Miami Dolphins
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The Dolphins were pushed to sign a former Bills player
The consensus is that the Miami Dolphins have gotten worse this offseason. While the Dolphins plan on being competitive during the 2026 season, their decision-making has been with long-term success in mind and not hoping for an immediate fix after back-to-back seasons of not making the playoffs.
Miami has cut ties with most of their veterans on expensive deals, and used some of their assets, likeJaylen Waddle, to acquire more draft capital. The team’s goal this year is to find out which players it will build around, and develop rookies from this year’s class into capable starters.
However,the team can’t rely solely on rookies to fill its holes. As both general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan and head coach Jeff Hafley have stated, competition will drive this team, and handing out starting jobs to rookies who have not yet earned them goes against that mentality. For that reason,Bleacher Report’s Gary Davenport listed a free agent that could still help the Dolphins in the 2026 season.
Miami Dolphins Pushed to Sign Former Bills Defensive End
Regarding which free agent could help out the Dolphins during the 2026 season, Davenport listed former Bills defensive end A.J. Epenesa. Davenport wrote:
“With Chubb and Jaelan Phillips both gone, the team’s likely starters on the edge in 2026 are Joshua Uche and Chop Robinson. Seventh-year veteran A.J. Epenesa might not bump either player from the starting lineup, but the 27-year-old could add some depth at the position and has three seasons with at least six sacks.
It’s not an especially exciting signing, especially after Epenesa failed a physical in Cleveland. But that physical could mean a vet minimum deal, and these Dolphins don’t have much to lose other than games.”
Epenesa, who has started 19 games in his NFL career, has not been an above-average defensive end, according to Pro Football Focus. During the 2025 season, he received a 58.8 overall grade, which ranked him 87th out of 115 qualified edge defenders. Additionally, he was ranked as a bottom-10 run defender at his position.
Miami Dolphins Draft Outlook
Signing Epenesa would likely not change any of Miami’s plans heading into the 2026 NFL Draft. However, it might provide them with insurance at the position as the top three projected pass rushers, Arvell Reese, David Bailey and Rueben Bain, are all likely to be gone by the time Miami makes their first selection.
The Dolphins’ roster has holes at a large number of positions, which may lead them to draft the best player available. NFL.com’s Nick Shook,in his latest mock draft,has the Dolphins selecting interior offensive lineman Olaivavega Ioane with their first selection. Shook wrote:
“There’s no better place to start a rebuild than in the trenches. Miami adds the top interior lineman in the 2026 draft and slots him next to one of the NFL’s best centers in Aaron Brewer, forming a formidable interior for Malik Willis.”
Shook projected Miami to add cornerback Colton Hood with their second first-round pick as he wrote:
“After identifying Malik Willis, De’Von Achane, Aaron Brewer and Jordyn Brooks as franchise pillars during the NFL Annual Meeting, new GM Jon-Eric Sullivan expands his target range to the perimeter, adding a pro-ready corner and — thankfully — increasing the level of competition at the position.”