The Miami Dolphins may not need to look far for help at one of their most suspect position rooms later this summer
The Miami Dolphins’ safety room has plenty of questions. But another team in the AFC East may offer some new talent by the time the preseason ends.
When you look up and down the Miami Dolphins‘ roster, odds are strong that you’ll be left with some questions. Miami has a lot of young players and plenty of spots.
Among the positions rooms that will carry more weight this season? The safety position. New head coach Jeff Hafley has expressed his preference to call the game with his safeties as one of his weapons for opposing quarterbacks. But Hafley’s group in 2026 is comprised of a pair of mid-Day 3 draft picks in Dante Trader Jr. (2025) and Michael Taaffe (2026), plus veteran backups like Lonnie Johnson and Zayne Anderson. This could be a spot where waiver claims come into play later this summer. If that’s the case, Miami won’t have to look far across the league for a team to watch. One of their AFC East rivals boasts an impressively deep safety room and could be cutting a good player in August. The waiver claim watch list should include the Buffalo Bills’ safety room.
The Miami Dolphins should be keeping a watchful eye on the Buffalo Bills’ safety room for potential cuts
The Buffalo Bills are undertaking a defensive overhaul in 2026. Former head coach Sean McDermott is gone and new defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard appears to be bringing a more aggressive, multiple defense to western New York. Unlike Miami, Buffalo’s safety room amid a scheme change has plenty of interesting players. Arguably too many.
Veteran Chauncey Gardner-Johnson signed a one-year deal worth north of $3 million in guarantees this offseason. He joins young Cole Bishop, who was a breakout player in 2025, as presumed starters. But when you keep looking down the depth chart, it becomes apparent that Buffalo is brimming.
Rookie Jalon Kilgore was an investment for this system, so he feels locked in. Veteran safety Geno Stone has been a starter in the AFC North for the past three and a half years. He’s posted 13 interceptions over the last three seasons — but may be the fourth safety in the queue and he signed in Buffalo on a one year deal with less than $200k in guarantees. 2025 fifth-round draft choice Jordan Hancock is a compelling player with some good versatility based on his tape at Ohio State.
Consider me intrigued. Perhaps the Miami Dolphins will be, too. If all five of these names make the roster, you could see career special teamers like Damar Hamlin and Sam Franklin shake loose. Those players offer less appeal for Miami — that scenario may mean no opportunity awaits the Dolphins from the Bills’ safety room in August. But if Hancock, as a late-round holdover from a different regime, or Stone shakes loose?
Keep an eye on this one.
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