DOLPHINS 2023 FREE AGENCY TRACKER: COMINGS AND GOINGS

Keeping tabs on the latest developments involving the Miami Dolphins as they relate to free agency 2023

Keeping up with all the latest developments involving the Miami Dolphins as they pertain to free agency.

The official start of free agency was March 15, the day the new league year kicked off.

ROWE LEAVES FOR CAROLINA

Veteran defensive back Eric Rowe became the seventh Miami Dolphins player to sign with another team this offseason when he agreed to terms with the Carolina Panthers.

That Rowe wouldn't be back for the Dolphins in 2023 pretty much was sealed when the team signed veteran DeShon Elliott to add depth at safety and compete with 2020 third-round pick Brandon Jones for a starting job opposite Jevon Holland.

The Dolphins also have second-year player Verone McKinley III and Elijah Campbell who can play safety, and Keion Crossen is listed as a defensive back on the roster.

In reality, it wouldn't have been a shocker had the Dolphins moved on from Rowe last offseason considering the potential cap savings and the fact he had lost his starting job in the secondary to Jones.

Instead, Rowe played out the final year of the three-year contract extension he signed in December 2019 toward the end of his first season with the Dolphins.

UPDATED FREE AGENCY SCORECARD (as of 7 p.m. April 6)

FREE AGENTS ACQUIRED (8)

QB Mike White, N.Y. Jets

WR Braxton Berrios, N.Y. Jets

TE Eric Saubert, Denver

OL Dan Feeney, N.Y. Jets

LB David Long Jr., Tennessee

LB Malik Reed, Denver

S DeShon Elliott, Detroit

P Jake Bailey, New England

FREE AGENTS RE-SIGNED (12)

RB Myles Gaskin

RB Raheem Mostert

RB Jeff Wilson Jr.

RB Salvon Ahmed (RFA)

FB John Lovett

WR River Cracraft

T Kendall Lamm

T Geron Christian

EDGE Andrew Van Ginkel

LB Duke Riley

CB Nik Needham

CB Justin Bethel

FREE AGENTS LOST (7)

WR Trent Sherfield, Buffalo

TE Mike Gesicki, New England

OL Michael Deiter, Houston

DT John Jenkins, Las Vegas

LB Elandon Roberts, Pittsburgh

DB Eric Rowe, Carolina

P Thomas Morstead, N.Y. Jets

REMAINING FREE AGENTS (10)

QB Teddy Bridgewater

TE Adam Shaheen

T Brandon Shell

T Greg Little

T Eric Fisher

DT Justin Zimmer

EDGE Melvin Ingram

EDGE Trey Flowers

LB Sam Eguavoen

S Clayton Fejedelem

ALL QUIET ON THE SIGNING FRONT

It has now been a week since the Dolphins made a transaction, and that involved the re-signing of cornerback Justin Bethel.

In terms of a free agent acquired from another team, we have to go back to March 20 (11 days ago) when the team signed outside linebacker Malik Reed away from the Pittsburgh Steelers.

And this is the part where we tell you that the quiet part following the initial free agency onslaught is common.

Last year, for example, there was a two-week gap between the signings of Terron Armstead (March 24) and Thomas Morstead (April 8). In 2021, the gap was 10 days between the signings of Duke Riley (March 22) and John Jenkins (April 2).

All this is to suggest that the inactivity this week was not out of place and it doesn't mean there won't be another signing before the draft.

Or maybe there won't be, if we go by 2020 when 10 of the 11 signings of unrestricted free agents were done by March 21 and the last came April 27 on the last day of the draft (Kavon Frazier).

DOLPHINS UFAs STILL WAITING

On the flip side, no Dolphins UFA has signed with another since last weekend as well, which is when Jenkins joined the Las Vegas Raiders.

The Dolphins do have some high-profile free agents still on the market, namely QB Teddy Bridgewater, T Eric Fisher, and edge defenders Melvin Ingram and Trey Flowers.

At this point, it's almost safe to suggest that those four players won't be signed until after the draft.

This won't be anything new for Ingram, who signed with the Dolphins last year in Miami after signing as a UFA with Pittsburgh in 2021 in July.

