Miami Dolphins GM Chris Grier has been frugal with the team's spending this offseason, but that might have to change with cornerback Artie Burns now expected to be out for the year after reportedly suffering an ACL injury on Wednesday.
The Dolphins have been in touch with former Buffalo Bills cornerback Rasul Douglas. The two sides have not been able to come to a contract number, which is now likely to go higher given the Dolphins' increasing need at the position.
The current free agent market for cornerbacks isn't great. Asante Samuel Jr. is another option, but he hasn't seen much interest from Miami. With the Burns injury, Grier will probably be forced to spend some money or risk having the absolute worst cornerback room in the league.
After free-spending on the position the last five years or so, Grier entered this offseason being cheap, and it is going to hurt them. The problem is that there are not many options left for Miami without waiting until cuts are made later around the league.
Stephon Gilmore, James Bradberry, C.J. Henderson, and Fabian Moreau all have extensive experience, but come with their own red flags. Miami could look to bring back Kendall Fuller if he can get healthy, but that isn't an ideal situation either.
Miami Dolphins need to find cap room to add to their cornerback room.
The Dolphins' biggest obstacle might be their cap situation, as they currently have less than $1 million in cap space. They will need a lot more to add Douglas or Samuel, which means tough decisions on the roster will have to be made.
Miami could start to restructure contracts or give Zach Sieler his deserved extension. Those moves would create more money that could be used to get someone on the roster at the position.
Grier put Miami in a corner this year when he released Fuller in March and eventually traded Jalen Ramsey. The Dolphins' cornerback room has been a mess, and there simply are not many players left to add value to the roster.
Miami's current cornerback group lacks experience over anything else, so adding a veteran with even some experience would help. But Grier has to avoid signing players with a history of missing games.