It took a minute, but the Miami Dolphins have become pretty active in free agency after the legal tampering period started up on Monday.
The franchise has started to address some key areas and add players that should contribute next season.
However, according to a report, the Dolphins were unable to compete for some quality free agents (who ended up agreeing to deals elsewhere) due to spending constraints.
Have spoken to agents of multiple quality UFAs who signed elsewhere who said Fins called to express interest but didn't want to pass a certain point with spending and thus couldn't compete with what they got. (Ross spends whatever is asked; this is more cap management thing.)
— Barry Jackson (@flasportsbuzz) March 11, 2025
The Dolphins are hoping that the moves they’ve made to this point will help their chances of qualifying for the playoffs in the 2025 season. Miami is on the heels of a disappointing season in which the team lost more games than it won and failed to qualify for the playoffs for the first time since the 2021 campaign.
While the organization has addressed a few areas already, maybe the the biggest reason the Dolphins missed the playoffs last season was because starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa struggled to be consistently available.
On Monday, the Dolphins did come to terms on a deal with quarterback Zach Wilson, who should provide some insurance behind Tagovailoa.
Wilson had quite an up-and-down season with the New York Jets in 2023 (his most recent action), as the Jets held a 4-7 record in the 11 games he started. He also threw just one more touchdown (eight) than he did interceptions (seven) during the season. But he does bring some experience and may have some upside that Miami can work with.
The Dolphins know as well as anyone in the league that having a stable backup quarterback situation is extremely important.
Of course, the Wilson deal is just one of several moves Miami has made. Hopefully, the Dolphins can acquire some additional helpful pieces in the near future, even if they have to do so on a budget, as Jackson’s report seems to suggest. It’s of note that the official signing period in free agency doesn’t kick off until Wednesday.