One thing for sure, Ingram still wants to play, as he recently indicated on Twitter.

a lot of people keep asking what’s my plans and am I gone keep playing the answer is “HELL YEA” my phone work 🤳🏾📞

— KINGMEL (@MelvinIngram) March 18, 2023

As for Flowers, he visited with the New England Patriots on the same day they also entertained Andrew Van Ginkel before he re-signed with Miami, but Flowers remains a free agent.

JENKINS JOINS RAIDERS

Veteran defensive tackle John Jenkins found his way back to the Dolphins late in the free agency process the past two years, but he's now moved on.

Jenkins signed with the Las Vegas Raiders on Friday, ending his second stint with Miami.

After first joining the Dolphins just before the start of the 2019 season, Jenkins returned as a free agent in the first week of April 2021 after spending one season with the Chicago Bears, then re-signed as a free agent with the Dolphins in the first week of April 2022.

While he was a part-time player the past two years after starting five games for the rebooting Dolphins in 2019, Jenkins was a solid complementary player on the defensive line, particularly as a run stopper, and a good veteran presence in the locker room.

Jenkins, who will turn 34 in July, had 20 tackles and one quarterback hit in 16 games as a backup last season.

His departure will leave the Dolphins in the market for backup help at nose tackle behind Raekwon Davis.

BETHEL BACK WITH DOLPHINS

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.

DOLPHINS BRINGING BACK VAN GINKEL

The Miami Dolphins have retained one of Chris Grier’s most productive late-round draft picks, re-signing linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel to a one-year deal.

Van Ginkel, who started 31 of the 56 games he played with Miami the past four years, visited the New England Patriots last week and had some discussions with the Las Vegas Raiders, but the former Wisconsin standout decided to return to the Dolphins on Tuesday, according to a source.

Van Ginkel, a fifth-round pick in the 2019 NFL draft lost his starting outside linebacker role after Miami acquired Bradley Chubb in a trade from the Denver Broncos but still contributed in various schemes, finishing the 2022 season with 47 tackles, one interception and half a sack.

SHERFIELD SHUFFLES OFF TO BUFFALO

Like Mike Gesicki before him, wide receiver Trent Sherfield has left the Miami Dolphins for another AFC East team.

The Buffalo Bills announced Monday they had signed the unrestricted free agent to a one-year deal after Sherfield's breakout year in his one season with the Dolphins.

The loss of Sherfield could pave the way for 2022 free agent acquisition Cedrick Wilson Jr. to play a bigger role after Wilson caught only 12 passes after signing a three-year, $12 million contract with Miami.

Sherfield came to Miami to be reunited with head coach Mike McDaniel after having played mostly special teams for the San Francisco 49ers, but he ended up outplaying Wilson in training camp and won the third wide receiver role behind Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle.

After catching 37 passes in his first four NFL seasons (the first three with Arizona), Sherfield set career highs with 30 receptions for 417 yards and two touchdowns for the Dolphins. His highlight, of course, was his 75-yard touchdown on a Tua Tagovailoa pass on the first play from scrimmage in Miami's Week 13 loss against the San Francisco 49ers.

DEITER DONE WITH DOLPHINS

In perhaps the most expected move of all, offensive lineman Michael Deiter left the Dolphins via free agency when he agreed to terms with the Houston Texans.

It was very difficult envisioning Deiter returning to the Dolphins after he failed to play a single snap on offense last season despite appearing in every game on special teams, a drastic role reduction after he started most of the 2019 season as a rookie third-round pick out of Wisconsin and started all eight games he played in 2021 after missing time after a training leg injury.

Deiter reportedly signed a one-year deal with the Texans.

DOLPHINS ADD FORMER FANGIO DEFENDER

The Miami Dolphins made another addition at linebacker Saturday when they agreed to terms with Malik Reed, according to his agent Mike McCartney.

Excited for @MTR_90 agreeing to a 1 year deal with the @MiamiDolphins

— Mike McCartney (@MikeMcCartney7) March 18, 2023

Reed played last season with the Pittsburgh Steelers, but before that he spent three years with the Denver Broncos when new Dolphins defensive coordinator Vic Fangio was their head coach.

