Miami Dolphins should take a gamble on Ha Ha Clinton-Dix
By James Reeve
Ha Ha Clinton-Dix is now a free agent and the Miami Dolphins should take a gamble on the veteran safety to boost their secondary this season.
The Miami Dolphins are building a defensive unit that fits the mold of head coach Brian Flores, who has spent the majority of his professional coaching career working on that side of the game, and Ha Ha Clinton-Dix would be worth the gamble.
With that in mind, the Dolphins aggressively pursued a number of important free agents such as Emmanuel Ogbah, Shaq Lawson, Kyle Van Noy, Elandon Roberts, and Byron Jones, all of whom project to be starters or second-string players for the team right out of the gate.
Even though the draft, slot corner Noah Igbinoghene and free safety Brandon Jones were selected within the first three rounds, showing a clear determination from Flores to build a team that performs far better on the defensive side.
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One area that still could do with further bolstering is the safety position. Despite Jones being selected in the third round of the 2020 Draft, the former Texas Longhorn isn’t likely to be ready to start in the immediate future.
At present, the Dolphins project to have Eric Rowe start as their strong safety, having had an impressive breakout season in Miami in 2019, while Bobby McCain is currently penciled in at the free safety position, though his spot is far less assured.
McCain is better suited to playing at corner, out on the edge, and could be replaced if the Dolphins can identify a player ready-made for the free safety spot that could easily displace him.
One such player is Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, who was released by the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday, having played the 2019 season with the Chicago Bears.
During last season, in which he started every game, Clinton-Dix racked up 78 total tackles (62 solo) and two interceptions, with one returned for a touchdown.
The 21st overall selection of the Green Bay Packers in the 2014 Draft is a few years removed from his sole Pro Bowl appearance, back in 2016, but the veteran safety would be a clear upgrade on McCain, who is still learning to play the position in the absence of a player better suited to take the starting role.
Clinton-Dix could be available for a cheap one-year deal, with the Cowboys paying him $2.5 million in guaranteed money this season, meaning he doesn’t need to seek a larger contract as he already has his money for the year.
The fact he was cut by Dallas is a concern, but this could be due to the availability of Earl Thomas in free agency, with the Cowboys potentially believing he could be a better upgrade at the position, with rumors continuing to persist about him.
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For the Dolphins, bringing in Clinton-Dix on a one-year ‘prove it’ deal could work great in their favor, giving them an upgrade on McCain for very little, making further improvements to a defensive team that should be far better than what it was in 2019.