Football

Breaking Down Unemployed Former Dolphins and The Idea of Post-June 1 Reunions

By Jake Gibson Sports Illustrated

Updated May 31, 2026 11:20 AM

The Miami Dolphins are only a few days away from receiving some financial relief to spend however they want. One avenue they could approach is bringing in veteran free agents, and there are a lot of those available.

The Dolphins will get around $20 million of cap space once the post-June 1 release of veteran edge defender Bradley Chubb hits their books, though they technically will lose around $1 million because his post-June 1 cap hit of $55 million is slightly higher than his original cap number of $54 million.

Miami, which currently stands at around $1 million of cap space after the De'Von Achane contract extension, will need about half of the extra $20 million to sign its draft class - remember that only the top 51 cap numbers count againt the limit during the offseason.

With the remaining cap space, Miami's front office could decide to bring in some needed experience at certain positions.

Giving Free Agents A Shot

More than 20 of the free agents that the team has brought in this offseason have signed one-year deals ranging from $1.1 to $1.4 million, so the blueprint has been to sign players looking to prove their worth on Miami's roster One recent example is Carlos Washington Jr, a running back who has spent the majority of the past three seasons on Atlanta's practice squad.

This operation for Miami works the same way with older players who want to prove that they can still play in the NFL. Guys like Charlie Heck and Jalen Tolbert - players who have spent genuine time on the field - are receiving the same one-year deals, with a slight bump in value ($1,402,500) but still negligible when compared to non-free agents.

If the Dolphins go shopping, there are a few players who have played for the team before, but the question is whether it would make sense for Miami to pursue them.

Former Dolphins Without a Team

WR Tyreek Hill

Hill undoubtedly was a core member of the offense after Miami traded for him. But a devastating knee injury last season was part in the decision to release him and take on a $28 million cap hit. Between his recent on-the-field woes and off-the-field controversies, he's become one of the most polarizing Dolphins of recent years.

There is a slim chance that if Hill is unable to sign with another team anytime soon, he could potentially settle for a cheap one-year deal for the sake of playing football again. But it seems unlikely he'd be back in Miami, as there are projections that have him moving to teams like Kansas City and the Los Angeles Chargers.

WR Braxton Berrios

Braxton's two seasons in Miami were a tale of ups and downs. 2023 was a solid year for Berrios, who had the third-most catches among wide receivers on the team behind Hill and Jaylen Waddle while also providing talent as a return specialist. In 2024, his season was cut short due to a torn ACL.

He signed with Houston in 2025 but only appeared in four games. Berrios' days of being a receiver might be behind him, as most of his time on the field has been on special teams. With a double-digit number of wide receivers already on the roster, it's unlikely the Dolphins will spend more money on the position unless it's a major talent.

WR Dee Eskridge

In his 2025 season with the Dolphins, Eskridge specialized as a kick returner, totaling 28 returns for 726 yards, with his longest being a 54-yard run. As a receiver, he struggled to find time on the field thanks to having to compete for a WR3 spot.

He was placed on season-ending injured reserve due to a toe injury suffered in Week 16. He worked out with Houston earlier this year, but it seems unlikely he'll find a spot on any NFL team soon. It certainly seems unlikely with Miami for the same reasons Berrios' chances of signing are low.

TE Jonnu Smith

A bright spot of the 2024 season, Smith earned Pro Bowl honors as a member of the Dolphins. His 88 receptions for 884 yards and eight touchdowns in his solo season at Miami were career highs. He was traded to Pittsburgh alongside Jalen Ramsey for Minkah Fitzpatrick, but after a down 2025 season, he was released.

Hafley is sold on Greg Dulcich long term, and that's where the problem with re-signing Smith is. 2024 was a remarkable season for him, but that was two years ago. If the Dolphins believe Dulcich is the future of the tight end position, bringing in more competition would go against that.

TE Darren Waller

A former member of the Dolphins and professional rapper, Waller had some key plays for Miami in his 2025 season, but injuries limited his production.

Waller suffers the same problem as Smith, where Hafley and Miami have a younger, cheaper receiving option at the position long term. Even if that weren't the case, they might not fully believe in a player who already has retired from football once in his career.

RB Raheem Mostert

Miami's offense in 2023 could not have performed the way it did without Mostert. His 18 rushing touchdowns were the most that season, earning him a Pro Bowl spot. The problem is that, alongside Mostert, was De'Von Achane. He became the main back in Miami, and Mostert was released before leaving for Las Vegas.

From a fan perspective, bringing Mostert back might be a slam dunk move. The problem is that Mostert isn't the same back he was in 2023.

