How do you preview free agency for a team with practically no cap space and just beginning a major rebuild? It isn’t easy. We’re attempting to do that with several positional stories in the coming days, but keep in mind that the cap-strapped Dolphins might end up spending only the league minimum -—or barely more — to fill holes at several positions. Here’s a look at safeties.
Minkah Fitzpatrick doesn’t necessarily need to turn the lights out in the safety room if the Dolphins trade or release him. But he can at least dim them.
If the Dolphins move on from Fitzpatrick — a strong possibility, if not a likelihood — then only one safety who played significant snaps last season will be under contract: Dante Trader Jr. , the 2025 fifth-round pick who struggled in coverage but was solid in run defense.
The cap-strapped Dolphins, beginning a major rebuild, will need to surround Trader with draft picks and a very cheap veteran or two.
Per spotrac.com, there are 49 safeties eligible for unrestricted free agency.
Because the Dolphins are dealing with a severe cap crunch, they very likely won’t be dipping their toe in the pool of the pricey safeties.
Pro Football Focus projects 10 safeties to make somewhere between $5 million and $13 million next season: Arizona’s Jalen Thompson, Chicago’s Kevin Byard, Dallas’ Donovan Wilson, the Bengals’ Geno Stone, Philadelphia’s Reid Blankenship, the Jets’ Tony Adams, Chicago’s Jaquan Brisker, New England’s Jaylinn Hawkins, the Colts’ Nick Cross and the Giants’ Dane Belton.
A few could fall through the cracks. Blankenship and Wilson were rated bottom-12 safeties by PFF.
Kamren Curl, who had 122 tackles and two sacks and two interceptions in 17 starts for the Rams, also is too pricey. Same with Seattle’s Cobe Bryant and potentially 17-game Carolina starter Nick Scott and 16-game Jaguars starter Andrew Winguard, who had 82 tackles and a pick.
Here are some likely less-expensive potential options for Miami on a tight budget:
▪ Kyle Dugger: The former Patriots second-round pick was dealt to Pittsburgh at midseason, and his play was uneven; PFF ranked him 90th of 98 safeties this season. On the plus side, he’s only 29 and did have an interception return for a touchdown last season.
▪ Andre Cisco: Started 55 games in five seasons — including all eight of his appearances for the Jets last season — but missed the final two months with a pectoral tear. PFF rates him 62nd of 98 safeties last season.
▪ Baltimore’s Ar’Darius Washington: He missed all but the final four games last season before of an Achilles injury but had 54 tackles and two interceptions in 2024. Size (5-8) is a negative.
▪ Alohi Gilman: PFF graded him well (27th among 98 safeties). He had 68 tackles in 12 starts for Baltimore but missed five games.
▪ Chuck Clark: Had 51 tackles in 15 games and five starts for Pittsburgh.
▪ Other options include free agent incumbents Ifeatu Melifonwu, Ashtyn Davis and Elijah Campbell and more than a dozen free agents who started fewer than a handful of games last season, led by PJ Locke (15 starts for Denver in 2024 but just three this past season) and MJ Stewart (four starts for Houston).
ESPN analyst Mel Kiper Jr.’s top 10 draft-eligible safeties, in order, are Caleb Downs (Ohio State; probably long gone by Miami’s pick at 11); Emmanuel McNeil-Warren (Toledo; one of many options in a first-round trade down); Kyle Louis (Pittsburgh; possible option at 43); Dillon Thieneman (Oregon; considered mid-to-late first-rounder); Bud Clark (TCU; potential third-round option); Kamari Ramsey (Southern Cal; potential third-round option); Zakee Wheatley (Penn State; mid-round option); Genesis Smith (Arizona; third-day option); A.J. Haulcy (LSU; third-day option) and VJ Payne (Kansas State).
UM’s Jakobe Thomas is another potential third-round option.
This and that
▪ The Dolphins are down to $466,000 in cap space after tendering Ethan Bonner and releasing Liam Eichenberg, per overthecap.com.
▪ Overthecap.com’s Nick Korte, a compensatory pick expert, again projected on Tuesday that the Dolphins will not get a compensatory pick in April’s draft despite losing Jevon Holland to the Giants in free agency.
▪ Like his colleague Kiper, ESPN’s Jordan Reid mocks UM right tackle Francis Mauigoa to the Dolphins at No. 11, with this comment: “Mauigoa has some of the cleanest film to evaluate of any prospect in this year’s class. He’s a model of consistency as a steady blocker who has the mauling power to generate movement and enough lower-body quickness.
“While there is talk of the 6-foot-5, 329-pound Mauigoa possibly kicking inside to guard at some point, drafting him here and pairing him with Patrick Paul would give the Dolphins’ new regime a pair of bookend offensive tackles to start their rebuild around.”
▪ Reid slots San Diego State cornerback Chris Johnson to the Dolphins at 43: “He is a rock-solid corner prospect who is climbing up draft boards. He would give Miami a high-end starter and fits coach Jeff Hafley’s prototype for an outside corner.”
▪ ESPN’s Dan Orlovsky said the Dolphins should consider taking polarizing Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson at No. 11.
Simpson has been projected as a back-half-of-the-first-round prospect, but he impressed at the NFL Combine, and ESPN’s Peter Schrager said Cleveland at No. 6 is now in play for him. Simpson struggled late in the season, but Orlovsky said his tape from his first eight games is worthy of being picked in the top five.
Here’s our look at Trader.
Here’s our look at affordable edge players available in free agency.
Here’s our look at affordable wide receivers available in free agency.