The Miami Dolphins' first decision of the offseason will be the firing or retention of Mike McDaniel. The second will be the same decision needing to be made with Champ Kelly.
Once those two decisions are made, Miami will turn its full attention to the upcoming offseason. Once again, the Dolphins have more than 20 players who could hit free agency. The Dolphins have to avoid this much continued roster turnover, but with the salary cap situation, there may not be many other options.
One-year contracts will once again permeate the roster. Many of the current impending free agents won't get offered much more than that because the Dolphins may not be able to afford making bigger moves. The 2026 offseason is going to be an interesting one.
The Miami Dolphins have to decide on 25 impending free agent futures and still add to the roster from the outside
There are several ways to break down the Dolphins' impending FA list. Those players that should and shouldn't come back, by position, and by their status. Most of the 25 potential FAs are UFA (Unrestricted free agent), but it seems more relevant to break them down by position and worthiness.
Players that deserve to be back for another season
- Kader Kohou - CB - UFA
- Jake Bailey - P - UFA
- Benito Jones - DT - UFA
- Rasul Douglas - CB - UFA
- Dee Eskridge - WR - UFA
- Daniel Brunskill - G - UFA
- Cole Strange - G - UFA
- Greg Dulcich - TE - UFA
Each of these players either significantly helped the Dolphins in the past or consistently last season. Douglas was a standout in 2025, and Bailey actually returned to his Pro Bowl form. Jones is interesting because he can provide quality depth along the front of the defense, but he may look to FA to find a team that may give him more reps. Conversely, Douglas could do the same if he doesn't believe the Dolphins are getting closer to being a competitive team.
Players that showed enough to warrant consideration for a return
- Darren Waller - TE - UFA
- Julian Hill - TE - RFA
- Elijah Campbell - CB - UFA
- Joe Cardona - LS - UFA
- Riley Patterson - K - UFA
- Ethan Bonner - DB - RFA
- Cameron Goode - LB - RFA
Waller is a big part of the picture, but while some see him as a "must-have" player, his utilization and injury history in 2025 are reasons to be more cautious. For him, it should be contract-dependent. Julian Hill looked as though he had finally turned a corner as well. He cut down on the number of mistakes he was making.
Patterson is intriguing and worth keeping an eye on. If he re-signs, the Dolphins will likely be cutting Jason Sanders.
Players that can be replaced
- Zach Wilson - QB - UFA
- Ifeatu Melifonwu - S - UFA
- Ashtyn Davis - S - UFA
- Larry Borom - OL - UFA
- Liam Eichenberg - G - UFA
- Kendall Lamm - G - UFA
- Artie Burns - CB - UFA
- K.J. Britt - LB - UFA
- Wilie Gay, Jr. - LB - UFA
- Alexander Mattison - RB - UFA
- Mathew Butler - DT RFA
The Dolphins will need to find a 3rd quarterback, maybe even two if Tua Tagovailao is released or traded. The two safeties were adequate for what Miami needed, but the future is Dante Trader, and for now, Minkah Fitzpatrick. The draft pool will provide more help.
It's time for the Eichenberg experiment to end, and he can take Borom with him. Miami needs consistently good linemen, not consistently "average-at-best." If I were Gay, I wouldn't accept any offer Miami threw at me unless they were overpaying. Why sit on the sidelines and watch?