Reed started two of the 14 games he played for Pittsburgh last year and had one sack after the Broncos traded him and a 2023 seventh-round pick for a 2023 sixth-round selection.

Here is a scouting report on Reed from All Steelers publisher Noah Strackbein:

"The Steelers hoped Malik Reed would come to Pittsburgh and be their third edge rusher that could be mixed into three outside linebacker sets — much like Melvin Ingram provided them in 2021. Unfortunately, he never really found success, recording just one sack, and was inactive three times toward the end of the season.

"Reed is an undersized outside linebacker, standing just 6-2, 238 pounds. He has the shiftiness to be a reliable pass rusher off the edge, recording 13 sacks in his final two years with the Denver Broncos. He doesn't provide much as a run-stopper, though. He's a team guy who has had success in the NFL, and if used for his strengths, he could provide quality depth on the outside."

In three years with Denver, Reed started 34 games and had 15 sacks, including a career-high eight in 2020. That was the year Dolphins linebacker Bradley Chubb was selected to the Pro Bowl for the first time, and Reed led the team in sacks that year, with Chubb just behind him with 7.5 sacks.

RIVER CRACRAFT BACK; IS TRENT SHERFIELD NEXT?

While the Dolphins have made significant moves on defense this offseason with the additions of Jalen Ramsey, David Long Jr. and DeShon Elliott, the focus on offense has been re-signing players from the 2022 team.

The latest was wide receiver River Cracraft, who officially signed Friday afternoon.

And maybe he'll be followed by fellow wide receiver Trent Sherfield, who is dropping hints on Twitter that actually are difficult to decipher.

😁😏

— Trent Sherfield (@Channel__10) March 17, 2023

Sherfield remained an unrestricted free agent as of 5 p.m. ET on Friday, but his return would mean the entire 2022 WR corps — Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, Cedrick Wilson Jr., Erik Ezukanma, Cracraft and Sherfield — would be back, to go along with the addition of Braxton Berrios.

Considering he's got a 2023 cap number of $8 million and $5 million guaranteed this year, Wilson certainly looks like a trade candidate based on his production last season after he fell behind Sherfield on the depth chart — if the Dolphins can find a trade partner.

We already know the Dolphins are running it back at running back with all four free agents re-signed and offensive linemen Kendall Lamm and Geron Christian also have been re-signed.

THE AFC EAST PUNTER CAROUSEL

It's truly remarkable what's happened among punters around the AFC East and it continued Friday when the Dolphins signed Jake Bailey formerly of the New England Patriots and the New York Jets signed former Dolphins punter Thomas Morstead.

This is where we point out that after Bailey landed on IR last season, the Patriots replaced him with Michael Palardy, who punted for the Dolphins in 2021.

And, of course, let's not forget that Palardy joined the Dolphins after they moved on from Matt Haack, who then signed with the Buffalo Bills.

As for Morstead, who will compete with the Jets with Braden Mann, for whom he filled in near the end of the 2021 season, we explored the potential reasons why the Dolphins moved on from him in our earlier analysis of the special teams.

DOLPHINS MAKING THINGS OFFICIAL

While a lot of the groundwork already had been done and deals already had been reached, the Dolphins made a whopping nine transactions official Friday.

The list included the signings of newcomers David Long Jr., Eric Saubert, DeShon Elliott, Dan Feeney, Jake Bailey and Braxton Berrios, along with the re-signings of. Cracraft, fullback John Lovett and cornerback Nik Needham.

Oh, if you think nine transactions on the same day might be some sort of Dolphins record it's not.

On March 20, 2020, the Dolphins announced 11 roster moves: the re-signing of defensive back Adrian Colbert along with the signing of 10 unrestricted free agents (Clayton Fejedelem, Ereck Flowers, Kamu Grugier-Hill, Jordan Howard, Byron Jones, Ted Karras, Shaq Lawson, Emmanuel Ogbah, Elandon Roberts and Kyle Van Noy).

