Miami Dolphins Free Agent Upgrades 2015

The Miami Dolphins have some positions that need upgrading, the following are ways to upgrade those positions in 2015 NFL free agency. In my last article I detailed how to fix positions of need I felt were necessities versus upgrades. This article will focus on the other positions that need upgrading but are not necessities. Again these are solutions to these positional issues using only FA, I understand the team will use a mix of both FA and the draft which is something I definitely encourage.

Cornerback– This is quite possibly a necessity versus an upgrade depending on how the young guys on the roster perform. I am personally a big believer in Jamar Taylor, I simply think his injuries have made it difficult for him to shine. Here’s to hoping he stays healthy this year. If you never got a chance to look at some of his college highlights you really should, at 2:40 in this video my jaw dropped. The rest of the bunch I am not so sure about.

The problem is the new guys on the block in this class of free agents are older, other than Byron Maxwell(who I believe might be over-hyped) most of the guys worth signing are over 30. Based on the fact that we might have something in our young guys this might work to our advantage though.

My number one guy would be Antonio Cromartie, who we should have signed last year instead of Cortland Finnegan. He is older but plays at a really high level and should be able to for at least another few years. Due to his age he won’t be super expensive which might make him a value signing when looking back at it.

Another solid option is Brandon Flowers. He resurrected his career in San Diego this past year after being used out of position with the Chiefs. He also should not break the bank and should provide another few years of quality service.

At nickel I would resign Jimmy Wilson. He was bad at safety but pretty good at nickel, and because of how bad he was at safety he will come back pretty cheap.

Tight End– I believe the Miami Dolphins need some height here. I also believe they need to upgrade here AFTER resigning Charles Clay as I discussed in my last article.

The choice here could be Jermaine Gresham. He never lived up to his first-round billing but that doesn’t make him a bad option. He is still very capable, not too pricey and a serious red zone threat. At 6’5 260 he is an imposing figure and finished the season strong with 5 touchdowns in his last 6 games.

One under the radar guy is Rob Housler. Houlser is 6’5 250 which is surprising because when you watch him he looks Gronk-sized. This guy is a monster physically speaking having run a 4.46 coming out of college. Tight end was simply not used in Bruce Arians’ offense leaving Housler to all but disappear statistically. This guy will come very cheap and could prove to be an awesome signing when all is said and done.

Running Back– The Miami Dolphins have a feature back, his name is Lamar Miller. They also have a quality backup, his name is Damien Williams. What they don’t have is a veteran leader at the position or a goal line back or a proven 3rd down pass catching back. The smart thing to do would be to find those three things in one guy. Given this class of FA rb’s that should not be difficult.

The perfect answer would be Frank Gore. Seemingly defying Father Time, Frank Gore has been productive for years despite injuries, high carries, and natural aging. He also would be the perfect mentor considering he already mentors Miller and they work out together during the offseason. He also used to play for UM and hopefully would like the idea of coming full circle.

The other veteran option is Steven Jackson. A personal favorite of mine for years I can confidently say he has dramatically fallen off. Having said that he is still decent in a limited role. He is still good in the red zone, still good at catching and pass blocking, and still a positive locker room presence. Assuming he could regain a little bit of his form he could be a sneaky good addition to the Miami Dolphins’ backfield stable.

Kicker– This is a necessary evil folks. I think we both wish this wasn’t something we have to discuss or think about it but it is unfortunately. The only viable free agent option here that I know of is Matt Prater. He was fairly solid for Detroit last year after coming in off a suspension. He does have some baggage but would still probably be an upgrade over Caleb Sturgis. Other than that there are probably some lesser known guys who we could give a shot. UPDATE: Matt Prater was resigned by the Lions today to a 3 year contract, looks like the Miami Dolphins will be looking elsewhere if at all.

These ideas, along with those in my last article, are how I would fix all of the Miami Dolphins’ needs using free agency. Stay tuned as in my next couple articles I will detail exactly how I would fix them using the draft. Please make sure to comment and let me know what you agree with or disagree with.