Josh Allen may be the happiest man in the AFC East following this past offseason. With Christian Wilkins gone, who will get under his skin on game days? The Miami Dolphins will miss Wilkins, but he isn't the only player who was lost in 2024 to another team that Miami will be hard-pressed to replace.
It's going to be on the guys in South Florida to pick up their level of play, but again, some former players are surely going to be missed. The list of course includes these four players:
4. Robert Hunt
The Dolphins do not believe in the need for an elite guard, and Robert Hunt was as close as you could get to being such. Hunt knew the offensive system and the tendencies of right tackle Austin Jackson as well as the timing of Tua Tagovailoa. Chris Grier tried to get Hunt extended during the 2023 season, but reports indicated that the offer was simply too low. Hunt, of course, declined.
When free agency opened, Hunt was gone in a matter of hours. A $100 million contract with the Panthers took him out of South Florida, and the Dolphins do not have a player of his ability waiting to take over.
Miami will roll out competition for right guard this year. They re-signed Isaiah Wynn to play left guard, and if he can stay healthy, it's a good move, but at right guard, it is uncertainty that awaits Butch Barry. The Dolphins need to find a suitable full-time starter. Liam Eichenberg, Robert Jones, and Jack Driscoll all seem to be Miami's best options to replace Hunt, but none of them have played as well or have been as consistent as Hunt has over their careers.
3. Andrew Van Ginkel
The Dolphins opted to not re-sign Andrew Van Ginkel and instead allowed him to join the Vikings. Miami entered the offseason with a lot of questions at linebacker and on the edge. Jaelan Phillips and Bradley Chubb are not expected back to start the season. The Dolphins hit free agency, added Shaq Barrett, and drafted Mohamed Kamara and Chop Robinson. The Dolphins are hoping that one of them will provide enough quarterback pressure to hold the edge down until one of their two starters returns.
Then there is Van Ginkel. He can play inside and out, and he can line up on the edge - 17 sacks in his career and more than 50 quarterback pressures. Van Ginkel is a workhorse linebacker who absorbs coaching. He is reliable and consistent in rushing the quarterback, defending the pass, and stopping the run.
The Dolphins could have kept AVG for what the Vikings are paying him. AVG signed a two-year deal worth up to $20 million and $14 million guaranteed. Miami probably could have had him for a little less. The production that AVG gave the Dolphins won't be impossible to replace, but the attitude, leadership, and effort will be.
2. DeShon Elliott
Many Dolphins fans are still wondering why Elliott was not re-signed this offseason. Elliott signed a free agent deal with the Steelers for $6 million over two years. It isn't a bad contract and the Dolphins easily could have matched that.
Elliott's production in Miami was solid. He started 15 games for the Dolphins had one interception, seven passes defensed, and 82 tackles. With the Dolphins missing Jevon Holland at times, Elliott was the step-up safety.
Letting Elliott go didn't make a lot of sense. Miami still has a safety unit that is questionable beyond Holland. Jordan Poyer is at the end of his career and hoping to milk one more decent season, Marcus Maye is a seasoned veteran on a team-friendly deal, and the Dolphins have two unproven rookies to back them up.
Miami could have saved some of their headaches by keeping Elliott on a two-year deal. Instead, they enter the season with the hope that Holland will stay healthy and Poyer can turn in one more season of decent production. The only thought that could come into play is his time with the Ravens while Anthony Weaver was there.
1. Connor Williams
The Dolphins still have time to right this situation, and if Connor Williams, as it has been reported, is closer to getting cleared to practice, the Dolphins should jump at the opportunity to bring him back.
Williams won't be playing center for the Dolphins if he did return. Currently a free agent and dealing with an ACL rehab, Williams would likely be a plug in guard that the Dolphins desperately could use. Williams would provide the Dolphins a starting right guard who would replace the production lost by Hunt and also provide insurance should new center Aaron Brewer get injured.
Miami has a lot riding on this season, and they are investing a lot of money in their players, but Williams wasn't viewed as someone who deserved an extension prior to the 2023 campaign. Williams held out of voluntary offseason work, wanting more security. He didn't get it from Grier. Would there be a bitter taste left should the Dolphins reach out to him?
Williams is expected to make a decision on a new team before training camps start, and he believes he will be ready for the start of the campaign. It's a bit ambitious, but the Dolphins will miss what he brings to the table, especially if they can't replace Hunt at right guard.