Miami Dolphins News & Rumors

Cardinals Reunite With DL Calais Campbell

April 2nd, 2025 at 4:52pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

APRIL 2: The Dolphins offered Campbell the third-most money of the teams pursuing him, per Omar Kelly of the Miami Herald. The Ravens were also in the mix, but the Cardinals offered more bonus money and Campbell and his family preferred to return to Arizona.

APRIL 1: The Cardinals are signing six-time Pro Bowl defensive lineman Calais Campbell to a one-year deal, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter and NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

The signing, which was confirmed by Cardinals team reporter Darren Urban, will bring Campbell back to the team that originally drafted him. The 38-year-old is set to earn $5.5MM in 2025 with an additional $2MM available via incentives, according to Schefter and Rapoport.

Campbell entered the offseason as an unrestricted free agent weighing retirement against a return to the field for his 18th season in the NFL. He had offers from the Dolphins and the Ravens, but chose to return to Arizona where he started his career as a second-round draft pick in 2008. All three options offered familiarity; Campbell spent his college career and the 2024 season in Miami, and he also played in Baltimore from 2020 to 2022. The Cardinals, however, are closer to Denver, where he was born and raised.

Campbell is the Cardinals’ second addition to their defensive line this offseason. They signed Dalvin Tomlinson in March to join Dante Stills and Bilal Nichols in the trenches. Campbell will give Arizona a four-man rotation to which they can still add via the draft.

Campbell’s departure leaves the Dolphins precariously thin along the interior of their defensive line. Zach Sieler and Benito Jones are the only returning starters from last year’s unit.. Neil Farrell and Matt Dickerson combined for just 11 appearances and 80 defensive snaps. That will likely force Miami to scour the league’s remaining free agents and invest in at least one defensive lineman in April’s draft, per Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald.

The new contract will bring Campbell’s career earnings over $150MM, per OverTheCap, the third-most of any defensive linemen in NFL history. He has remained an effective defender into his late-30s, with 17.0 sacks and 26 tackles for loss since 2022.

Dolphins Restructure Austin Jackson’s Contract; Team Could Make OL Additions

March 29th, 2025 at 8:07pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Dolphins have made a number of moves aimed at carving out 2025 cap space. That process has included a restructure of right tackle Austin Jackson‘s deal, as detailed by Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald.

$9.71MM of his Jackson’s base salary for next season has been converted into a signing bonus; as a result, his 2025 cap hit has been lowered by $7.8MM down to $5.79MM. The move sets him up for a $15.77MM cap charge next year, but it helps Miami’s efforts to bring in further additions up front in the near future. The Dolphins have brought in guard James Daniels as well as tackle Larry Borom so far in free agency, and more moves could be coming.

Jackson notes Daniels – who inked a three-year, $24MM pact – has been told by the team it is unclear at this point whether he will play left or right guard. The former Steeler will be counted on to operate as a starter at one of those spots, but his remarks suggest Miami plans to make other moves along the interior. That could include bringing in a rookie fairly high in next month’s draft; the Dolphins own 10 selections as things stand, including one in each of the first three rounds.

With roughly $16.5MM in cap space, Miami also has the financial means to sign a veteran blocker before or after the draft takes place. At this stage of free agency, of course, expectations would be limited for any signing to step into a first-team role. Nevertheless, it would come as little surprise if the plan in place (as mentioned to Daniels) includes at least one notable addition.

The Dolphins expect to be without left tackle Terron Armstead in 2025, and his absence could thrust Patrick Paul (selected in the second round last year) into a full-time starting gig. Along the interior, Daniels is slated to start at one guard spot with center Aaron Brewer still on the books for two more seasons. Jackson – who was limited to eight games in 2024 – will reprise his starting role at right tackle, but it remains to be seen who will occupy the other first-team guard role. Veteran Liam Eichenberg represents the top in-house option, but competition could be added later this offseason.

