Miami Dolphins add free agent who was a major liability in a key area in 2024
The Miami Dolphins took a step to add depth to their defense on Thursday. They added a player who can, at least, help them stop the run. And that's about it. The Dolphins signed former Tampa Bay Buccaneer LB K.J. Britt on a one-year deal, per ESPN's Adam Schefter. In a turnabout of irony, former […]
The Miami Dolphins took a step to add depth to their defense on Thursday. They added a player who can, at least, help them stop the run.
And that's about it.
The Dolphins signed former Tampa Bay Buccaneer LB K.J. Britt on a one-year deal, per ESPN's Adam Schefter. In a turnabout of irony, former Dolphins LB Anthony Walker, Jr. is head to the Bucs.
Britt was a fifth-round pick by the Bucs in the 2021 NFL Draft out of Auburn. He played a reserve role for most of his time in Tampa behind Lavonte David and Devin White.
He saw his playing time increase in 2023 alongside David, and he showed some signs of potential. However, that came crashing down with a year to forget in 2024, particularly in the passing game. Britt was a significant liability on the field when opposing quarterbacks dropped back to pass, and his 40.1 coverage grade from Pro Football Focus wasn't out of left field there. That ranks 80th among all linebackers with at least 139 snaps in 2024.
Yes, Walker, Jr. put up a worse coverage mark last year – 39.1 – but he at least has a history of far higher marks in the passing game in his prior years in Cleveland.
Britt is a hard hitting, downhill linebacker who can help against the run. To the extent the Dolphins want to use him as a situational player, perhaps in short yardage situations or in early downs, he can be useful. But on passing downs, he's someone who has shown to be problematic in coverage.
Not ideal in today's NFL, but as far as adding physicality, well, he can do that, and the Dolphins need to get less "soft" – a word used by both current and former Dolphins about the franchise within the last year.
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