Chris Grier, the general manager of the Miami Dolphins.
The Miami Dolphins made a lot of trades to start free agency, but general manager Chris Grier had a few surprises up his sleeve come Monday night, as Tyreek Hill hinted on social media.
First, according to NFL Network source Tom Pelissero, Grier cleared $19.912 million by renegotiating the contract of veteran cornerback Jalen Ramsey. Pelissero went on to say that Durham Smythe, Zach Sieler, and Alec Ingold would also undergo restructuring. He continued by saying that all four contract moves cleared roughly $28.78 million, and that Terron Armstead, a left tackle, will be making additional adjustments.
Grier wasted little time in making use of the newly acquired cap space as a result, giving the Dolphins breathing room to maneuver. On the defensive end, Miami embarked on a bit of a spending binge from March 11 until the morning of March 12.
Anthony Walker, a linebacker, and Jordyn Brooks, a former first-round pick of the Seattle Seahawks, also committed to a one-year contract. A respectable salary for his position, Brooks will get $30 million over three years, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Finally, on March 12, former two-time Super Bowl winner Shaq Barrett accepted a position on Anthony Weaver’s new defense. Insider Jordan Schultz of Bleacher Report revealed the information on X.
Shortly afterward, Schefter verified that Barrett’s agents, Robert Bailey and Drew Rosenhaus, presented him with a one-year deal, just like Walker did. The contract for the pass rusher may pay up to $9 million.
What Will the Dolphins Acquire from the New Linebackers?
The linebacker position was obviously the Dolphins’ top priority in free agency, regardless of position.
Jerome Baker, a cap casualty, and edge rushers Andrew Van Ginkel and Emmanuel Ogbah had to be replaced by Miami. After Bradley Chubb and Jaelan Phillips suffered long-term injuries, they also require insurance, therefore this issue needed to be addressed. That being said, I doubt anyone anticipated that within the first 48 hours, Grier and Weaver would sign three free agents at any given position group.
What can Dolphins supporters anticipate from their new defensive depth chart?
Barrett’s birthday is November 32. In 2023, he made a full recovery in terms of durability, playing in 16 games in Tampa Bay.
With just 7.5 sacks in his last 24 games, his influence as a pass rusher may not be as great as it once was. With 19.5 sacks and 19 tackles for a loss across 16 games, Barrett had a fantastic year in 2019. In 2021, he ran his lone other 10-sack campaign.
Walker, who is coming off of two seasons marred by injuries in 2022 and 2023, is probably more of a depth addition at defensive end. His days of filling the stat sheet for Indianapolis and Cleveland as a reliable tackler with over 100 tackles may be behind him.
Of the three, Brooks is the most appealing acquisition; in 2021, he recorded 184 total tackles and 10 tackles for a loss. Although that output decreased a little in 2022 and even more in 2023, the first-round talent is still brimming with possibilities.
Although Pro Football Focus notes that Brooks has never been exceptional in coverage and that he missed a total of 21 tackles last season, the 26-year-old adds explosiveness as a pass rusher and range as a tackler.
Dolphins and the New Center Reach an Agreement Brewer Aaron
The Dolphins added a new player to the offensive line with their newly acquired cap space, presumably to replace injured center Connor Williams.
The Dolphins and former Tennessee Titans center Aaron Brewer have reached an agreement on terms, according to a source, and Brewer will sign a three-year contract worth a total of $21 million, effective March 11.
26-year-old Brewer was once an undrafted prospect. Gradually making his way up the Tennessee depth chart, he started all 34 games in the last two seasons after making just six starts in 2020 and 2021.
Brewer proved to be an effective run blocker in 2023, according to Pro Football Focus, and his agility and athleticism will be a valuable asset in Mike McDaniel’s outside zone system.
But one issue with the Titans product is pass protection. With a 96.5 pass-blocking effectiveness rating, Brewer was credited with six sacks and 34 quarterback pressures in just the previous year. Among centers in the NFL, all three of those metrics (minimum 50% of snaps played) were in the worst three.
In addition, he received five penalties in 2023 and seven the season before that.
