Miami Dolphins fans already know the name Jon-Eric Sullivan, but they may only think they know who he is and what he brings to the Dolphins. Sullivan is more than just a guy who comes from a long line of Green Bay executives. His background, like most who have held jobs for the Packers, is personnel.
Sullivan is finding out what it is like to build a roster. He has eight draft picks, bloated contracts, aging veterans, and a quarterback problem with no simple resolution. Now there is free agency. The first big opportunity for Sullivan to start reshaping his own roster for the first time.
Expectations should be tempered. Miami doesn't have the cap space to spend freely, and they won't mortgage their future by adding guarantees to contracts down the road. That doesn't mean they can't be active; they must be selective. This is where Green Bay comes into play.
Jon-Eric Sullivan's smartest Miami Dolphins FA moves will be the simplest ones
Sullivan believes in developing young players, players whom they draft. That is something the Dolphins haven't seen since the days of Jimmy Johnson, who turned a bean-pole Jason Taylor and a height-disadvantaged Zach Thomas into Hall of Famers.
Sullivan will get his opportunity in a matter of days to start working over his new roster full of one-year contracts and inexperienced youth, but it's where he starts that will be the key. Most believe he will and should start in Green Bay.
The Packers have 19 players projected to hit free agency this year, not all of them, Quay Walker and Malik Willis, will be affordable. So Dolphins fans should expect to hear names like these five players when the free agency frenzy begins.
John Fitzpatrick - tight end
Fitzpatrick wasn't drafted by the Packers; he was a 6th-round pick of the Falcons in 2023. He joined Green Bay in 2024, but didn't start or contribute much. Last season, he started four of 15 games and caught 12 passes for 72 yards.
Miami needs to bulk up its TE room, as it has only Jalin Conyers on the roster. Fitzpatrick is still developing, but there is familiarity that comes with him. He will be a cheap option that won't tip the scales beyond a league minimum with no guarantees. If nothing else, he brings more competition to the roster for training camp.
Arron Mosby - linebacker/defensive tackle
Mosby began his career with the Panthers as an undrafted free agent. He joined the Packers in 2024 but has played sparingly since he arrived. He has only 20 career tackles with the Packers. That may not sound great, because it is not, but he is a league-minimum camp body that is still developing. It doesn't hurt that he fills a need on the boundary.
Like most players with his limited experience, Mosby has seen the majority of his snap counts come on special teams. The Dolphins recently re-signed Cameron Goode, who also primarily contributes in the third phase. Competition or another piece? Maybe a little of both.
Darian Kinnard - Right tackle
There has been a haze surrounding the future of Austin Jackson with the Dolphins since Sullivan took over the team. The well-liked leader has an annual health issue that keeps him off the field. The Dolphins haven't decided what to do with him just yet. That makes finding suitable backups a priority this offseason.
Kinnard has three years of NFL experience, but only one (2025) with Green Bay. Was that enough for Sullivan and Jeff Hafley to form an opinion on him? Maybe not. Last year, he started 4 games, but was available for all 17, something Jackson can't say. A cheap backup option that could provide both depth and developmental potential.
Kingsley Enagbare - Linebacker/Edge
One of the more likely additions to the Dolphins roster this offseason, Enagbare is a "just over vet minimum" type of free agent. More importantly, he is the only player on this list who was drafted by the Packers. Over his four seasons, Enagbare has started 21 of 68 games, recorded 146 tackles, 11.5 sacks, and 23 quarterback hits.
With Chop Robinson the only starting edge rusher on the Dolphins roster, Enagbare could provide Miami with a rotational starter for a low-cost contract. Of all the players mentioned here, this is the one to keep a closer eye on.