Undertaking a multi-year rebuild is tough enough on any new general manager. For the Miami Dolphins' Jon-Eric Sullivan, the gig he's waited a lifetime for has its own unique challenge in the form of Tua Tagovailoa's contract.
The embattled franchise quarterback is no longer playing to the standard he was when Miami signed him to that massive deal. Now, the Dolphins are stuck, needing to either let Tua's contract sit on the bench, eat a bunch of dead money, or get him out of dodge via trade.
None of those proposed solutions is great. All of them save for the most unrealistic scenario (trade) hamstring them salary cap-wise. Thus, while the Tua saga hurtles toward its end, here are a few cost-effective free agents the Dolphins can target despite the incoming dead money hit.
Bargain free agents who'd form a solid veteran core for the Miami Dolphins in 2026 despite Tua Tagovailoa
Derek Barnett, DE, Houston Texans
Derek Barnett has been more of a DE3 most of his career, but that was on a bunch of loaded teams in Philadelphia and Houston. New Dolphins offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik saw that dynamic for Barnett firsthand when he was calling plays for Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud.
Whether Barnett gets a crack at a starting gig opposite Chop Robinson or is in Miami to mentor him and a potential high draft pick, he'd be a welcome asset to these new-look Dolphins. He's a Super Bowl champion to boot, too!
Although the chances of another championship would likely elude Barnett if he signed on the dotted line in Miami, he could essentially do a one-plus-one contract. That is, a front-loaded deal that is more of the prove-it variety, giving both he and the Dolphins flexibility to part ways in 2027 without some uncouth dead cap charge.
That'd provide Barnett the springboard to a contender next offseason for one more strong payday. Meanwhile, the Fins could set the tone for their future by doing good business with a respected, winning vet like Barnett in the present.
Jahan Dotson, WR, Philadelphia Eagles
Could be one of the best two-year deals money can buy on the open market at wide receiver. Jahan Dotson has ties to the new Dolphins passing game coordinator, Kevin Patullo, from their shared time in Philadelphia.
Not to make this an all-Eagles to Miami list of free agents, but hey, there are worse prior teams to poach from. Philly is routinely building some of the best rosters in the sport thanks to ingenious GM Howie Roseman. The Iggles can't keep everyone, and that's almost certain to be the case with Dotson, since they declined his fifth-year option in the first place.
Dotson never quite found his stride with Washington, who drafted him 16th overall in 2022, only to trade him after two seasons. Poor Jahan missed out on the Jayden Daniels era.
And given how disjointed the Eagles' offense has been even en route to winning the Lombardi Trophy, it was always going to be tough for Dotson to stand out there. Never mind that the system is built around the Saquon Barkley/Jalen Hurts running game, complemented by two legit WR1s in A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith.
Miami would give Dotson a chance to finally realize his full ceiling as a pro. He'd be penciled in as the clear WR2 opposite Jaylen Waddle, and could draw very favorable matchups — especially if lethal tailback De'Von Achane is still around/not traded.
Benjamin St. Juste, CB, Los Angeles Chargers
Welp, looks like we're sticking with an NFC East alum who broke out to a pretty significant degree on a smaller 2025 sample size for the Chargers. This is another man I'd take a two-year flier on were I Jon-Eric Sullivan.
Benjamin St. Juste is a lengthy, 6'3" cornerback with only two interceptions since entering the NFL in 2021. That said, he boasts an archetypal frame for what new Fins head coach Jeff Hafley wants to do on defense in his zone-heavy scheme.
Before the Commanders went on their run to the NFC Championship Game in Jayden Daniels' historic 2024 rookie campaign, they weren't exactly a hotbed for exceptional player development. Look no further than St. Juste, who was still put in compromising positions that year.
By PFF's count, St. Juste allowed an 83.2 passer rating in zone coverage in 2024, compared to a league-second-worst 141.2 in man coverage. To give a guy who's not really adept at man coverage the 16th-most man coverage snaps is unsound football strategy.
When Chargers defensive mastermind/freshly minted Ravens head coach Jesse Minter got to work with St. Juste, he didn't ask him to be something he's not. St. Juste's percentage of coverage snaps in man went from 35.1% to 18% in 2025. The 28-year-old was in position far more often than not, missed one tackle on 30 attempts, and yielded a passer rating of 64.0 overall.