The deck is stacked against the 2026 Miami Dolphins. As training camp and the preseason have proven, a series of stopgap, one-year contracts for washed-out (if not washed-up) veterans isn't a viable team-building strategy.
First-year GM Jon-Eric Sullivan and his fellow Packers expat, head coach Jeff Hafley, just don't have the horses to compete at a high level. Scouring the waiver wire and digging through the scrapheap of other superior teams' cuts to reach a 53-man roster won't bring about many revelatory additions.
Nevertheless, Sullivan has to make a real effort here. There's a fine line between understandable losing during a rebuild, deliberate tanking, and putting an unacceptable product on the field.
Miami is indeed skewing toward "unacceptable" status. A few potentially available players via releases or trades could inspire at least some hope.
The Miami Dolphins should check in on these potential options to strengthen their roster
Low moving costs make Jaguars CB Christian Braswell an appealing target
Hat tip to the NFL Stock Exchange for the phraseology here, because does it ever ring true. Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback Christian Braswell feels like one of the most underrated players at the position who could soon be available.
We all know hotshot Jags GM James Gladstone doesn't shy away from making trades. However, Braswell could be waived outright due to Jacksonville's depth at his spot. Here's some exclusive analysis from FanSided's Black & Teal site expert, Carlos Sanchez:
"Christian Braswell is battling Jabbar Muhammad for the CB5 job. It looks like he's going to lose the competition. Braswell could be a solid backup with the versatility to play inside or outside. He can also play special teams. If the Jaguars weren't so stacked at cornerback, he would be lock to make the team."
Funnily enough, Hafley was the defensive backs coach at Rutgers back in 2011. He must have at least a soft awareness of Braswell, who had three INTs and allowed a 50.3 passer rating in his final season with the Scarlet Knights in 2022.
According to PFF's numbers, Braswell has only yielded a 69.7 passer rating in the NFL on 27 targets. Plus, he's missed only one tackle attempt on defense. That's a might appealing combination for a Dolphins cornerback group that could use some capable coverage guys and sure-tackling special teams contributors.
Other than Chris Johnson, I don't see many Miami corners I trust. Braswell could even push to start. That's how dire it is! And that's no shot at Braswell whatsoever.
J.J. McCarthy would bring upside, quirkiness, and juice to the Dolphins' QB room
Dolphins offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik is from that massive Kyle Shanahan coaching tree, which has a lot of overlap with Sean McVay. That's where Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell hails from.
O'Connell hasn't been able to get it out of J.J. McCarthy. I still maintain my lengthy take from May that the Vikings have panicked and pulled the plug on the 2024 draft's 10th overall pick too soon. They'll start Kyler Murray at quarterback this year, and Carson Wentz can be a capable backup.
It's too awkward to keep McCarthy in Minnesota for all parties involved. Both sides need to turn the page. Weird that it could happen so soon, but here we are.
I'm pretty bullish on Quinn Ewers' long-term future, yet this training camp has shown he's still injury-prone. Sounds kinda like J.J., but I digress.
When Ewers did play, albeit with a dreadful supporting cast, the momentum he built in three starts last season evaporated. There are questions now as to whether Ewers will even make the initial 53-man roster.
McCarthy could raise the ceiling of the Dolphins' QB room behind Willis, who knows what it's like to be given up on early. Having just turned 23 in January, McCarthy has plenty of time to rally from the adversity he faced with the Vikings. He'd be in a similar-enough system and add a little bit of buzz and flexibility to Miami's long-term plans at the most important position.
James Houston is another EDGE Miami should roll the dice on
The Dallas Cowboys' designated pass rusher could get squeezed off that roster. Surprising to say that for a team that traded Micah Parsons not terribly long ago, but that's the rather brutal reality facing James Houston right now.
Houston had an exciting rookie year in Detroit with eight sacks, then proceeded to be in the wilderness for a few seasons. That is, until he resurfaced with the Cowboys in 2025 to produce 5.5 sacks in a situational role.
The Landry Hat site expert Jerry Trotta is bullish on Houston's arsenal of pass rush moves and how he can impact that phase of the game:
"A rotational edge who can get after the quarterback. Houston finished with a 12.0 percent pass-rush win rate in true pass sets last season. He's got good bend and has a deep bag of counters if he doesn't win initially off the snap."
Outside of Chop Robinson, the Dolphins really have no one at defensive end who strikes fear into the opposing QB. The 27-year-old Houston is a total wildcard who was actually born in Fort Lauderdale, so there'd be a neat homecoming storyline if he landed in Miami.
The Fins represent Houston's first clear runway to a starting role as a pro. Would it be so shocking if he took that opportunity and ran with it?
I say it's worth kicking the tires on him, via trade or a free-agent deal, if the Cowboys let him loose. Ain't much room for Houston in Dallas with new additions like Von Miller, first-round pick Malachi Lawrence, and Rashan Gary.
Add us as a preferred source on Google