G James Daniels

Bringing in a veteran offensive lineman sounds like a good idea at first glance, but there are some issues with Daniels. When they brought him in for the 2025 season, a pectoral injury in September sidelined him for a while.

In the end, he only played three snaps. According to a report by the Sun Sentinel, the team believed he could return late in the season but Daniels ultimately refused. It made the decision to release him much easier to make, and it's doubtful Miami would take a second chance on him.

T Kendall Lamm

Lamm originally was a factor in Miami's trenches from 2022-24, then signed with Philadelphia in 2025 before being released later that summer in the final roster cuts. While he re-signed with the Dolphins, he played only seven snaps all of last season.

Lamm's role as the primary swing tackle was taken by free agent acquisition Larry Borom last year and the Dolphins then signed veteran Charlie Heck to do that job this year, leaving Lamm as basically only an emergency option.

DT Jordan Phillips

Yeah, Miami already has a defensive tackle named Jordan Phillips, but is there room for another? Drafted by the Dolphins in 2015, he played in Miami for four seasons before bouncing around the league, including three different stints with Buffalo.

Now 33 years old, Phillips probably doesn't fit in a defensive tackle room that features team leader Zach Sieler and three 2025 draft picks - Kenneth Grant, the other Jordan Phillips and Zeek Biggers.

DE Emmanuel Ogbah

After spending five seasons with Miami, Ogbah signed with Jacksonville for the 2025 season. But he had a very uneventful year and hasn't found work as a free agent this year.

Ogbah was a consistent rotational edge rusher who posted quality games over his five-year span in Miami, recording 163 tackles and 72 QB hits. Of all the players on this list, Ogbah might make the most overall sense to bring back because he's got more size than the Dolphins typically have at the edge defender position.

LB Kyle Van Noy

A two-time Super Bowl champion, Van Noy's one season in Miami back in 2019. six sacks, 69 total tackles, six passes defended, and two forced fumbles, he was a solid piece of the defense. The problem was the four-year, $51 million contract they gave him, and the Dolphins elected to release him after just one year.

After that, Van Noy played for New England, the Los Angeles Chargers, and Baltimore. With Van Noy now 35, signing him would be more to provide veteran leadership to the young unit in Miami than it would be to expect real time on the field from him after his production fell dramatically in 2025.

LB Jerome Baker

A third-round pick in the 2018 NFL draft by Miami, Baker provided reliability in the linebacker room for six seasons, producing 587 total tackles, five interceptions, and six forced fumbles as a member of the Dolphins before he was released in February 2024.

Since then, Baker has seen limited action in Seattle, Tennessee and Cleveland, and the question is whether he'd represent much of an upgrade over what's currently on the roster.

LB Neville Hewitt

Hewitt was signed as an undrafted free agent in 2015 with Miami, and spent three seasons with the Dolphins before signing with both New York teams and Houston. 2020 was his most stellar season, with 16 starts and 134 total tackles.

This could be another instance where Miami will want to look younger for depth in the linebacker room. A pick-up like this would be more for special teams than anything, and that might not be the top priority for the Dolphins when it comes to free agent signings right now.

LB Quinton Bell

Bell had two uneventful seasons in Miami from 2024-25, with 35 total tackles, a pass deflection, and a forced fumble. Age isn't a serious problem with Bell, but the player who essentially took his place, Matthew Judon, was waived during the 2025 season. That could maybe open the door to bring him back in for a shot.

S Ifeatu Melifonwu

After spending four seasons in Detroit, Melifonwu signed with Miami in 2025, and he started in eight games with 53 combined tackles and an interception. The problem throughout his career has been staying on the field, as he's often dealt with injuries.

While "Iffy" is a solid player when healthy, the Dolphins should be moving on from injury-prone players. That said, the safety room would appreciate added depth, so maybe a case could be made for giving Melifonwu a shot.

S Ashtyn Davis

In the same vein as Melifonwu, Davis became a free agent after signing a one-year deal as a free agent in 2025. On defense, he's been criticized for missing tackles and taking bad angles, but has made the occasional big play at times. His time on special teams was better, but there might be too many questions about him to realistically take a chance on.

CB Rasul Douglas

Douglas is an interesting case because talent-wise and health-wise, he was arguably Miami's best cornerback in 2025. He and Jack Jones ended up being the top duo for the Dolphins at the position, amid the Storm Duck injuries.

Plain and simple, the Dolphins moved on from him. Miami might be looking toward Chris Johnson, Marco Wilson and JuJu Brents at the position, but Duck isn't fully healthy right now. At a reasonable price, it could make sense to bring Douglas back in case there's another shake-up in the secondary, but the question is how much the Dolphins would be willing to pay and whether there'll be other offers coming Douglas' way.

This story was originally published May 31, 2026 at 11:02 AM.