Free agency will begin with the "legal tampering" period on Monday, and then the league new year starts on Wednesday. The Miami Dolphins are making moves to prepare.
The Dolphins created a hole in the secondary when they released Kendall Fuller. The release was no surprise, but it was a miss by Chris Grier when he signed him in 2024. With Fuller gone, the Dolphins need to find a starter to play on the boundary. They may need to find someone to play inside as well.
Kader Kohou isn't a great cornerback, but he is good and reliably consistent. He has done everything you would hope an undrafted free agent would do. The Dolphins are doing him a favor by allowing him to test the free-agent market and truly gauge his value.
On Saturday, the Dolphins tendered their restricted free agent at the "Right of First Refusal" level. This means Kohou will get to hit free agency and negotiate a contract with whoever he wants, but the Dolphins have the right to accept that deal and keep him with the organization or let him go.
Unlike other levels of tendering, the Dolphins would get nothing in return should they lose him.
Kader Kohou will hit free agency, but the Dolphins will have the opportunity to match any contract he signs
This is a good option for both the team and Kohou. On one hand, Kohou will get the opportunity to see what other teams think of him, and he could receive a contract north of the tender price, which is $3.263 million. If Kohou doesn't find a better offer, he can play with Miami on a one-year deal at that price.
It will be interesting to see what kind of play he gets when free agency begins. It's unlikely he will be in high demand, but some teams could have significant interest, given his level of play in the secondary.
If Kohou does leave, the Dolphins will need Cam Smith and Storm Duck to step up and play better. Duck looked good in 2024 at times, but Smith, so far, hasn't been what Chris Grier was hoping for. The Dolphins' secondary is a problem.