Rivalries in sports are part of what makes the games so fun. While the Jets carry a special place of disdain for Miami Dolphins fans, the Bills' recent success (without a Super Bowl appearance, might I add) has rekindled some animosity between fanbases. Naturally, that spills onto the players who wear those putrid jerseys and complain about the sun in South Florida. Until they switch sides, of course.
From the aforementioned Fitzmagic to Hall of Famer Thurman Thomas, Kiko Alonso, Charles Clay, and the ever-polarizing Richie Incognito, more than a few players have made meaningful contributions in both locales. When the Dolphins opted to hire Jeff Hafley as the franchise's new head coach, an interesting link between a few of his assistant hires quickly became apparent.
Hafley picked not one but two assistants from the corpse of Sean McDermott's final staff, after McDermott was let go following a trademark Buffalo Bills chokejob in the playoffs. The same playoffs that featured none of Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson, or Joe Burrow on the AFC side, might I add. In any case, the Dolphins will forge on with Chris Tabor taking over as Miami's special teams coach and Jahmile Addae coaching the team's corners and defensive backs.
The Miami Dolphins could use some veteran reinforcements, and these former Buffalo Bills could fit the bill
With these ties to the new regime in mind, here are four free agents who played under these new coaches in 2025 and would make sense at positions of varying degrees of need in 2026.
Safety Taylor Rapp
Rapp was the Bills' primary starter at safety in 2024 and retained that role in 2025. He started the first six games before suffering a knee injury that knocked him out for the rest of the season. Rapp was off to a great start before the injury, allowing a measly 78.6 passer rating in his area. The Bills released him in March, and he's been available ever since.
The Dolphins could reunite Rapp with Jahmile Addae, and he would nearly instantly be the most experienced player in the secondary. Miami's current expected starters at safety are veteran journeyman Lonnie Johnson Jr. and second-year fifth-round pick Dante Trader Jr., neither of whom has proven much on the field to this point in their careers.
Rapp would make a lot of sense in this spot. Even if the Dolphins opt for youth, Rapp would be a fine mentor to Trader Jr., as well as rookie fifth-rounder Michael Taaffe.
Wide receiver/kick returner Curtis Samuel
Like Rapp, Samuel had an injury-shortened season in 2025 for Buffalo. He had been mainly phased out of the receiver rotation with the Bills' addition of Brandin Cooks late last season, and was another cap casualty in March. Largely considered another in a line of failed receiver experiments for Brandon Beane, Samuel has definitely shown NFL chops in other stops.
In 2020, he had the best season of his career with 77 receptions, 851 yards, and three TDs. In 2022 with Washington, he had 64 receptions, 656 yards, and five TDs. For a small investment, Miami can do a lot worse than Curtis Samuel. He would join an extremely young receiver room with next to no experience, and his special teams experience would surely excite Chris Tabor.
Cornerback Dane Jackson
Dane Jackson was a Buffalo draft hit who parlayed his success into a significant contract with the Carolina Panthers. When that fizzled out, like many free agent disappointments, he went back to his old stomping grounds. In Buffalo, he worked plenty with both Addae and Tabor.
In something of a recurring theme with the 2026 Miami Dolphins, they're very light on experience and depth. Relying on Jackson to start at this stage of his career probably wouldn't move the needle, but utilizing his familiarity with the system and veteran leadership in a group made up of a hodgepodge of rookies and youngsters could pay huge dividends.
Linebacker Baylon Spector
Baylon Spector suffered a preseason injury and had to rehab to begin last season. He wound up spending the majority of the year on the practice squad — this coming a year after he finally got some footing on the Bills' active roster. In 2025, he appeared in 11 games with four starts, totaling 40 tackles, two tackles for loss, and 1.5 sacks.
More importantly, as it relates to the Dolphins, he was a special teams regular for the Bills — a role that he could fill in Miami. There is a lot of competition at the linebacker position with several rookies and vets vying for spots, but Spector would nonetheless provide an experienced and familiar face to help bridge the gap in a period of change.
It may be slightly overstated how much teammates who've played in the same system help their new teammates. Conversely, it can only assist the gelling process for the coaches and staff who are all in a new environment. Whether the Dolphins tap into the Buffalo Bills' well or not, the team would benefit greatly from an infusion of veteran leadership.
Jeff Hafley's job in year one is going to be difficult as it is — going into it with the youngest team in the league will likely make it that much harder.
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