This offseason, Miami Dolphins general manager Chris Grier didn't have a lot of money to work with, but he made the most of what he did have. While Grier has faced a ton of criticism from fans in recent years, few people can question how strong of a job he's done in recent months.
People are still talking about the Calais Campbell signing, which came after a while of speculation. Outside of that, there have been some under-the-radar moves from Grier we've loved, highlighted by these four:
4. Signing Aaron Brewer
When the Dolphins made the decision to not extend Connor Williams prior to last season, it was a risk. Williams was playing great football up until his injury. That injury had people worried it could have been career ending. Had Williams not been hurt, he likely would have been re-signed prior to the start of free agency.
Enter Aaron Brewer. Brewer, formerly of the Tennessee Titans, is an athletic, hard-hitting offensive lineman. He is bruising at the point of attack and nimble enough to pull after the snap and make blocks down the line. Brewer fits well into the Butch Barry system, and he should be a Day 1 starter barring injury. The Dolphins are hoping that is the case.
With Brewer calling the line signals and blocking assignments, the Dolphins should see no drop-off in production from the position. While Williams was good at what he did, Brewer is a far more natural center than Williams, who was a converted guard.
There is still a chance the Dolphins bring back Williams later in the year if he is cleared to resume practice, but this line now belongs to Brewer. As for Grier, he got a good player who is a bit underrated and under the radar with something to prove.
3. Re-signing Kendall Lamm
When the Dolphins entered free agency, they had a question mark at left tackle. Rumors were swirling that Terron Armstead may call it a career. The Dolphins didn't have much money to spend and the market was quite thin at the position. The Dolphins could have drafted a left tackle in Round 1, but instead opted to take Patrick Paul in the second round. Paul is a developmental player. He has a lot of potential and should be ready to replace Armstead in 2025, but the Dolphins need someone who can step in now.
The problem facing Grier is that he has a high cap hit from Armstead. The LT restructured part of his contract to give the Dolphins cap relief, but Miami couldn't afford to release him this year and the hit from a retirement could have been problematic as well.
Enter Kendall Lamm. The Dolphins had Lamm on the field last year, and when he was in the game for Armstead, you hardly noticed a change in play. Lamm isn't elite, but he is good enough to be far better than average when he is needed. The fact he could take the field and the offense did not have a drop in production is huge.
Lamm will not start in 2024 unless Armstead can't play and at some point we all know that will happen. Lamm could have played for another team, but Grier made the right and smart move to bring him back to the Dolphins.
2. Bringing back Benito Jones
Benito Jones cut his teeth with the Dolphins. An undrafted free agent in 2020, he spent most of his season on the practice squad. He played in only six games in his rookie year and then joined the Detroit Lions in 2022 after sitting the entire 2021 season on the Dolphins PS.
In August 2022, the Dolphins released Jones as part of their final cuts and he was claimed by the Lions. It was a great opportunity for the young defensive tackle. Joining the Lions was a smart move by Jones. In Miami, he was buried behind Zach Sieler, Christian Wilkins, and Raekwon Davis.
In Detroit, he got an opportunity. Jones played in all 17 games in 2022, but didn't start. He posted only 16 combined tackles, but the Lions didn't throw him to the curb. In 2023, Jones started 15 of 17 games for the playoff-bound team led by former Dolphins interim HC Dan Campbell. Jones posted only 26 tackles.
The Dolphins got a chance to bring him back this offseason and Grier was smart to do so. Jones should be an easy fit in the Miami DT rotation and should work well with Sieler, a player he is familiar with.
1. Drafting two WRs with late-round selections
When Grier drafted Paul in Round 2, he set his team up for the future. Taking an opportunity to add a player that will start a year or two down the road, he also solved the inevitable problem of having to replace Armstead. Getting Paul now gives him a year to learn under a top NFL tackle.
In Rounds 6-7, Grier took another shot at doing the same thing. The Dolphins wide receiver unit is good at the top. Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle are elite. Entering the draft, though, Miami lacked quality depth behind them. Erik Ezukanma has not made an impact, and Braxton Berrios didn't have an impact on offense last year. River Cracraft is a solid backup, but he isn't going to start and make plays every single game. Miami needed to set themselves up to develop younger guys who could take on the No. 4 and No. 5 WR roles and maybe eventually more.
Drafting Malik Washington and Tahj Washington was a smart move by Grier that is often overlooked. Both players will make a strong case for the 53-man roster this season and that will make Mike McDaniel's job tough when it comes to releasing someone else to make room.
While neither player is expected to make a huge impact on the roster this year, both should develop into potential starters down the road. Odell Beckham Jr. is under contract for one year and Miami could walk away after 2024 - that is where both of these guys could then make an impact.