Early Forecast for 2025 Dolphins UFAs

The Miami Dolphins have 27 players scheduled to become UFAs in March, but they likely will be bringing back several of them
Miami Dolphins linebacker Tyrel Dodson (11) intercepts a pass during the first half against the Cleveland Browns at Huntington Bank Field in Week 17. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images
Miami Dolphins linebacker Tyrel Dodson (11) intercepts a pass during the first half against the Cleveland Browns at Huntington Bank Field in Week 17. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images / Ken Blaze-Imagn Images
In this story:

The Miami Dolphins decided to run it back with the people who call the shots, Chris Grier and Mike McDaniel, and one of their first order of business in the offseason will be determining which of their pending free agents they want to bring back for the 2025 season.

The Dolphins entered the offseason with 26 players scheduled to become unrestricted free agents with the start of the new league year in March, including nine starters for the 2024 season finale against the New York Jets.

Those nine are QB Tyler Huntley, LG Robert Jones, RG Isaiah Wynn, DT Calais Campbell, DT Benito Jones, OLB Emmanuel Ogbah, LB Tyrel Dodson, S Jevon Holland and S Jordan Poyer.

As a point of reference, he Dolphins re-signed nine of their own UFAs last offseason, including two re-signed before they actually hit the market.

As is the case every offseason, contract demands and salary-cap realities will play a role in which players end up back with the Dolphins next season, but we still can offer an early forecast on the likelihood of return or departure for those 26 players. Within our three categories of likelihood of return is a ranking of the significance of each free agent.

DOLPHINS UFAs WITH HIGH LIKELIHOOD OF RETURNING

LB Tyrel Dodson — Claiming Dodson off waivers from Seattle was among the best personnel moves the Dolphins made last season and he ended the season as a starter. One would both sides would want to continue the relationship.

G/T Isaiah Wynn — The Dolphins likely will want to see what Wynn could do for the offensive line if he can enter training camp healthy after his 2024 season was about coming back from his injury. The Dolphins will have turnover on the offensive line, but they can't replace everybody.

DT Da'Shawn Hand — Hand has proven to be a valuable backup on the defensive line, so re-signing him should be an easy decision.

LB Emmanuel Ogbah — Ogbah proved almost a savior for the Dolphins after they re-signed him in July after Shaq Barrett bailed on them, and there's enough uncertainty with Jaelan Phillips (health) and Bradley Chubb (health, contract) to want that kind of security blanket again. Ogbah likely would attract more attention this offseason if he were to hit the free agent market, though.

CB Siran Neal — Neal is a special teams core player and was very good at his job in 2024. There's no reason not to make a strong effort to re-sign him.

G Robert Jones — The Dolphins have valued Jones since he made the team as a rookie free agent out of Middle Tennessee, and let's remember this is a group that likes to keep their own and see them continue to develop.

DB Elijah Campbell — Campbell has been with the Dolphins since they claimed him off waivers from the New York Jets in 2021 and he's become a key special teams contributor.

WR River Cracraft — Cracraft will provide good depth for the wide receiver corps, the Dolphins like him, and he won't get a big offer if he hits the market.

DOLPHINS UFAs WITH MODERATE LIKELIHOOD OF RETURNING

DT Calais Campbell — The Dolphins wanting him back should be a slam dunk, but the two big issues here are whether he does want to continue playing in 2025 and whether he gets an offer from another team he feels would give him a better chance to chase his ring.

DT Benito Jones — This one is tough to gauge because Jones was solid, if not spectacular, but he may want a starting job and the Dolphins might want an upgrade there.

QB Tyler Huntley — Chris Grier said the Dolphins would leave no stone unturned in the offseason to try to upgrade the quarterback position behind Tua Tagovailoa, and Huntley may decide that means he's got little chance to win the No. 2 job and will prefer looking elsewhere even if Miami might want to have him back.

T Kendall Lamm — While he's not on the same level as Campbell, his situation is similar in that he first has to decide whether he wants to continue playing after a back injury ended his season prematurely.

