5 defensive free agents the Miami Dolphins should still consider

1. DE Calais Campbell

Last season, this reliable defender wrapped up his 16th year in the National Football League. Defensive end Calais Campbell signed with the Atlanta Falcons in 2023 and certainly made his presence felt. He started all 17 games, finished with 56 tackles and tied for the team lead with 6.5 sacks. However, even his steady play wasn’t enough to prevent the team from finishing 7-10 for the third consecutive season.

There’s been talk that the six-time Pro Bowler could return for a second year in Atlanta, this time it would be under new head coach Raheem Morris. So far, that has been nothing but chatter. In some ways, Campbell has some unfinished business with the Falcons.

A second-round pick by the Arizona Cardinals in 2008, the former University of Miami product was part of that franchise’s only Super Bowl team. After nine years in the desert, he moved on to the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2017, and earned All-Pro honors that season. The club reached the AFC title game, only to fall to the New England Patriots. He was traded to the Ravens, where he spent three seasons before becoming a cap casualty in 2023.

Campbell’s 105.5 sacks, 17 forced fumbles and 16 takeaways (three returned for a score) are supplemented by the fact that he’s played in 15 postseason contests (including Super Bowl XLIII) with three different franchises. That’s the kind of experience this Dolphins franchise is in dire need of.