Dolphins’ De’Von Achane Had Offseason Shoulder Surgery; Latest On WR Chris Bell
Despite signing a four-year extension worth up to $68MM a couple of weeks ago, Dolphins running back De’Von Achane has not been a full participant at OTAs. Head coach Jeff Hafley explained why this week, revealing Achane is on the mend from minor shoulder surgery.
“He’s rehabbing right now, he’s doing well,” Hafley said (via Josh Alper of PFT). “You’ll see him out there doing some drills and doing some running around. You just will not see him in full team drills.”
Achane’s shoulder injury held him out of the Dolphins’ 2025 season finale and prevented him from logging his second straight 17-game campaign. The 24-year-old nevertheless posted personal-best numbers in the third season of his career.
One of the few bright spots on a below-average offense, Achane ran for 1,350 yards on 238 carries (good for an eye-popping 5.7 YPC) and added eight touchdowns. He found the end zone four more times as a pass catcher and notched 67 receptions for 488 yards. Achane earned his first Pro Bowl nod in what turned out to be the offensive-minded Mike McDaniel‘s last season as the Dolphins’ head coach.
McDaniel and former general manager Chris Grier were at the helm when the Dolphins reeled in Achane in the third round of the 2023 draft. The Dolphins’ new regime of Hafley and GM Jon-Eric Sullivan could have moved on from Achane via trade, as they did with receiver Jaylen Waddle in a blockbuster deal with the Broncos. Instead, in the early stages of a full rebuild, Dolphins leadership identified Achane as a foundational piece. Assuming he remains healthy for most of all or 2026, he should easily serve as the Dolphins’ top offensive threat and provide a much-needed weapon for new starting quarterback Malik Willis.
Miami’s hope is that young wide receiver Chris Bell will join Achane as a key offensive building block, but the rookie third-rounder (94th overall) is a bit behind as he begins his career. The former Louisville standout is only six months removed from tearing his ACL last November. Bell is working his way back but remains without a timeline for a full return, Hafley said (via Marcel Louis-Jacques of ESPN).
It appears Bell will begin training camp on the active/PUP list. If he returns during the summer, he could have a chance to compete for a role in a receiving corps that lacks proven starters in the wake of the Waddle trade. Tutu Atwell, Jalen Tolbert, Malik Washington and Terrace Marshall are among the veterans in the fold, but nobody from that group has put up strong production in the NFL. That explains why Miami used three of its league-high 13 draft picks on receivers. Before taking Bell, the Dolphins invested a third-rounder (No. 75) in Caleb Douglas. They also added Kevin Coleman Jr. in the fifth round (177th).
Dolphins Worked Out RB Zamir White
It’s been a quiet offseason for Zamir White, but it sounds like that could soon change. According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the free agent running back recently met with the Dolphins, and he’s expected to work out for other organizations in the coming weeks.
The 2022 fourth-round pick didn’t get much run on offense as a rookie, but he saw an increased role with the Raiders in 2023. With Josh Jacobs missing a handful of games, White ended up starting four of his 17 appearances, finishing with 549 yards from scrimmage and one touchdown on 119 touches.
When Jacobs left for Green Bay ahead of the 2024 campaign, there was some thought that White would step up as the definitive RB1. He never ended up running away with the job, and thanks in part to injury, he finished third on the Raiders in carries behind Alexander Mattison and Ameer Abdullah. White ultimately completed that season with only 213 yards from scrimmage. He was knocked further down the depth chart following the additions of Ashton Jeanty and Raheem Mostert in 2025, with White finishing last season with a career-low 12 rushing attempts.
White’s experience and his special teams ability (he returned 11 kickoffs last season) still make him worthy of a flyer. He could find that opportunity in Miami, as the Dolphins have an unsettled depth chart behind De’Von Achane. The team is still rostering former draft picks Jaylen Wright and Ollie Gordon, and White could provide that duo with some competition for backup reps.
