Ranking the Dolphins Veteran Offseason Additions
Who among Odell Beckham Jr., Jordyn Brooks, Kendall Fuller, Jonnu Smith are others deserves the top spot?
The Miami Dolphins’ recent acquisition of Odell Beckham Jr. was their splashiest of the offseason when it comes to veterans, but where does it rank in terms of value?
Beckham became the 18th veteran newcomer on the Dolphins roster since March 1, with the moves starting with the signing of defensive tackles Isaiah Mack and Davyion Nixon as “street” free agents and including UFA pick-ups like Kendall Fuller and Jordyn Brooks.
Here’s our ranking of those veteran offseason additions, in terms of value, done countdown style (contract info, per overthecap.com).
18. DT Daviyon Nixon — 1 year, $985,000
17. DT Isaiah Mack — 1 year, $985,000
Those two players were signed the week before the start of free agency after not playing in the NFL in 2023 and their chances of earning a spot on the 53-man roster took a massive hit once the Dolphins starting signing defensive tackles left and right.
16. LB Cam Brown — 1 year, $1.2 million
15. TE Jody Fortson — 1 year, $1 million
Brown was signed with special teams in mind, while Forston is a young player who has flashed intriguing potential but has had a hard time staying healthy.
14. DT Jonathan Harris — 1 year, $1.8 million
13. CB Siran Neal — 1 year, $2 million
12. DT Neville Gallimore — 1 year, $1.8 million
Harris and Gallimore very well could wind up fighting for one of the final roster spots on the team. Neal, meanwhile, is a very good athlete who was brought in to help the special teams.
11. LB Anthony Walker Jr. — 1 year, $1.2 million
Injuries prematurely ended the past two seasons for Walker, but he’s a veteran with 75 career starts and getting him at that price for a backup role was impressive work.
10. G/T Jack Driscoll — 1 year, $1.8 million
Driscoll figures to be involved in the battle for the starting right guard job (barring a proven veteran addition before the start of training camp), and his ranking would go up if he ended up beating out Liam Eichenberg and Robert Jones.
9. DT Benito Jones — 1 year, $1.8 million
Jones is back for a second stint with the Dolphins in a much better position to contribute. He shouldn’t be dismissed for the starting job next to Zach Sieler.
8. DT Teair Tart — 1 year, $1.2 million
We ranked Tart first among all the new defensive tackles based on the upside, which he showed often with Tennessee last season before his Titans tenure ended on a sour note.
7. OLB Shaquil Barrett — 1 year, $7 million
Barrett isn’t the pass-rushing force he was when he led the NFL in sacks in 2019, but he’s a good veteran to have to hold the position until Jaelan Phillips and Bradley Chubb are back at full speed and then as a backup/rotational player.
6. S Jordan Poyer — 1 year, $2 million
Like Barrett, Poyer is past his prime, but he’s an absolute gamer whose grit and determination can only be an asset on defense, not to mention the mentorship role he could play with Jevon Holland.
5. TE Jonnu Smith — 2 years, $8.4 million
The Dolphins offense neglected the tight end in the passing game the past two seasons, but Smith has the skill set (most notably YAC ability) to change that in 2024.
4. WR Odell Beckham Jr. — 1 year, $3 million/$8.5 million
Beckham savvy and superb hands (not to mention ability to make circus catches) could make him a key factor on offense if used enough. At the very least, he should represent a clear upgrade at the third wide receiver position.
3. C Aaron Brewer — 3 years, $21 million
If the Dolphins had to replace Connor Williams at center, Brewer was among the most ideal fits because his skill set (mobility, athleticism) is such a good match for the Dolphins offense.
2. LB Jordyn Brooks — 3 years, $26.3 million
Brooks’ speed should helped make him an upgrade at linebacker over Jerome Baker, who was a solid and dependable starter for the Dolphins for the past five seasons.
1. CB Kendall Fuller — 2 years, $15 million
Once the Dolphins made the (expected) decision they would move on from Xavien Howard, they had to come up with a high-end cornerback to replace him, and one could argue that Fuller was the best available option on the free agent market. That he can play the slot as well, if needed, only makes this an even better addition.
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