AFC Contract Details: Becton, Bolts, Texans, Jenkins, Browns, Bills, Patriots, Dolphins

March 29th, 2025 at 12:51pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are the latest details from contracts agreed to around the AFC:

Mekhi Becton, OL (Chargers). Two years, $20MM. Despite raising his value with the Eagles, Becton only fetched $6.94MM guaranteed at signing, Cards Wire’s Howard Balzer tweets. The deal includes $3.06MM of per-game roster bonuses in 2025 and $2.55MM in ’26, with these protecting the Bolts after Becton missed 33 games from 2021-22. Becton is due a $2.5MM roster bonus on Day 3 of the 2026 league year, per OverTheCap.
Christian Elliss, LB (Patriots). Two years, $13.51MM. The Pats are guaranteeing Elliss $7.75MM at signing, the Boston Globe’s Ben Volin tweets. This Raiders offer sheet includes guarantees into Year 2, with Volin adding $2.25MM of Elliss’ $7.38MM 2026 base salary is guaranteed at signing. Although Las Vegas designed this deal to give New England pause about matching, the team did so and has since released Ja’Whaun Bentley.
Cam Robinson, T (Texans). One year, $12MM. The Texans are guaranteeing Robinson $10.75MM, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson notes. Up to $1.25MM is available via per-game roster bonuses. Houston also included four void years, which would create a $7MM 2026 dead money bill if Robinson is not re-signed before the 2026 league year.
Garrett Bradbury, C (Patriots). Two years, $9.5MM. Bradbury will see $3.8MM guaranteed at signing; $2.4MM of that comes via a signing bonus, ESPN.com’s Mike Reiss tweets. Bradbury’s $3.7MM 2026 base salary is nonguaranteed, giving the Pats an out if the fit proves poor this year.
Mario Edwards, DL (Texans). Two years, $9.5MM. The team is guaranteeing the nomadic D-lineman, $4.5MM, Wilson tweets. Edwards’ $4MM 2026 base salary is nonguaranteed.
Reid Ferguson, LS (Bills). Four years, $6.5MM. Ferguson’s latest Bills contract sits second (to the Chiefs’ James Winchester) at the NFL’s lowest-paid position. The deal includes $2.37MM guaranteed at signing, which Wilson notes is comprised of a 2025 salary guarantee and a $1.1MM signing bonus.
Zach Wilson, QB (Dolphins). One year, $6MM. The ex-Jets starter still secured a fully guaranteed deal as he attempts to reset after spending the 2024 season as the Broncos’ third-stringer. The Dolphins guaranteed Wilson $6MM, per the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson. Wilson only counts $2.2MM on Miami’s 2025 cap, per Jackson, as the team added four void years to keep that number low.
Sheldon Rankins, DT (Texans). One year, $5.25MM. Coming after Rankins underwhelmed on a two-year, $24.5MM Bengals accord, the former first-round pick will see $4.5MM guaranteed, per Wilson. Playing-time incentives worth a total of $1.75MM are also included in Rankins’ second Texans contract.
Teven Jenkins, G (Browns). One year, $3.1MM. The guard market dried up for Jenkins, whose free agency reminds of Dalton Risner‘s recent forays. The three-year Bears starter, who held a high asking price early on the market, settled for a deal including just $2.67MM guaranteed, Wilson adds. Cleveland included up to $340K in per-game roster bonuses.
Ifeatu Melifonwu, S (Dolphins). One year, $3MM. The Dolphins are guaranteeing the ex-Lions defender $2.45MM, Wilson tweets. Another $1MM in incentives is present.
Marcus Epps, S (Patriots). One year, $2.03MM. One of two 2024 Raiders starting defenders heading to New England (along with Robert Spillane), Epps received only $500K guaranteed, Reiss tweets. That includes $350K of Epps’ $1.17MM base salary, which does not make the former Super Bowl LVII starter a roster lock.

