Kelly: Talented free agents can help 2026 Dolphins team, so why not explore some | Opinion
Imagine an offense with a well-behaved Stefon Diggs and a healthy Tyreek Hill out wide, with Deebo Samuel in the slot, and Darren Waller and/or Jonnu Smith serving as the tight ends.
Taylor Decker, Cam Robinson and Mekhi Becton are opening up running lanes for Najee Harris or Nick Chubb, and protecting quarterbacks Russell Wilson or Jimmy Garoppolo.
How about a defense led by linebackers Bobby Wagner and Kyle Van Noy, one that features L’Jarius Snead, Rasul Douglas and Trevon Diggs at cornerback, with Christian Wilkins, A.J. Epenesa, Cameron Jordan, Joey Bosa and Jadeveon Clowney on the defensive front.
While this collection of NFL free agents might seem like an aged, fragile team, and maybe features a few challenging personalities, all these out-of-work former and present NFL standouts — if not stars — would likely beat the Miami Dolphins in a head-to-head matchup if given the same amount of practice time.
Sean McDermott, who was fired by the Buffalo Bills this offseason and shunned by the league this hiring cycle, can coach them.
We can call this team “The Discards” because there’s annually a pile of players unemployed at this point of the season who can still play, but will be asked to take 70 cents on the dollar for what they will eventually contribute in 2026.
This is the way of the NFL, and we — teams, the media, and fan base — often pretend it’s healthier to go with young, cheap and inexperienced players, like what the Dolphins are doing this season in the first year of a massive rebuild.
There’s something wrong with that picture considering most of these above-mentioned players would easily become starters on this talent-starved Dolphins team, which will gain $20.2 million in cap space in a week when Miami reaps the benefit of Bradley Chubb’s June 1 release earlier this offseason.
Douglas certainly did last season while being paid $1.5 million for a starting role after signing with Miami late. And wouldn’t you know the 31-year-old cornerback was not only one of the Dolphins’ top defenders, but ranked in the top 15 for his position based on analytics-driven sites.
So are you telling me this Dolphins team couldn’t use Douglas again?
They sure could, but for now we will pretend he’s a progress-stopper for Ethan Bonner and Jason Marshall Jr., who struggled massively last season, and JuJu Brents, who hasn’t proven he can stay healthy his entire three-year career.
In a rebuild it’s wise to invest in young talent, giving first- and second-year talents time on task to learn and grow from those reps.
But that doesn’t mean this Dolphins roster, which is filled with veterans who signed, or are playing for the NFL minimum, and 24 rookies — wouldn’t benefit from an infusion of some veteran wisdom, and playmaking, especially if they came at the right price.
While many of these unemployed, established NFL starters are cherry-picking their situation, and teams, and some are probably looking to avoid the offseason program by signing with a team during training camp, a handful of them would jump at the opportunity to continue their careers as starters if offered a contract tomorrow.
The Dolphins would be making a mistake by not adding Wilkins, who would likely welcome an opportunity to reunite with Zach Sieler, getting the Salt & Pepper band back together, attempting to re-establish his NFL career.
Epenesa, who took a visit to Miami before the draft, likely to gauge his recovery from a neck injury, would likely help Jeff Hafley’s team set the edge of Miami’s defensive front. Someone will sign him with an injury waiver. Why not Miami?
Say whatever you would like about drama-filled receivers such as Diggs, Hill and Samuel, but this offense, and inexperienced quarterback Malik Willis, would benefit from adding a receiver who has kept opposing defensive coordinators up at night.
Smith set franchise records for tight end productivity in Miami in 2024, so let’s not act like he’s washed up at 30, and couldn’t help this year’s Dolphins win games.
But for now, Miami would rather roll the dice with Greg Dulcich, who has caught all of 67 passes in his four previous seasons, and two draftees in Will Kacmarek and Seydou Traore.
That’s fine, but let’s call this season what it is, which is an investment in youth and potential, a season not expected to produce an immediate return in wins if veteran players are absent from the roster.
