Miami Dolphins free agent history

2008

With Cameron and Mueller gone the Dolphins turned to Bill Parcells to right the sinking ship. Parcells entered the Dolphins with cap space but a void in serious talent. His first order of business was the release of Zach Thomas and followed that with the trade of Jason Taylor to Washington. His free agent replacements were solid but unspectacular.

The Dolphins signed 10 players in free agency in 2008. Nine of them made the roster. Guard Justin Smiley who was brought in after solid years in San Francisco was supposed to bring a new physicality to the offensive line. Smiley played decent when he was healthy but nagging injuries took their toll and eventually he would too would be gone. The best free agent of this class was defensive end Randy Starks who would remain with the team as a starter until the 2015 off-season when the Dolphins would release him for salary cap reasons.

The Dolphins spent big on wide-receiver Ernest Wilford in 2008 but Wilford’s production on the field was horrible and he wouldn’t last long in Miami. Wilford would spend one season with the Dolphins and total 25 yards receiving. The other names added in 2008 were linebacker Charlie Anderson, safety Chris Crocker, CB Nathan Jones, QB Josh McCown, TE Sean Ryan, and linebacker Reggie Torbor.

Parcells would also add Chad Pennington during training camp after his release from the Jets and he made two significant trades. One for tight-end Anthony Fasano and the other for defensive lineman Jason Ferguson. While Fasano never quite lived up the comparisons of Dallas Cowboy’s tight end Jason Witten, he had a solid stay in Miami. Ferguson enjoyed a lot of success with the Dolphins in his two years with the team. His last stop in the NFL.

2009

For the Dolphins things begin to get a little confusing as no one is certain who actually is making the decisions in the front office. Bill Parcells is reportedly the final say on all player decisions but he throws some of that responsibility on Jeff Ireland who is the teams general manager since 2008. After Bill Parcells leaves the team it’s reported through Parcells’ camp that Ireland was calling most of the shots but through 2009, it’s believed that it was indeed Parcells.

Miami only signed three free agents in 2009. Guard Joe Berger who had a little success on the line and center Jake Grove who many thought would resurrect his career with the Dolphins. Grove, a former first round pick of the Raiders, did not live up to that billing. Cornerback Eric Green would not make the roster.

The Dolphins also added a few players via trade. They traded a 5th round pick for quarterback Tyler Thigpen, who did not work out and a 7th round pick for defensive end Tony McDaniel who has some success but never made a huge impact on the defense. A year after being traded to the Redskins, Jason Taylor rejoined the Dolphins.

2010

With questions still remaining about who was exactly calling the shots Parcells was still in charge during the free agency period. It was revealed later that Parcells had left the team shortly before the start of the season and that Jeff Ireland had been mostly in charge of making personnel decisions. That was showcased by the trade for Brandon Marshall which was orchestrated by Ireland. The Dolphins sent the Broncos two 2nd round picks for the receiver.

The 2010 off-season also saw Miami trade WR Ted Ginn, Jr. to the 49ers, WR Greg Camarillo to the Vikings, and Justin Smiley to the Jaguars. They also traded for guard Pat McQuistan. Free agency however is where we are looking and the Dolphins were not very active. Under Jeff Ireland and Bill Parcells, the Dolphins added Richie Incognito who would huge impacts for the team on and off the field and linebacker Karlos Dansby who did not meet the team expectations.

Dansby was a high-profile free agent linebacker who had a very productive career in Arizona. His three seasons with the Dolphins never met that same production. After rejoining the Dolphins in 2009, the Dolphins opted to not re-sign Jason Taylor who would leave via free agency to sign with the Jets.

Next: Jeff Ireland