FULLBACK RETURNS

One of the first players to join the Dolphins after Mike McDaniel was hired as head coach last year was fullback John Lovett, though his season ended over the summer when he landed on IR with a knee injury.

After being untendered as a restricted free agent, Lovett will be back for a second go-around in Miami, as revealed on Twitter by his representation.

Congratulations to client John Lovett on re-signing with the @MiamiDolphins 🐬

— JL Sports (@JLSports3) March 16, 2023

Lovett still will have the tough task of beating out Alec Ingold for a roster since it's difficult to envision the Dolphins keeping two fullbacks on the 53-man roster.

ROBERTS HEADED TO PITTSBURGH

Three days after free agents could start negotiating with other teams, we have our first report of a Dolphins UFA leaving for another team.

It was linebacker Elandon Roberts who did the honors, as he agreed to terms with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Roberts had a unique stay in Miami in that he played three seasons, but on three separate one-year deals, an indication the team never wanted to make a long-term commitment to him but always wanted to him back.

He also was a very good fit under the previous defensive scheme that Brian Flores brought with him from New England — made sense since Roberts came over from the Patriots — because of his ability to stop the run on early downs.

Roberts, who came back from a torn ACL he sustained in the next-to-last game of the 2020 season, actually had a very good 2022 season but he wasn't expected to come back for a fourth season once the team hired Vic Fangio as its new defensive coordinator because his scheme calls for linebackers with good coverage ability, and that's where Roberts is lacking.

But Roberts is an aggressive, physical player who's perfect for a 3-4 scheme looking for thumpers and he's also a leader.

VAN GINKEL MAKES VISITS

Another Dolphins free agent linebacker is drawing interest around the league, with Andrew Van Ginkel scheduled to visit the Las Vegas Raiders after completing a visit with the New England Patriots.

While Van Ginkel did some good work on defense and special teams during his first four seasons with the Dolphins, the team didn't show an interest this offseason in bringing him back, according to a source.

The 2019 fifth-round pick made 31 starts in his four NFL seasons and had 11 sacks, including a career-high 5.5 in 2020. He also scored two touchdowns — on a fumble return against the L.A. Rams in 2020 and when he returned a punt block (by Jaelan Phillips) against the Chicago Bears in 2022.

The Dolphins also have not expressed interest in bringing back linebacker Sam Eguavoen.

NEW TIGHT END IN TOWN

The Dolphins were short on tight end at the start of the new league year and they've gotten one with six-year veteran Eric Saubert.

He spent the past two seasons with the Denver Broncos, for whom he played 34 games with 10 starts.

Saubert will come to Miami with 33 career catches, including a career-high 15 in 2022. Saubert, who figures to be a complementary player on offense and whose game is similar to that of Durham Smythe, also has extensive special teams experience.

GASKIN COMES BACK

The 2022 running back reunion is now complete.

The Dolphins agreed to terms with Myles Gaskin on Wednesday, marking the fourth UFA or pending free agent running back they have re-signed following Raheem Mostert, Jeff Wilson Jr. and Salvon Ahmed.

This is shades of what happened last offseason at linebacker when the team re-signed free agents or pending free agents Elandon Roberts, Duke Riley, Sam Eguavoen and Brennan Scarlett.

Gaskin led the Dolphins in rushing in both 2020 and 2021 before his role greatly diminished last season when he played only four games and had only 10 rushing attempts.

SWAIN RETURNS

The Dolphins claimed wide receiver Freddie Swain off waivers from the Denver Broncos, bringing him back after he spent most of last season on Miami's practice squad.

Swain was activated for one game by the Dolphins and played seven snaps on offense before the Broncos signed him to their active roster.

Swain becomes the sixth wide receiver on the Dolphins roster along with Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, Cedrick Wilson Jr., Erik Ezukanma and Braylon Sanders. The first four will be on the 2023 roster, barring unforeseen circumstances, so Swain will be battling to earn a roster spot.

Trent Sherfield and River Cracraft both now are unrestricted free agents.

