Injuries and roster moves have reshaped the Miami Dolphins’ secondary since last season, but they are adding a veteran player to to bolster that part of the roster.
Miami is signing Rasul Douglas — a third-round pick back in the 2017 NFL Draft who has played for four pro teams — to a one-year deal after he started 15 games for the Dolphins’ divisional rivals, the Buffalo Bills, in the 2024 season.
Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald indicated that the Dolphins decided to sign Douglas instead of other cornerbacks available on the open market such as Asante Samuel Jr. and Stephon Gilmore.
“The Dolphins opted for Douglas instead of free agents Asante Samuel Jr. (who is working his way back from a neck injury), James Bradberry (working his way back from last summer’s torn Achilles) and Miami resident Stephon Gilmore,” Jackson wrote.
Douglas totaled 58 combined tackles, 43 solo tackles, 15 assisted tackles and five tackles for loss in his lone full season playing for the Bills. He helped Buffalo’s defensive units be one of the more effective in all of football, as the Bills held opposing teams to just 21.6 points scored per game.
The 29-year-old played in all of the Bills’ playoff games during their run that ended in the AFC Championship Game and finished with 16 combined tackles in that three-game span.
Douglas brings much-needed championship pedigree to a Dolphins squad that is still seeking its first playoff victory since all the way back in the year 2000. The 29-year-old won a Super Bowl while playing for the Philadelphia Eagles early on in his pro career, and he knows what it takes to be a championship team at the highest level.
The New Jersey native joins the Dolphins after he rejected a contract offer from the team earlier in the year.
The Dolphins showed interest in Samuel prior to adding Douglas to the fold, however the reports connecting Samuel to Miami seemed to die down after his father went on record as having some harsh words for Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel and general manager Chris Grier.
Fans of the Dolphins should expect Douglas to play a large role for the team in the 2025 season with how lackluster its secondary is looking heading into the campaign. With any luck, he will help make up for the departure of cornerback Jalen Ramsey, who was traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