Former Dolphins DT Manny Fernandez Dies At 79
Former Dolphins defensive tackle Manny Fernandez has died, per a team announcement made on Tuesday. He was 79.
Fernandez played a total of eight seasons (1968-75), beginning his career when Miami was in the AFL. At the onset of the post-merger period, the former undrafted free agent was instrumental in the Dolphins’ success. That included key roles leading up to and during the team’s three consecutive Super Bowl appearances early in the 1970s.
A full-time starter for most of his career – which was spent exclusively in Miami – Fernandez enjoyed productive showings in the regular season. He is, however, best remembered for his output during the playoffs and in Miami’s Super Bowls. Fernandez is officially credited with 4.5 career postseason sacks, and his performance in Super Bowl LVII was critical in cementing Miami’s perfect campaign in 1972. To this day, that remains the only undefeated regular and postseason in NFL history.
Miami went on to win the following Super Bowl and further cement the legacy of head coach Don Shula and the core players who led the way to that sustained success. Fernandez was certainly among that group, totaling at least four sacks in each of his first six seasons. His career took place before tackles became an official statistic, but the Utah product served as a key figure against the run in addition to his work as a pass rushing presence.
Every member of the ’72 team was ultimately inducted into the Dolphins’ Ring of Honor. Fernandez’s accolades – which included a top-10 finish in MVP voting in 1970 – made him one of the players honored again on an individual basis, though. That took place in 2014, further highlighting his significance to the Dolphins and to the ‘No-Name’ defense which he played a central role in across the course of his decorated career.
Brian Flores Amends Complaint Against NFL, Subpoenas 31 Teams
Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores* recently amended his lawsuit against the NFL and six of its teams to include a Title VII claim, and now he has amended it again. Per Daniel Kaplan of Front Office Sports, Flores has added a new retaliation count.
The nature of the allegation is presently unclear, but based on the NFL’s response, it appears Flores is arguing the league’s effort to enforce the arbitration provisions in its contracts is itself retaliatory. If that’s the case, sports attorney Chris Deubert tells Kaplan it “makes no sense,” and Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk concedes it will be difficult to prove.
Nonetheless, Flores has scored a series of key wins in this long-running saga, and he is striking while the iron is hot. The trial court has allowed his claims against all six teams (the Giants, Broncos, Texans, Dolphins, Titans, and Cardinals) to proceed to trial rather than remain in the NFL’s arbitration system, and the trial court has also allowed the case to move forward as normal even as the NFL seeks United States Supreme Court review of that issue.
Allowing the case to move forward includes lifting the stay on discovery, so in addition to the amended complaint, Flores has subpoenaed 31 of the NFL’s 32 teams, as Kaplan details (presumably, only the Vikings have not been subpoenaed). ESPN’s Kris Rhim adds Flores has served more than 1,000 discovery requests, which the league has argued are punishingly overbroad.
“They’re obviously going scorched-earth,” Deubert said. “Presuming he’s asking about their employment hiring practices and policies, and even that can be difficult to just to respond to. … But those teams are probably going to object to the subpoenas, probably collectively through the league-friendly counsel, and say it’s not relevant, and there’ll be an interesting sort of fight there.”
The defendants will file a motion to dismiss in response to the latest amended complaint. As Rhim notes, the deadline for that is June 5. Pretrial briefs are due in late July/early August. A trial date likely will not be set until after the court rules on the motions to dismiss.
*Steve Wilks and Ray Horton are Flores’ co-plaintiffs, but for ease of reading, we will simply use Flores’ name when referring to the plaintiffs’ side of this matter.
Latest On Dolphins’ Position Battles
After moving on from Tua Tagovailoa, Tyreek Hill, and Jaylen Waddle in the offseason, the Dolphins have essentially initiated a bit of a rebuild. A big part of that process is identifying which pieces are worth building around, so Miami will be keeping an eye on the outcome of a few key position battles this summer.
