Dolphins Continue to Corner Market as Justin Bethel Agrees to Return

The special teams ace also stood out in the times he needed to play CB a season ago

Paul Rutherford - USA Today Sports

Recent history has proven that the Miami Dolphins can never have too many cornerbacks.

For more than a decade South Florida's NFL franchise has had to rummage through the waiver wire and claim cornerbacks off NFL teams' practice squads to make it through the regular season.

That's likely the reason the Dolphins added a fourth defensive back during free agency and re-signed veteran cornerback Justin Bethel, a special teams standout who played in every game last season.

Bethel, an 11-year veteran, played in all 17 games for Miami last season, contributing 26 tackles, one interception, and breaking up four passes after signing with the team the week of the regular season opener against the New England Patriots.

He also played 377 snaps on special teams.

Bethel joins a defense that traded for Pro Bowl cornerback Jalen Ramsey, re-signed Nik Needham, a three-year starter for Miami who suffered an Achilles injury last season, and signed safety DeShon Elliott, who has started 35 of the 42 games he's played the past four seasons for the Ravens and Lions.

Bethel became the 12th free agent the Dolphins have re-signed as a free agent or pending free agent this offseason. 

He followed running backs Raheem Mostert, Jeff Wilson Jr., Salvon Ahmed and Myles Gaskin; fullback John Lovett; wide receiver River Cracraft; tackles Kendall Lamm and Geron Christian; linebackers Duke Riley and Andrew Van Ginkel; and Needham.

WHERE BETHEL FITS IN THE DOLPHINS DEFENSE

Bethel likely will compete with Needham, Kader Kohou, Trill Williams, who missed last season because of a knee injury suffered in training camp, Keion Crossen, Noah Igbinoghene and Tino Ellis for a role as Ramsey and Xavien Howard's backups.

And don't be surprised if Miami adds a couple more cornerbacks before training camp begins in late July. The Dolphins typically carry 10 or more into training camp, keep five or six cornerbacks on the 53-man roster, and develop another pair on the practice squad.