM update: So what about the Dolphins’ need for offensive line help? The bad news is that it hasn’t been addressed in the first 21 hours of free agency.
The good news is that most of top tackles all remain available - New Orleans’ Terron Armstead, New England’s Trent Brown, the Colts’ Eric Fisher, Seattle’s Duane Brown and the Jets’ Morgan Moses. Also, the Dolphins and Cowboys have discussed La’el Collins, who is considered more likely to be released than traded.
The Dolphins have expressed interest in Collins, but it would need to be for a price comfortable to both parties. No team, to this point, has been willing to trade a draft pick for a player they believe will be released. If Miami or any team acquired Collins via trade, the cap hit would be $10 million in 2022 without a restructure.
So Miami still has a chance to upgrade at tackle, and I would be surprised if they don’t.
The interior line class of free agents took a hit on Monday, but players still available in that group include Chicago guard James Daniels and Dallas guard Connor Williams and Baltimore center Bradley Bozeman (Miami hadn’t been involved with him as of mid-afternoon Monday).
9:38 am update: Here are the top free agents available at Dolphins need positions, per PFF’s rankings: Armstead (1), linebacker Bobby Wagner (6), Duane Brown (19), guard Connor Williams (23), Chicago’s Daniels (25), linebacker Alex Johnson (33), guard Andrew Norwell (34), Moses (35), Fisher (36), linebacker Leighton Vander Esch (39), linebacker Josey Jewell (40) and linebacker Dont’a Hightower (45).
10:25 a.m. update: The Dolphins have spoken to free agent linebacker Brennan Scarlett about re-signing and he’s weighing his options. New England, Las Vegas, Atlanta and Detroit also have inquired.
11 a.m. update: The Dolphins are re-signing receiver Preston Williams on a one-year deal that could be worth up to $1.99 million, a source confirmed. He has 56 catches for 787 yards and seven touchdowns in 24 games and 17 starts for the Dolphins over three seasons.
The Dolphins hope to get him back to the form he showed in his first two seasons, which both ended after eight games due to injuries. He had those seven touchdown catches in his first two seasons, but just six catches for 71 yards in eight games and three starts last season.
He has played in eight games each of his three seasons, but his playing time has slipped from 404 offensive snaps in 2019 to 336 in 2020 to 175 last season.
Williams was a restricted free agent and the team worked out a new deal before Wednesday’s 4 p.m. tender deadline. The lowest tender would have been for $2.4 million, so the Dolphins and Williams agreed on a deal below that.
11:30 a.m. update: The Dolphins agreed to terms with guard Connor Williams, who has started 10, 11, 16 and 14 games for the Cowboys the past four seasons. That will upgrade the interior of Miami’s offensive line.
The two-year, $14 million deal includes $7.5 million in guaranteed money, according to agent Drew Rosenhaus.
Pro Football Focus rated Williams the 11st best guard in football last season, among 83 qualifiers.
PFF’s Ryan Smith noted he’s “equally as strong in pass-blocking as he is run-blocking.”
PFF rated him the 11st best run blocking guard last season.
He allowed just two sacks and 12 hurries in 624 pass blocking snaps, which is very good.
One negative: He was called for 17 penalties last season (most in the league), including 11 holding infractions after being whistled for that infraction only 10 times in his first three seasons combined. He was called for only four penalties in 2020.
Those penalties resulted in a him being benched for four games beginning in mid-November, a stretch when he played a total of 18 snaps before regaining his starting job for the final four games of the season.
1 p.m. update: Per agent Drew Rosenhaus, the Dolphins are bringing back Elandon Roberts on a one-year, $3.25 million deal, keeping their inside linebacker troika intact (Jerome Baker, Roberts, Duke Riley).
In 17 games and 14 starts, Roberts had 83 tackles, a sack, two forced fumbles and an interception return for a touchdown against Las Vegas.
Among 87 linebackers (excluding those who played primarily on the edge), Pro Football Focus rated Baker 32nd and Roberts 47th. Roberts and Riley hired Miami-based Rosenhaus, meaning he now represents the top three inside linebackers on last year’s team, including Baker.
Roberts is still clearly an above-average run defender (rated 38th as a run-defender, among 87 linebackers, by PFF). But he also missed 32 tackles the past two years and pass coverage isn’t considered a strength.
3 p.m. update: Among prominent Dolphins free agents still available: tight end Durham Smythe, cornerback Justin Coleman, receivers Mack Hollins and Albert Wilson, linebacker Brennan Scarlett, running backs Duke Johnson and Phillip Lindsay and punter Michael Palardy.
4:45 p.m. update: Instead of shrinking, the offensive tackle market is growing. The Chargers released Bryan Bulaga, who was once a very good right tackle. But he’s 32 and has missed 22 games due to the injury over the past two seasons.
New Orleans’ Terron Armstead - the top free agent tackle available - reportedly is waiting to see where Deshaun Watson is traded. Trent Brown, Duane Brown and Eric Fisher remain unsigned, and the Cowboys might release La’el Collins.
8:30 pm update: The Dolphins re-signed linebacker Sam Eguavoen, who got a one-year, $2 million deal with $800,000 guaranteed. He had 16 tackles in 2021, playing 16 percent of the Dolphins’ defensive snaps and 60 percent of their special teams snaps.
This story was originally published March 15, 2022 at 9:07 AM.