A year ago, the Dolphins exchanged third- and fourth-round picks for a fifth-rounder in order to move up 11 slots in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft to select Arizona offensive lineman Jonah Savaiinaea. As a rookie, Savaiinaea started every game of the season for the Dolphins at left guard, grading out as the worst of 79 players graded at the position last year, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required).
Miami drafted Alabama’s Kadyn Proctor with its first of two first-round picks, but the college tackle will start his NFL career at Savaiinaea’s left guard spot. With starting right guard Cole Strange departing in free agency, the Dolphins have opted to move Savaiinaea over the right side of the line in the hope that he might play better on the side he played on in college. The team isn’t banking on that possibility, though.
According to Omar Kelly of the Miami Herald, if Savaiinaea continues to struggle through Year 2, the new front office/coaching regime will be perfectly willing to give an opportunity to their own roster additions in the sixth-round rookie out of Texas, DJ Campbell, or free agent addition Jamaree Salyer.
At running back, the Dolphins already worked this offseason to secure star rusher De’Von Achane to a four-year deal, but in order for him to be effective all four years, Miami needs him to have some help at the position. Last year, second-year back Jaylen Wright and rookie rusher Ollie Gordon both finished the season with 70 carries apiece. Wright didn’t get on the field until Week 7 due to injury but proved to be efficiently productive when he did play, averaging 4.1 yards per carry to the tune of 288 yards and two touchdowns on the ground.
Gordon was viewed as a fantasy sleeper early on in the season due to concerns about Achane’s durability, but the Oklahoma State product saw a difficult transition to the pro-level, averaging only 2.8 yards per carry to finish Year 1 with 199 yards and three touchdowns. Miami will hope that coming into the season healthy will help Wright make a bigger impact early in his third season of play or that Gordon will be able to recapture the big-play ability he displayed as the NCAA’s 2023 rushing yards leader as a sophomore with the Cowboys. They’ll rely, of course, on Achane first, but they’ll need change of pace to keep him effective.
Lastly, the Dolphins saw their top three cornerbacks depart in free agency this offseason, and the team will have to find new starters this summer. Miami spent their second first-round pick this year on San Diego State’s Chris Johnson, and the team expects the rookie corner to slot into one of the starting boundary positions. According to Kelly, the opposite boundary spot will see JuJu Brents, Storm Duck, and Ethan Bonner as the main contenders for a starting spot.
Brents and Duck have started a few games as part of the defensive rotation in recent years, and Bonner saw increased responsibility off the bench last year, as well. Kelly calls this “an open competition,” though, granting that any defensive back will have an opportunity to land starting honors. Recent free agent additions Darrell Baker Jr. and Marco Wilson are two names that stand an outside shot of earning a bigger role.
New Deal For TE Greg Dulcich Was Top Priority For Dolphins; Latest On Miami’s PK Competition
If comments made by Dolphins staffers are any indication, fantasy coaches are going to want to keep an eye on Miami’s Greg Dulcich as they seek to fill the challenging tight end slot. GM Jon-Eric Sullivan recently identified Dulcich as the returning player he is most excited to see take a step forward in 2026, and TEs coach Rob Middleton also praised Dulcich during OTAs last week.
“He’s a talented, talented guy,” Middleton said of Dulcich (via Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald). “The sky is the limit for the kid.”
The Dolphins had a large class (30 players) of their own free agents this offseason. While the club’s cap situation was a challenge in talent retention, Jackson says Dulcich was the one incumbent FA the ‘Fins seemed to prioritize over all the others. They re-upped the 26-year-old on a one-year, $3.25MM pact, most of which is guaranteed.
A former third-round pick of the Broncos, Dulcich joined the Giants via waiver claim in 2024. New York cut him last August, and he subsequently joined Miami’s practice squad. He was promoted to the active roster in late October as the corresponding move when fellow tight end Darren Waller was placed on injured reserve.