DOLPHINS BRING BACK LAMM

The Dolphins entered the offseason with a handful of UFAs at tackle after adding several veterans late last season and the first one to be re-signed was Kendall Lamm.

The team announced the move Wednesday.

Lamm signed with the Dolphins practice squad last November, was elevated to the active roster and then started at right tackle for the Week 17 game against the New England Patriots but sustained an ankle injury that sidelined him for the rest of the season.

Lamm has been a backup for most of his career — he has made 29 starts in 87 career games, only once more than four in any season — so it's fair to suggest this is a depth signing made with the idea that Austin Jackson will be given every opportunity to again start at right tackle.

Again with Lamm, other Dolphins pending tackle free agents included Eric Fisher, Geron Christian and Brandon Shell.

THE POYER POSSIBILITY OVER

The idea of Jordan Poyer joining the Dolphins sure sounded good after he threw out on his podcast how much the idea of playing in Miami intrigued him, but in the end he wound up right where he was — as a member of the Buffalo Bills.

Poyer has played the past six seasons in Buffalo, and that's where his career took off after uneventful stints with the Eagles and Browns and he's teamed with Micah Hyde to give the Bills one of the best safety tandems in the NFL.

The Bills, already lost star linebacker Tremaine Edmunds in free agency, obviously wanted Poyer back and his decision to return after reportedly checking out the market absolutely came as no surprise.

And it also needs to be pointed out that, while his sentiments toward the Dolphins and playing for Miami might have been completely genuine, he wouldn't be the first pending free agent to make that kind of statement to maybe bring up the offer from his original team.

In any event, the idea of Poyer playing for the Dolphins is now done.

DUKE RILEY RETURNING

The Dolphins agreed to terms with their first own pending unrestricted free agent Monday night by re-upping linebacker Duke Riley.

While it hadn't been done as of 8 p.m. ET Monday, this actually is a signing that could be announced before the start of the new league year because Riley played for Miami last season.

This will be the second consecutive offseason where Riley re-signs with Miami after first joining the Dolphins as a UFA in 2021.

In his two seasons with Miami, Riley has played 33 of the 34 games with five starts at inside linebackers and has been a valuable member of the special teams. His signing is good for depth purposes and, combined with the impending arrival of newcomer David Long Jr., would seem to signal the end of Elandon Roberts' time in Miami.

I love you Miami 🙏🏾! Thankful!

— Duke Riley (@1Goal1Dream) March 13, 2023

DOLPHINS GO LONG AT LINEBACKER

After picking up Mike White to serve as backup quarterback, the Dolphins landed their first defensive newcomer — Tennessee Titans linebacker David Long Jr.

The numbers reported for Long's contract were two years for $11 million, a move that drew a lot of praise from the national media.

Long joins the Dolphins after spending four seasons with Tennessee, which selected him in the sixth round of the 2019 draft with a pick it obtained from Miami in the trade that sent quarterback Ryan Tannehill to the Titans.

Long is versatile linebacker who's very good in coverage, as evidenced by the fact his opponent passer rating when targeted in 2021 was the best among all NFL linebackers at 61.0, per Pro Football Reference. Long was seventh among NFL linebackers in that category last year at 74.1.

The one issue with Long, and likely the reason he didn't cost more, is hamstring issues that caused him to miss 12 games over the past two seasons. 

Tennessee head coach Mike Vrabel referenced Long when he talked about Tennessee's injury issues in 2022.

We look at soft-tissue injuries,” Vrabel said. “We look at those soft-tissue injuries of repeat offenders. It doesn’t take too hard to look and see Kristian Fulton and David Long, (that) they were repeat offenders in soft-tissue injuries.

“They have to figure out a way to train and act like … this game is played at high speed. Kevin Byard hasn’t pulled a hamstring since we’ve been here. There’s a durability factor to playing professional football that we should not overlook. That’s real. There’s guys that are durable and there’s guys that aren’t.”

MIKE WHITE GETS HIS WISH, DOLPHINS GET THEIR BACKUP QB

The Miami Dolphins didn't wait very long to get their new backup quarterback for Tua Tagovailoa.

