When the Dolphins Swung Big in Free Agency

The Miami Dolphins haven't been afraid in the past to go after big-ticket free agents, though the results haven't always been positive

With the opening of free agency rapidly approaching, there's always this anticipation of the Miami Dolphins — and every other team in the NFL — making that big splash with a big-ticket player.

The Dolphins have used that approach before, but the results have been mixed, so keep that in mind when you make a wish list of free agent targets.

1992 — TE Keith Jackson

Jackson always will be an interesting free agent because of his part in a lawsuit that challenged the NFL's previous Plan B free agency and his status as one of the first true unrestricted free agents. Once the ruling was handed out in favor of the four players suing the NFL, they became free to negotiate with any team and the Dolphins landed the much-coveted Jackson with a four-year, $6 million deal, which made him the second-highest-paid player on the team at the time. Jackson went on to average 49 catches and six touchdowns in his three seasons in Miami and made the Pro Bowl in 1992. Verdict: Good move

1995 — TE Eric Green

The Dolphins went all out before what would become Don Shula's final season as head coach and their biggest move in free agency was signing Green, who was coming off back-to-back Pro Bowl seasons with Pittsburgh, to a six-year, $12 million contract. Green had a very mild impact for the Dolphins in that 1995 season and new head coach Jimmy Johnson released him the following July as he tried to get the team's cap situation under control. Verdict: Bad move

2010 — LB Karlos Dansby

The Dolphins went shopping for new starting linebackers in 2010, signing Dansby and Kevin Burnett. Dansby easily was the bigger name and the Dolphins gave him a five-year, $42 million contract. Dansby averaged 110 tackles in three seasons with Miami but just didn't make a lot of plays and he ended up getting released in March 2013. Verdict move: Meh move

2013 — WR Mike Wallace

After he averaged more than 1,000 yards in four seasons with the Steelers, the Dolphins signed Wallace to a monster five-year, $60 million contract hoping he would bring a big-play element to the offense. Well, he wasn't really able to do that, though he did score 10 touchdowns in 2015, but a part of that was Ryan Tannehill's inability to deliver the long ball when he got open deep. Wallace became somewhat displeased with things in Miami as time went on and the team shipped him to Minnesota in a low-return trade in 2015. Verdict: So-so move

2014 — T Branden Albert

The Dolphins paid big money (more than $9 million a year) to sign Albert to a five-year contract, but he helped solidify the offensive line right away, made the Pro Bowl in 2015 and was part in 2016 of the team's best offensive line this millennium (along with Laremy Tunsil, Mike Pouncey, Jermon Bushrod and Ja'Wuan James). Verdict: Solid move

2015 — DT Ndamukong Suh

This was the big one. The Dolphins sure looked like they absolutely, positively had to have Suh in the spring of 2015 and they ended up being huge money to make it happen, signing him to a six-year, $114 million contract. With those numbers, it was impossible from the start for Suh to totally justify that financial commitment because a defensive tackle can only impact the game so much — unless you're Aaron Donald, of course. Well, Suh wasn't Donald for the Dolphins, but he actually was pretty good for them. It's just that he never could be as good as his contract suggested, and the Dolphins closed the door after three seasons. Verdict: Questionable move

2020 — CB Byron Jones

The Dolphins were flush with cap space in the spring of 2020 and they signed 11 UFAs, with Jones coming in as the big-ticket item. The cornerback had a lot of suitors in the open market, and the Dolphins landed him with a five-year, $82.5 million contract that made him at the time the highest-paid cornerback in NFL history — in the process overtaking new teammate Xavien Howard. Jones has played relatively well for the Dolphins in his first two seasons in Miami, though he hasn't been as good as Howard, and his contract created problems with Howard. Just on its own, one could reasonably argue that Jones hasn't lived up to his contract, but he has enabled the Dolphins to play the aggressive style of defense they've used the past two years. Verdict: Questionable play