LB Tyus Bowser — The Dolphins are going to have a surplus of edge defenders at some point, so Bowser might want to look elsewhere for an opportunity, though he could be re-signed for a low price if he's unsuccessful.

LB Duke Riley — Riley re-signed on a one-year contract each of the past two offseasons and it might be time for a parting of the ways to give somebody younger a shot.

LB Cam Brown —  Brown looked the part during training camp last summer before he landed on IR with a knee injury, but it's tough to get a feel for what the Dolphins thought of him before then.

WR Dee Eskridge — Malik Washington's emergence as a kickoff returner down the stretch wasn't good news for Eskridge, who was signed in the middle of the season.

DT Matt Dickerson — That the Dolphins signed him to the active roster off the practice squad during the season would seem to suggest he'll be back. But he also was barely used in the final games.

DOLPHINS UFAs WITH LOW LIKELIHOOD OF RETURNING

S Jevon Holland — This is the big name among Dolphins free agents, but it's really hard to envision him being back at this time because we're going to be looking at a situation like those of Christian Wilkins and Robert Hunt last year where another team will be willing to give Holland more than what the Dolphins feel his play and/or position warrants.

S Jordan Poyer — The Dolphins coaches spoke glowingly about the intangibles Poyer brought to the defense in his first season in Miami, but this clearly is a descending player nearing the end of what was a very good NFL career.

LB Anthony Walker Jr. — The book on Walker before he signed with the Dolphins was a solid veteran, starter type, but with a history of battling injuries. After that's exactly how it played out this season, we're thinking the Dolphins will look elsewhere.

OL Liam Eichenberg — After being moved around all over the offensive line, including in training camp last summer when Aaron Brewer was sidelined, and after being forced to rotate with Wynn at the end of the season, we can't imagine Eichenberg having a great desire (he was non-committal during locker cleanout day) to return. Not that we're convinced the Dolphins would want him back.

RB Jeff Wilson Jr. — After re-signing with the Dolphins as a UFA in 2023, Wilson saw his role basically disappear this season after being relegated behind rookie fourth-round pick Jaylen Wright. Unless Wilson simply can't find another viable option, it's hard to imagine Wilson would want more of that.

WR Braxton Berrios — As with Eskridge, the emergence of Malik Washington as a returner would seem to make Berrios expendable.

TE Jack Stoll — After being claimed off waivers from the Eagles, Stoll got a little bit of playing time on special teams but practically none on offense. Hard to imagine he wouldn't want to look elsewhere.

OL Jackson Carman — When Grier said during the end-of-season press conference in talking about issues on the offensive line, "So yeah, I mean we had games where Jackson Carman was playing tackle," it's probably not a strong sign the player will be back.

LS Jake McQuaide — Despite spending the final three months of the season on the Reserve/Non-Football Illness list, Blake Ferguson is under contract for 2025 and the Dolphins (no team, really) don't need two long-snappers.


Published
Alain Poupart
ALAIN POUPART

Alain Poupart is the publisher/editor of Miami Dolphins On SI and co-host of the All Dolphins Podcast. Alain has covered the Miami Dolphins on a full-time basis since 1989 for various publications and media outlets, including Dolphin Digest, The Associated Press and the Dolphins team website. In addition to being a credentialed member of the Miami Dolphins press corps, Alain has covered three Super Bowls (for NFL.com, Football News and the Montreal Gazette), the annual NFL draft, the Senior Bowl, and the NFL Scouting Combine. During his almost 40 years in journalism, which began at the now-defunct Miami News, Alain has covered practically every sport at one time or another, from tennis to golf, baseball, basketball and everything in between. The career also included time as a copy editor, including work on several books, such as "Still Perfect," an inside look at the Miami Dolphins' 1972 perfect season. A native of Montreal, Canada, whose first language is French, Alain grew up a huge hockey fan but soon developed a love for all sports, including NFL football. He has lived in South Florida since the 1980s.