The team has reached agreement with former New York Jets backup Mike White on a two-year deal that could be worth up to $16 million, according to multiple reports.

White, a native of Pembroke Pines, Florida — not far from Hard Rock Stadium — played for the New York Jets the past two seasons, appearing in eight games with seven starts. His stats weren't particularly impressive, with a 2-5 record as a starter and eight touchdowns against 12 interceptions.

White replaced an ineffective Zach Wilson midway through last season and had a memorable first start, throwing three touchdown passes in a 31-10 victory against the Chicago Bears that got the Jets to 7-4 on the season.

But the Jets closed out with six straight losses to end up 7-10 and White struggled badly in his final three starts — between dealing with rib injuries — when he completed only 55 percent of his passes with no touchdowns, four interceptions and a passer rating of 61.5 over that stretch.

White initially entered the NFL as a fifth-round pick of the Dallas Cowboys in 2018 but never played a game for them before joining the Jets.

During an appearance on the Joe Rose Radio Show last month, White said he was hoping to re-sign with the Jets, but also made clear a homecoming would be nice as well.

“Oh, hundred percent,” White said. "Selfishly, from a personal standpoint, obviously growing up down there, I’d love to go home. But from a football standpoint, it’s a very talented offense, really good, young group of guys. You can tell they’re starting to build something special down there. I would love to be a part of it.”

MIKE GESICKI LOOKING FOR SOME STABILITY

The most prominent pending Dolphins free agent likely is headed for yet another coach, quarterback and offensive system, but Mike Gesicki is hoping that's going to be it for a while.

Appearing with former Patriots QB Matt Cassel on a podcast for the 33rd Team, Gesicki pointed out that during his five years with the Dolphins he had three head coach, six OCs and nine starting quarterbacks, with the clear implication being that he wouldn't mind going somewhere with a more stable situation.

"I mean, there's been so many different moving parts," Gesicki saiid. "And then, for me, it's just like, nobody cares who's out there. You gotta go out and make plays, and help these guys out. So that's kind of always been my thing and it's kind of something that I kind of hold my hat on and hoping that people around the league kind of understand that if I can get into a system that is consistent in terms of the coordinator, because I've learned a new offense (almost every year) I've been in the league. So if I can get into a system that that is consistent with the system and then playing with a quarterback that's consistent as well ... the best example the last four years would be Travis Kelce and Pat Mahomes, him getting in there and just the continuity. But then, like I said, nobody cares who's in. When Pat goes down and Chad Henne comes in, Travis still does the same thing. You still have to take it all into account, but at the same time you still gotta go out there and make plays."

In five years with the #Dolphins, @mikegesicki had 3 head coaches, 6 offensive coordinators and 9 starting quarterbacks

Gesicki goes 1-on-1 with @M_Cassel16 to discuss being adaptable, the value of consistency and more ahead of free agency

— The 33rd Team (@The33rdTeamFB) March 9, 2023

MIKE McGLINCHEY WATCH

Could there be another San Francisco 49ers player headed to Miami?

Offensive tackle Mike McGlinchey, who's set to become a free agent Wednesday, said in a recent radio interview he would expect to find a new team pretty quickly once the free agent market opens — and it's easy to connect the dots to Miami.

A former first-round pick, McGlinchey played his first four NFL seasons with Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel either as his run game coordinator or offensive coordinator. And McGlinchey has spent the past four seasons at right tackle, which is a question mark for the Dolphins after they used three different starters (Austin Jackson, Brandon Shell, Greg Little) in 2022.

"We got a lot of intel coming off of the week at the combine and all that stuff, what's going on and what we can expect to happen," McGlinchey said on KNBR's Papa & Lund show, per 49ers Web Zone. "I think once Monday hits, I'll probably have a pretty quick deal and a pretty quick decision to make and, hopefully, be signed by the first day of free agency."

Of course, the Dolphins would have to find a way to make it work under the cap, so this is no gimme. And then there's the issue of other McGlinchey suitors, starting with the Tennessee Titans, who have a big need on the offensive line and whose new GM Ran Carthon was just hired away from the 49ers.

