Chris Grier's decisions with cap spending continue to haunt the Miami Dolphins this year, and now, the defensive line is feeling the pain.
Miami is swimming in murky water with cap restrictions and a lot of holes that need to be plugged. The defensive line was already a problem, but many fans believed several players could make their way back to the roster. On Monday, the Dolphins re-signed Matt Dickerson, but that isn't even a drop of water in the D-line bucket.
Most fans were hopeful Da'Shawn Hand would return. Despite being a rotational player behind Zach Sieler and Calais Campbell, Hand was one of the better linemen who provided quality and consistent play every time he was on the field. Now, his time in Miami is over.
According to NFL Network's Mike Garofolo, Hand is signing with the Los Angeles Chargers. It's a one-year contract worth $3.35 million, which the Dolphins should've matched.
Dolphins' defensive line could destroy any progress Anthony Weaver made last year
The contract was doable for the Dolphins in any other offseason, but 2025 has been weird. With Hand no longer on the team, the Dolphins' focus has to shift to filling this void. The problem? Miami is running out of free-agent targets to pair with Sieler.
With the market being what it is, the Dolphins may find themselves pigeonholed into spending a high draft pick on the position. Currently, the Dolphins' roster consists of Neil Farrell and Seiler.
The Dolphins' secondary requires work, but it won't matter if the front trench isn't where it needs to be. This is a major concern, and Miami can't simply wait for the draft to arrive. Would Hand have helped? Absolutely. But the Dolphins needed to re-sign him and add more talent.
Now, they need to find a replacement.
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