The Miami Dolphins roster rebuild isn’t just about the players added to the roster via the draft and free agency. No, some of the most important moves are the ones that the Dolphins decide not to make. Because one wrong decision can hinder on the field play, it could hinder the team’s salary cap situation, it could sour the chemistry in the locker room and more. The Dolphins have an embarrassment of assets at their disposal, but that doesn’t mean the team should spend like gangbusters and sign anyone that moves to a deal.
Looking across the NFL landscape, there’s a ton of potential contributors set to hit the market. The Dolphins will need to choose their spots wisely. Here’s one pending free agent from each team in the AFC South that the Dolphins should pass on calling:
Houston Texans – Cornerback Vernon Hargreaves
The Dolphins’ needs in the secondary are well established. This team crossed the finish line in 2020 running on fumes on the back end, with street free agents starting just weeks into their tenure with the team. But a need at cornerback isn’t a license to sign anyone.
Vernon Hargreaves has flamed out with both the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Houston Texans in a span of his four seasons in the NFL — and his latest tenure has already been cut short, as the Texans cut Hargreaves after just 6 games.
The former top-10 selection allowed a quarterback rating of 116.1 on 101 targets against his coverage this season and gave up 7 touchdowns and over 900 yards of receiving through 15 games.
Tennessee Titans – Quarterback Ryan Tannehill
No, Dolphins fans — you cannot get back on the ride. This ship has sailed and there is no going back, period. Watching Ryan Tannehill commandeer the Titans to a place in the AFC Championship game invoked a lot of feelings, but nostalgia shouldn’t be one of them. If anything, let it serve as a reminder that Tannehill excelled because someone finally gave him all the things Miami couldn’t — a running game and an offensive line.
So for Miami, the value is applying that lesson to their next quarterback, not looking to get back their ex that’s thriving elsewhere. Even if he’s about to hit the market.
Indianapolis Colts – Tight end Eric Ebron
If the Dolphins had kept ahold of Chad O’Shea to run a Patriots based offensive attack, we might have been on to something here with Ebron. But with the coaching staff changes prompting the Dolphins to transition to more of a spread attack, the need for multiple standout tight ends is diminished and as such Ebron won’t bring nearly as much value to the team.
2019 was a rough season for Ebron, who saw his production fall off significantly in his second year in Indianapolis (and first without quarterback Andrew Luck). Perhaps if the price were right — but we have a feeling it won’t be. Ebron signing for cheap to play on a rebuilding team doesn’t seem like a good fit for the former 1st-round pick.
Jacksonville Jaguars – Defensive tackle Marcell Dareus
Here’s the good news: no matter what, the Dolphins won’t have to worry about Dareus’ monstrous contract. He’s currently on the books for $22.5M in 2020 for Jacksonville, making him a certain cut sooner rather than later as the Jaguars look to clean up their salary cap situation.
Dareus is a former All-Pro (2014) and in the time since has fallen off to the point where he’s probably not a logical fit for the Dolphins at all. He missed 10 games in 2019 but even when healthy in 2017 and 2018 he failed to post any disruptive numbers, instead looking like a shell of his former self.
That’s not the kind of talent infusion Miami has in mind.
