Free agency is just around the corner, which means it's time to start looking inward before looking for outside help.
The Miami Dolphins' secondary has become a major talking point after the release of starting corner Kendall Fuller. His position now becomes a priority, but where will Chris Grier find the personnel to fill the holes in the secondary?
Miami's current roster doesn't look good on paper. Here's the state of the secondary entering free agency:
Player | Status |
|---|---|
Kader Kohou | Restricted free agent |
Matt Dickerson | Unrestricted free agent |
Elijah Campbell | Unrestricted free agent |
Siran Neal | Unrestricted free agent |
Jevon Holland - Safety | Unrestricted free agent |
Jordan Poyer - Safety | Unrestricted free agent |
Ethan Bonner | Under contract |
Jalen Ramsey | Under contract |
Isaiah Johnson | Under contract |
Storm Duck | Under contract |
Cam Smith | Under contract |
Jason Maitre | Under contract |
Patrick McMorris - Safety | Under contract |
Jordan Colbert - Safety | Under contract |
Looking at the current roster, the Dolphins are not really losing a lot from those players likely to go. Sure, Holland leaving is a loss, but the price will be too high to keep him. Kader Kohou is a restricted free agent, so he should be back. No other player is a full-time contributor.
From there, when you break down the returning players, there are also big questions. Can Cam Smith finally take a step in the right direction, and can Ethan Bonner make it off the inactive list? Is Storm Duck ready to take on a bigger role after starting five games last year?
Regardless of what we think, the Dolphins' secondary needs to be addressed with at least three starters, two at safety and one at corner.
Dolphins GM Chris Grier has managed to fail at the one position he seems to love the most
The Dolphins have invested a lot of money on the secondary over the years. Ramsey, Xavien Howard, Kendall Fuller, and Byron Jones all had big contracts. Holland, Smith, Noah Igbinoghene, and Minkah Fitzpatrick were first- or second-round selections.
Miami signed Jordan Poyer last year, and his production was inconsistent. DeShon Elliot played better the year before, but the Dolphins let him leave. He would later call the team "soft."
Since 2016, the Dolphins' secondary has had units that were very good, but as those players got a bit older or the price tags went up, Grier has struggled to find competent replacements and has overpaid on the free-agent market.
This year, Grier has to once again decide who he will pursue to fill Fuller's spot. Will he draft a cornerback? Yes, because he has to now. The Dolphins need depth at the position. He will also need to address both the safety and corner positions in free agency.
The biggest issue for Grier is money. While he will have a lot more cap space than originally expected after the NFL raised the cap number, he still has to fill multiple starting positions on both sides of the ball.