In 10 games (three starts) in 2025, Dulcich posted 26 catches for 335 yards and a touchdown, and he continued to have a role in the offense even after Waller returned from IR. The Dolphins did draft two TEs this year, adding Will Kacmarek in the third round and Seydou Traore in the fifth. Given his usage in college, however, Kacmarek is likely to make more of an impact as a blocker than receiver in the early stages of his pro career, while Traore is a talented but raw prospect who began playing football later in life than most of his fellow draftees (as C. Isaiah Smalls II of the Miami Herald details, Traore is the first graduate of the United Kingdom’s iteration of the NFL Academy to be drafted).
As such, Dulcich should have a golden opportunity to establish himself as a starting-caliber TE in 2026. He will represent one of new quarterback Malik Willis’ top options in a passing game that features a number of Day 2 and Day 3 rookies – along with veteran rebound hopefuls Tutu Atwell and Jalen Tolbert – and that is now without the high-profile duo of Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle.
Another player who showed promise for a mostly-disappointing Dolphins team in 2025 was kicker Riley Patterson, who converted 27 of 29 field goals and 34 of 35 extra points. His performance convinced Miami to bring him back, albeit on a veteran salary benefit deal worth just $1.4MM. That modest pact was not a barrier to signing Zane Gonzalez, who will now compete with Patterson for the PK job.
As Jackson writes in the piece linked above, Patterson did not object to the Gonzalez acquisition.
“Riley doesn’t mind,” special teams coach Chris Tabor said. “Obviously he had a great year, and he’s a really good player, as is [Gonzalez]. But if you looked at both of their careers, they’ve competed against a lot of guys all the time, so I think that’s nothing new. Any competitor will say, ‘if I’m in a competition, I play better.'”
Tabor, another new addition to the Dolphins’ coaching staff, worked with Gonzalez in Cleveland. Although Tabor says Gonzalez’s stance and approach have changed since their days with the Browns, it is fair to wonder if that familiarity will give Gonzalez an edge in his battle with Patterson.
Dolphins S Dante Trader Jr. In Lead For Starting Job
Minkah Fitzpatrick, Ashtyn Davis and Ifeatu Melifonwu logged the most playing time among Dolphins safeties last year, but all three are now off the roster. The rebuilding Dolphins traded Fitzpatrick to the AFC East rival Jets a couple of days before the new league year began in March. Davis and Melifonwu hit free agency the same week, but both remain unsigned two-plus months later.
With Fitzpatrick, Davis and Melifonwu out the door, rookie head coach Jeff Hafley and defensive coordinator Sean Duggan have to find new regulars at the position. While training camp is still two months away, Dante Trader Jr. looks like the frontrunner for a starting job, according to Omar Kelly of the Miami Herald. Trader has taken “significant” snaps at OTAs and impressed in practice, per Kelly.
In what turned out to be his last draft as the Dolphins’ general manager, Chris Grier took Trader in the fifth round (No. 155) in 2025. The former Maryland Terrapin was fourth in the Dolphins’ safety pecking order in a three-start rookie season, but he got into all 17 games, combined for 681 snaps (419 on defense, 262 on special teams) and made 55 tackles.
Trader finished as Pro Football Focus’ 68th-ranked safety among 91 qualifiers, wedging him between Melifonwu (53rd) and Davis (82nd). As Kelly notes, a shoulder injury hampered Trader for a portion of his rookie campaign. That is no longer an issue, evidenced by Trader’s three-interception performance in a recent practice.
Previously the Packers’ defensive coordinator, Hafley turned to safeties Xavier McKinney and Evan Williams as full-time starters last season. There is far less certainty on the back end of Miami’s defense, but it looks as if Trader will seize a starting role. He is not competing against a particularly strong group of contenders.
The Dolphins’ other options include safety/linebacker Jordan Colbert and newcomers Lonnie Johnson Jr., Zayne Anderson, Omar Brown, Michael Taaffe and Louis Moore. Johnson, Anderson and Brown were all inexpensive free agent pickups. The Dolphins made an NFL-high 13 picks in last month’s draft, but they did not prioritize safety. Taaffe, a fifth-rounder, was their lone selection at the position. They added Moore as an undrafted free agent.
