Miami Dolphins could benefit in a key area of need from a slew of recent releases
The Miami Dolphins have plenty of holes on their roster, and in some areas almost an entire unit in need of filling. As of March 7, the Dolphins' safety room too isn't far off from that description. When free agency officially gets underway on March 13 at 4:00 pm, only Jevon Holland is locked into […]
The Miami Dolphins have plenty of holes on their roster, and in some areas almost an entire unit in need of filling. As of March 7, the Dolphins' safety room too isn't far off from that description.
When free agency officially gets underway on March 13 at 4:00 pm, only Jevon Holland is locked into returning for 2024. Every other safety is either an unrestricted or restricted free agent. That includes starter DeShon Elliott, who had a solid showing on a one-year "prove it" deal with the Dolphins last year.
However, the safety market has just picked up some major names in the past day, with several stars being released as parts of teams trying to get under the cap before the new league year begins on March 13. Among them include Quandre Diggs and Jamal Adams from Seattle, Jordan Poyer from Buffalo, and Justin Simmons from Denver.
Simmons and Poyer are the players who will likely attract the most attention around the league. Poyer had remarkable 2021 season in which he earned first-team All-Pro honors. Simmons picked off 16 passes between 2020 and 2022, leading the league with six in 2022. He earned Pro Bowl honors last year.
Diggs and Adams had subpar seasons for the Seahawks in 2023, with Adams posting a career worst 54.9 Pro Football Focus grade with an abysmal 24.2% missed tackle rate. Diggs missed the Pro Bowl last year for the first time since 2019.
The Dolphins, who've had to make some tough choices such as releasing LB Jerome Baker in order to get under the cap, might not be able to afford what this group of players is asking for. Perhaps, if the Dolphins can backload a deal, something could be worked out, or in the case of a player like Diggs, if he'd take a one-year "prove it" deal like Elliott did last year.
Regardless, even if they don't, it's now a more saturated market with players looking for new homes, which could make it easier to bring back players like Elliott or Brandon Jones.
Either way, Chris Grier should be happy to see plenty of names flooding into the market for an area he badly needs to shore up on his roster.
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