Miami Dolphins' best free agent acquisition at midseason
The Miami Dolphins were pretty busy when the new league year began. They brought back plenty of in-house free agents in OLB Andrew Van Ginkel, RB Raheem Mostert, OT Kendall Lamm, CB Justin Bethel, and TE Durham Smythe. They didn't make a whole lot of outside free agent signings in the 2023 offseason. That said, […]
The Miami Dolphins were pretty busy when the new league year began. They brought back plenty of in-house free agents in OLB Andrew Van Ginkel, RB Raheem Mostert, OT Kendall Lamm, CB Justin Bethel, and TE Durham Smythe. They didn't make a whole lot of outside free agent signings in the 2023 offseason.
That said, a couple they made have really panned out so far for the Miami Dolphins' defense. The team signed LB David Long, Jr. to a two-year, $11 million contract. That's been money well spent so far, as Long has been solid in the middle of Miami's defense.
However, it was the signing of DeShon Elliott that has made Chris Grier look like a genius so far. Grier inked Elliott on March 17 to a one-year, $1,770,000 deal. Through 9 games, Elliott has far outplayed that money.
With starter Brandon Jones out for the start of the season, the Dolphins needed an experienced veteran presence to go alongside Jevon Holland. Elliott, who spent his first three seasons in Baltimore and 2022 in Detroit, checked that box.
Elliott's production has been strong. He's logged 521 snaps, the third most on the entire defense. He's earned a 76.6 Pro Football Focus grade, with a 71.1 or better grade in all sub-categories that he was graded in – run defense, tackling, and coverage, the only Miami defender to do so.
Elliott's numbers back up his rating. He's allowed 8 catches on 14 targets for a 57% catch rate. His missed tackle percentage is also a solid 7.8% with 47 combined tackles and only 4 missed ones.
As such, Grier deserves a lot of credit for finding a quality player at a ridiculously team-friendly deal. The question now is: can he find a way to keep Elliott here in 2024 and beyond?
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