Minor NFL Transactions: 5/21/26
Today’s minor moves:
Chicago Bears
- Waived: RB Deion Hankins
- Placed on exempt/international player list: P Tory Taylor
Houston Texans
- Waived/injured: CB Ajani Carter
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: OT Marques Cox, RB Carlos Washington
- Waived: TE Jalin Conyers, OL Braeden Daniels
Dolphins Extend RB De’Von Achane
MAY 21: For full guarantees, Achane’s contract comes in well south of the previously reported $32MM number. It contains $17.38MM guaranteed at signing, according to Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio. That ranks 13th among running backs. Another $3MM — from Achane’s 2028 salary ($14.23MM) — will vest in March 2027. That $3MM number is part of a $10MM 2028 guarantee; the remaining $7MM will lock in by March 2028, Florio adds.
Achane’s 2026 and ’27 compensation is guaranteed at signing. His 2029 and 2030 base salaries ($14.23MM, $15.72MM) are nonguaranteed, giving the Dolphins a realistic out after the 2027 season. Though, Achane’s camp did well to secure the early guarantee on part of his 2028 salary.
MAY 13: After months of discussions and trade rumors, the Dolphins have closed the deal to extend running back De’Von Achane. According to NFL insider Jordan Schultz, the Miami rusher has agreed to a four-year, extension worth up to $68MM with $32MM in guaranteed money.
[RELATED: The Richest RB Contract In Every Team’s History]
Marcel Louis-Jacques of ESPN clarified that Achane’s new deal has a base value of $64MM with bonuses worth up to $4MM. His annual average value ($16MM per year) and guarantee total are both all-time highs for running backs coming off their rookie deal. Achane is now set to enter the 2026 season with the position’s third-highest AAV, behind only Saquon Barkley and Christian McCaffrey, and fourth-most guarantees, behind Barkley and recent top draft picks Ashton Jeanty and Jeremiyah Love.
Achane came to the NFL after three years at Texas A&M. Despite sitting second on the depth chart behind Isaiah Spiller for two years in College Station, Achane broke out in his sophomore season as RB2. After averaging 8.5 yards per carry as a true freshman in limited time, Achane continued that outrageous efficiency with more touches, averaging seven yards per carry en route to a 910-yard, nine-touchdown season. Unfortunately, Achane’s lone season leading the backfield for the Aggies was the 12th Man’s only losing season since 2009, but he continued to produce with 1,102 yards and eight touchdowns rushing.
In a loaded draft class for running backs, Achane received high grades, but his short, stout frame caused him to slip far behind the first-round ranks of Bijan Robinson and Jahmyr Gibbs. After getting selected in the third round by Miami, Achane joined a backfield that had struggled through the 2022 season led by Raheem Mostert, Jeff Wilson, Chase Edmonds, Salvon Ahmed, and Myles Gaskin. With Achane spelling him, Mostert excelled in a starting role, rushing for over 1,000 yards for the first time in his career and leading the league in rushing touchdowns with 18.
Used to coming off the bench with efficiency, Achane was not slowed down by the transition to the NFL. After receiving one carry in the team’s first two contests, he exploded onto to the scene with rushing lines of 18 carries-203 yards-2 touchdowns, 8-101-2, and 11-151-1 in his next three games before landing on injured reserve with a knee injury. Despite the time missed due to injury, Achane finished the year with 800 yards and eight touchdowns, averaging 7.8 yards per carry.
Achane took lead back duties from Mostert the following year, but a far less effective all-around unit resulted in Achane finishing with just 907 yards and six touchdowns rushing, though he added a new element to his game with 78 catches for 592 yards and six more scores. Last year, Achane bounced back much closer to the expectations that followed his explosive start in 2023. Starting all 16 games for Miami, he totaled 1,350 rushing yards and eight touchdowns on the ground, adding 488 yards and four touchdowns receiving.
