Everyone knows at this point that the Miami Dolphins roster is going through a...transition, to put it nicely. General manager Jon-Eric Sullivan and head coach Jeff Hafley are trying to rebuild both the team and the culture that defines it, and that process is rarely painless.
Still, they seem determined to play competitive football in 2026, even if just about every media outlet and betting platform has them sitting at the very bottom of the NFL. To do that, they will need to bring in more veteran talent in free agency prior to the start of the season, and they are about to get more financial wiggle room in order to do so.
With that newfound cap flexibility, there is one free agent even I have overlooked as a possibility for Miami, despite spending an embarrassing amount of time looking at who is still out there: Edge rusher Jadeveon Clowney.
Jadeveon Clowney would be the perfect addition to the Miami Dolphins' young defense
The fit didn't immediately jump out at me, but the more you think about it, the more it makes sense. Clowney offers basically everything that the Dolphins' current group of edge rushers doesn't. He is a big-bodied edge (6'5", 266 pounds) who plays the run hard and has experience playing all over the defense.
Last season, Clowney signed with the Dallas Cowboys for just $3.45 million during Week 2 of last season, and he made his presence felt with 8.5 sacks and 12 tackles for loss in just 13 games. He has made a habit of signing one-or two-year "mercenary" contracts since being traded by the Texans back in 2019, but he has been an asset everywhere he has played.
While he never developed into the elite pass rusher the Texans hoped he would when he was drafted first overall back in 2014, he became one of the NFL's most disruptive defenders during his prime from 2016 to 2018, earning three straight Pro Bowl nods and an All-Pro berth. He didn't maintain that level of play after leaving Houston, but he has been a quality No. 2 pass rusher who can still set the edge with the best of them.
With 2024 first-round pick Chop Robinson still developing and no other established starters currently on the roster, Clowney would walk right into a starting role and make the defensive front much more stout than it is at present. Spotrac currently has his contract estimate at just $5.7 million, low enough for even a cash-strapped Dolphins team to afford.
Will Clowney want to spend what could be one of his last years in the NFL on a rebuilding Dolphins team? It's hard to say, but he may like the chance to help mentor a young defense while still getting to prove he can be a starter in this league.
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