Calais Campbell's decision to sign back with the Arizona Cardinals instead of continuing his career with the Miami Dolphins is a gut punch to an organization banking on his return.
This loss hurts Miami in the short term, but there is a silver lining to Campbell's departure. The Dolphins are now projected to receive an extra fourth-round selection in the 2026 NFL Draft.
According to Nick Korte of Over The Cap, "It took a while, but the Dolphins finally have seen more compensatory free agents depart than they've signed. This finally opens up that 4th round 2026 comp pick for Jevon Holland going to the Giants."
It took a while, but the Dolphins finally have seen more compensatory free agents depart than they've signed.
This finally opens up that 4th round 2026 comp pick for Jevon Holland going to the Giants.https://t.co/WpdfgQBNww
— Nick Korte (@nickkorte) April 1, 2025
Over the Cap describes compensatory picks as "(an) entire round's worth of picks that are distributed among the ends of rounds three through seven that are awarded to teams that lose certain unrestricted free agents (known as compensatory free agents) to other teams."
This offseason, the Dolphins lost three players who qualify for compensatory picks: Campbell, safety Jevon Holland, and guard Robert Jones. They signed two: quarterback Zach Wilson and guard James Daniels.
Given the circumstances, Campbell's early decision to sign with the Cardinals benefits Miami. Free agents signed after a certain point no longer count toward the compensatory pick formula, so the Dolphins could have ended up with nothing if he had waited.
However, it is important to note that these projections are fluid and can change. For example, if Miami signs an unrestricted free agent before the May cutoff date, it could eliminate their extra 2026 fourth-round selection.
Related: Dolphins Add Two Starters in Latest ESPN Two-Round NFL Mock Draft
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This story was originally published April 3, 2025 at 10:18 AM.