Dolphins add veteran cornerback Eli Apple; here’s what Miami is getting
After losing Jalen Ramsey to a knee injury, the Dolphins signed one of the most experienced cornerbacks on the market on Saturday when they agreed to terms with veteran Eli Apple, according to his agent Kevin Conner.
Apple -- who worked out for the Dolphins before signing on Saturday -- has appeared in 88 games and started 78 in a seven-year career. He has played for the Giants (who drafted him 10th overall in 2016), New Orleans, Carolina and Cincinnati.
Apple started 30 games for the Bengals over the past two seasons and had two interceptions and 10 pass breakups in 2021 and no interceptions and 8 pass breakups in 2022.
Last season, per Pro Football Focus, Apple allowed a 99.8 passer rating in his coverage area, permitting 53 completions in 91 targets for 749 yards and four touchdowns.
Apple becomes a strong candidate to play boundary cornerback - opposite Xavien Howard - when the Dolphins play three cornerbacks. Kader Kohou likely would play nickel corner in that scenario.
Apple would compete primarily with Kohou - and to an extent with Cam Smith and Noah Igbinoghene - for the second boundary job, opposite Howard, when the Dolphins play only two cornerbacks.
Kohou and Apple would seem the front-runners to be the Dolphins’ No. 2 and No. 3 cornerbacks while Ramsey recovers from knee surgery.
Among the Dolphins cornerbacks who played a lot last season, Kohou led the Dolphins in passer rating against at 83.9. He’s likely to maintain a major role this season.
Howard had a career-worst 114.6 passer rating against but the Dolphins are hopeful he will return to his elite form in Vic Fangio’s zone heavy defense.
Coach Mike McDaniel had said Friday that the Dolphins were happy with their healthy group of cornerbacks and that any cornerback signed likely would be added for depth. But Apple has the pedigree of a starter.
Apple joins Howard, Kohou, second-round rookie Smith, Igbinoghene, Justin Bethel and Trill Williams as veteran cornerbacks on the Dolphins roster.
Three veteran Dolphins cornerbacks are out with injuries: Ramsey, Keion Crossen (undisclosed) and Nik Needham, who is on the active/physically unable to perform list after last October’s Achilles injury.
Crossen’s injury was being further evalated, McDaniel said Friday.
Ramsey, who had knee surgery on Friday, is not expected back until December.
The 6-1 Apple, 27, was the second cornerback drafted in 2016, after Ramsey.
He had three interceptions in 2 1/2 seasons for the Giants but the relationship soured late in 2017 when Apple was suspended by the team for the regular season finale after reportedly arguing with New York’s coaching staff about being asked to practice with the scout team and for a “pattern of behavior that is conduct detrimental to the team.”
He started the next season with the Giants but was traded that October to the Saints for a fourth-round pick.
Apple was a 15-game starter for New Orleans in 2019. But the Saints declined the fifth-year option on his contract and he spent the 2020 season with Carolina but missed most of the season with ankle and foot injuries.
He revived his career as a starter for the Bengals the past two seasons but gained unwelcomed notoriety for trash talking players on social media (including then Chiefs and now Dolphins receiver Tyreek Hill) and then allowing Cooper Kupp to catch the winning touchdown pass of the Feburary 2022 Super Bowl.
Last season, before the Dolphins played the Bengals, Hill said: “I can’t wait to go against Eli Apple. I owe you boy. I owe you. I’m here. The Cheetah is here.”
Apple was among the best remaining free agent cornerbacks, a group that also included Bryce Callahan and Bradley Roby.
This story was originally published July 29, 2023 at 4:49 PM.
