With the drafting less than two weeks away and the main part of free agency wrapped up, the Dolphins should be putting together a plan for how to spend the $13m in cap space they will receive when the Byron Jones contract officially comes off the books. The team still has a few spots that they can address and after the draft will have a better understanding of where those spots still are but who could be some potential targets depending on how the draft goes?
George Fant OT
Make no mistakes, if Fant was playing as well as he did in 2021 with the Jets he would have been signed by now but the reality is that he struggled badly last year for a Jets team that was atrocious offensively (The Jets bad on offense? I am shocked!). Fant allowed 5 sacks in 516 snaps in 2022 and if signed, would compete with Austin Jackson for the right tackle job. Fant can also serve as a potential swing tackle/Terron Armstead insurance in the event that the Dolphins suffer more injuries on the offensive line.
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Brandon Shell OT
Brandon Shell was a serviceable starter for the Dolphins last season allowing just 2 sacks in 716 snaps. But, Shell struggled at times in the run game and was one of the worst 5 offensive tackles in terms of pressure rate allowed at 8.4% (Greg Little was #1 at 10.4%). Still, if the team wants to have continuity and bring back a decent swing tackle, it would make sense for Miami to bring back Shell as soon as the draft ends depending on how picks 51 and 84 go.
Risner is a very interesting name for this team. Risner had been a solid starter for the last few years for the Broncos but struggled this past year under offensive line coach Butch Barry. There have also been reports about veteran players not being the biggest fans of Barry who just so happens to be the new Dolphins' offensive line coach after a season in which he was fired in late December. Could Risner be an option on a one year prove it deal? Potentially.
Trai Turner OG
To be honest, the free agent guard group as it currently stands is pretty bad but I wanted to include at least one for this exercise that wasn't Risner. Trai Turner struggled pretty badly last year in Washington after coming off a solid campaign in Pittsburgh. Signing Turner to a prove it deal to compete with Liam Eichenberg and Robert Jones may not produce ground breaking OL play but perhaps Turner can return to the level of an adequate starter at guard.
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If Miami is still looking for a tight end who can truly block (Smythe and Saubert are just okay) then they should sign Drew Sample. Sample has 58 career receptions for less than 500 yards but continued to carve out a role as a really good run blocker until this year where he ended up on IR after a knee injury. If Miami passes on a tight end at 51 or 84, Sample could be a cheap option to finish out the room.
Al Woods DT
The Dolphins have yet to address DT this off-season which is a sneaky (is it really sneaky anymore?) need for the team with the importance of having a stout 1T in the Fangio defense. Al Woods was really solid for Seattle last season and would have been signed by now if not for the fact that he is about to be 36 years old. Woods would be a solid rotational piece and could potentially push Raekwon Davis for more time.