And then new Houston head coach DeMeco Ryans, like McDaniel, is a former 49ers assistant coach with much familiarity with McGlinchey and the Texans have needs practically everywhere on the offensive line except left tackle, occupied by former Dolphins first-round pick Laremy Tunsil.

WILSON HOPING TO RETURN

We've written a few times since the end of the 2022 season not to be shocked about the possibility of the Dolphins re-signing their pending running back free agents, and that includes Jeff Wilson Jr.

Acquired in a mid-season trade with the San Francisco 49ers, Wilson made it clear during an appearance on South Florida TV station WSVN's Sports Xtra that he's very much interested in re-signing with the Dolphins.

He also suggested that there is mutual interest in making it happen, which would make sense in many ways, starting with the idea that the Dolphins gave up a fifth-round pick to acquire his services.

Wilson also provides some physicality at the position, bringing a nice complement to the speed of Raheem Mostert, who's also a free agent and whose long history with Mike McDaniel (and mutual admiration) makes it a more than 50-50 proposition that he'll be re-signed.

#Dolphins free agent running back Jeff Wilson Jr. says, "I would love to be back ( with Miami), I want to be back...it would be a major blessing because I love it there and I feel like they love having me there." #FinsUp #nflfreeagency #NFL @DolphinsTalk @ian693 @B_Shousejr @wsvn pic.twitter.com/gD1Zik1mld

— Josh Moser (@TheMozKnowz) March 6, 2023

WHY KENDRICKS DOESN'T FIT

Because that's just the way it works, every time a big-name player hits the free agent market, the idea of the Dolphins signing that player is going to come up.

In the case of former All-Pro Eric Kendricks, released by the Minnesota Vikings on Monday, we can skip over that conversation, even though the Dolphins absolutely are in the market for an off-the-ball linebacker.

Kendricks is an eight-year starter in the NFL who just turned only 31 and has a lot of good football left in him, but his release wasn't strictly about financial considerations — cutting him cleared up $9.5 million of cap space.

Another issue for Kendricks was that his performance dropped a bit last season after the arrival of defensive coordinator Ed Donatell, who installed a 3-4 scheme after the Vikings had used a 4-3. New DC Brian Flores also uses a 3-4 scheme predominantly, making Kendricks less than an ideal fit.

Kendricks figures to join a team that uses a 4-3, where he can line up at middle linebacker, which would eliminate the Dolphins, considering they'll be using a predominantly 3-4 alignment under new DC Vic Fangio.

WHITE WISHING FOR HOMECOMING

NFL rules prohibit teams from commenting on pending free agents while they remain under contract to another team, but the rule doesn't prevent players from expressing their wishes.

And so it was that quarterback Mike White made it very clear Friday that he would love nothing more than to sign with the Miami Dolphins if his first choice — re-signing with the New York Jets — falls through.

“Oh, hundred percent,” White said on the Joe Rose Radio Show. "Selfishly, from a personal standpoint, obviously growing up down there, I’d love to go home. But from a football standpoint, it’s a very talented offense, really good, young group of guys. You can tell they’re starting to build something special down there. I would love to be a part of it.”

It makes sense from White's standpoint since he's from South Florida.

The Dolphins also will need a new backup quarterback in 2023 because veteran Teddy Bridgewater had too many durability issues last season and those forced Miami to go into their first playoff game since 2016 with rookie seventh-round pick Skylar Thompson as the starter.

Where it doesn't make sense for the Dolphins is that White is kind of similar to Thompson is that he doesn't have all that much NFL game experience and Thompson certainly did enough in 2022 to merit getting another shot.

In simple terms, if the Dolphins are in the market for a true No. 2 quarterback, then White doesn't really merit that kind of consideration much more than Thompson would.

Besides, Jets head coach Robert Saleh said this week that he expected White to be back with the team in 2023.

White got off to a good start after taking over for Zach Wilson last season, but his play slipped and he also dealt with rib injuries.

White isn't the only South Florida quarterback who's a pending free agent because the case also applies to Geno Smith. But the reality is the likelihood of either joining the Dolphins is tiny, if not microscopic.

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