The Miami Dolphins may not internally believe they need help in the secondary, specifically at cornerback, but everyone else clearly sees the void.
Miami has not addressed the depleted unit outside of a late-round draft pick and a couple of depth moves during free agency. While they signed Artie Burns during that free-agent period, no one is counting on him to stay healthy. Maybe having two corners on the roster who are not available was too much for Chris Grier.
Jaire Alexander was a corner that many believed the Dolphins would show interest in. He was available as a free agent and wasn't going to cost a lot. He would have filled a hole the Dolphins have on the boundary.
Alexander will not be joining the Dolphins, and we honestly don't blame him or the team for letting him go. According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, Alexander, who signed a one-year deal worth $6 million to play with the Baltimore Ravens, turned down more money from other offers so he could play with his old college teammate and friend, Lamar Jackson.
If those reports are accurate, and they likely are, Alexander was never going to sign with another team so long as the Ravens were negotiating.
Jaire Alexander decision leaves Dolphins still holding an empty cornerback bag
The Dolphins are still reportedly interested in free agents Rasul Douglas and Asante Samuel Jr. The team offered Douglas a contract that he turned down. There has been no mention of an offer being made to Samuel.
This entire fiasco stems from the Jalen Ramsey situation. Still a member of the Dolphins, Ramsey is not expected to stay with the team into the season.
His inevitable departure will need to be handled with a replacement at some point. On the other side, Storm Duck and Cam Smith are still expected to compete for the starting job. That isn't making fans overly confident in the Dolphins' defense.
The Dolphins may not have had a realistic shot at signing Alexander, but another top cornerback is off the market.