Unfortunately for Achane, as he’s gotten healthier and returned to form, the Dolphins have backslid into what looks now to be a rebuild. Former starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was released, shouldering Miami with record-setting dead money, star wide receiver Tyreek Hill was released, and WR2 Jaylen Waddle has been traded away. While the Dolphins were okay parting ways with those key assets, it seemed Achane was where they drew the line.
As the team’s 2025 campaign finally began to come to a close, Achane made it known that he intended to stay in Miami, telling reporters he was seeking an extension. As a lack of team success spurred several teams to inquire about potential assets the Dolphins might be willing to move, the team made it clear that Achane was not available. The 24-year-old was absent from voluntary team activities once April came, but extension talks were well underway by then and really starting to gain traction. He’s landed his new deal now and become a key building block for the franchise.
To ease the financial pains of the transactions that removed Tagovailoa, Hill, and Waddle, Achane and center Aaron Brewer agreed to restructured deals. Well, according to Louis-Jacques, Brewer is believed to be one of two other players expected to follow Achane’s lead to a new extension. The other player Louis-Jacques beileves could land a new deal soon is veteran linebacker Jordyn Brooks.
Dolphins LB Jordyn Brooks Uncertain If He’ll Receive Extension
The Dolphins handed running back De’Von Achane a lucrative four-year extension last week, leaving linebacker Jordyn Brooks as the clear next candidate to get a new deal. While the veteran is reportedly seeking a raise, he’s uncertain if Miami will dish out the money to keep him around for the long haul.
[RELATED: Dolphins LB Jordyn Brooks Seeking Raise]
While speaking with reporters today, Brooks admitted that he’s unsure if he’ll receive an extension offer from the organization.
“I don’t know,” Brooks said when asked about his extension candidacy (via C. Isaiah Smalls II of the Miami Herald). “It could go either way, obviously. I’m just controlling what I can control — play football. I’m blessed to do it. So I’m just going to keep approaching it that way.”
The former Seahawks first-round pick joined the Dolphins via a three-year deal in 2024. He’s emerged as one of Miami’s defensive leaders over the past two years, culminating in a 2025 campaign when he earned a first-team All-Pro nod after finishing with a league-leading 183 tackles. Pro Football Focus ranked Brooks 11th among 88 qualifying linebackers, including the third-best positional grade for his run defense.
Brooks is now entering the final season of his contract and has no guaranteed money left on his deal. While there was some skepticism that he’d show up for OTAs as he pursued a new deal, Brooks made it clear that a holdout was never under consideration.
“I need to get better as a player so that’s why I show up,” Brooks said. “Obviously, I never want to send the wrong message to the team or to my teammates. I play with these guys. Go to battle with them. I want them to know that I’m here no matter what [and that I’m] playing the game for the right reasons.”
For what it’s worth, the Dolphins haven’t given any indication that they’re against extending the linebacker. Back in March, GM Jon-Eric Sullivan said he wants Brooks “to be part of this” and “to be a pillar on the defensive side.” Coach Jeff Hafley was equally complimentary of his defensive leader today.
“Great leader, loves football, works really, really hard,” Hafley said (via Smalls). “He’s made the right way. I’ve really enjoyed him. You see the film, you see the type of player that he is; but once you get to know him you kind of understand why. I think his work ethic is elite and he loves football. He absolutely loves the game and he wants to meet. He wants to go over stuff. He wants to learn. He’s a fun guy to coach.”
As Smalls notes, Azeez Al-Shaair‘s recent extension could provide a basis for a future Brooks contract. The Texans linebacker got a three-year, $54MM extension, and that $18MM average annual value would represent a significant leap from Brooks’ current $8.76MM AAV. As the Dolphins navigate a significant rebuild, the team may decide it’s worth it to retain one of their few veteran leaders.