NFL Staff Updates: Kelly, Leftwich, Fisher

March 20th, 2025 at 11:01pm CST by Ely Allen

Champ Kelly‘s continuous rise through the front office ranks of the NFL was put on hold last year when he took a slight step back with the Raiders after serving as their interim general manager in 2023. After parting ways with Las Vegas last month, Kelly has agreed to join the Dolphins as a senior personnel executive in 2025, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Beginning his front office career in the National Indoor Football League, in which he first served as a player and coach, Kelly entered the NFL in 2007 as a college scout for the Broncos, rising to assistant coordinator of pro and college scouting and, eventually, assistant director of pro personnel. In 2015, he joined the Bears as director of pro scouting before being promoted to assistant director of player personnel.

He then moved to Vegas, where he served as assistant general manager starting in 2022, eventually filling in in an interim role after Dave Ziegler was fired. While he was still in the running for the Raiders’ official general manager role, Kelly also interviewed for the Panthers’ open position that eventually went to Dan Morgan. After missing out on both jobs, he returned to Las Vegas with a slight demotion from interim GM back to assistant general manager. This offseason, Kelly auditioned for the Jaguars’ open job which was ultimately awarded to James Gladstone.

With his new role in Miami, Kelly will work roles in both pro and college scouting for the Dolphins. He’ll set himself up once again to start working towards another general manager opportunity.

Here are a few other updates from former NFL staffers, though these men have transitioned to the collegiate level of the sport:

After being fired in early-2023, former Buccaneers offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich vowed to return to the NFL. Immediately following his dismissal, Leftwich interviewed for the offensive coordinator role in Baltimore that ultimately went to Todd Monken in 2023 as well as the Patriots’ head coaching gig that went to Mike Vrabel and the Seahawks’ offensive coordinator gig that went to Klint Kubiak in this last cycle. After failing to land an NFL job for the third straight cycle, Leftwich will reportedly take an assistant role with Deion Sanders at Colorado, per Jordan Schultz of FOX Sports. It’s unclear exactly what his role will be with the Buffaloes, but it will be Leftwich’s first taste of college ball since he graduated from Marshall in 2002.
Lastly, former Titans and Rams head coach Jeff Fisher has earned another head coaching gig, per HBCU Premier Sports. Five years after his NFL coaching career came to an end, Fisher took an advisor role with Tennessee State under his former running back in Tennessee and then-head coach Eddie George. With George recently accepting the head coach job at Bowling Green State, Fisher will return to Nashville to coach the Tigers as his successor. This will be Fisher’s first coaching role since 2022, when he was the head coach of the Michigan Panthers of the USFL. Since then, Fisher has served as chief advisor for an Arena Football League team while also working as that league’s commissioner.

Dolphins Re-Sign DT Benito Jones

March 20th, 2025 at 9:21am CST by Sam Robinson

The Dolphins have an offer out to Calais Campbell, who could play an age-39 season, but they are doing work elsewhere on their defensive line. Benito Jones is coming back.

Miami re-signed its starting nose tackle Thursday, according to a team announcement. Jones started 15 games for the Dolphins last season, doing so after coming over from the Lions.

Joining the Dolphins shortly after Christian Wilkins‘ free agency defection last year, Jones won a position battle to start up front alongside Campbell and Zach Sieler. Miami, which cut Jones competitor Teair Tart last summer, had the five-year veteran on a one-year, $1.79MM contract. It stands to reason his latest deal will land in that ballpark.

Not a pass rusher like Campbell and Sieler, Jones manned the nose spot at a low rate after filling a first-string role while on a Lions rookie contract. Detroit used the former UDFA as a 15-game starter during the 2023 season. The Lions moved to upgrade by paying D.J. Reader early in last year’s free agency period, leading Jones out of town. Jones, who did not start a game until the 2023 season, notched a career-high four tackles for loss with the Dolphins in 2024.

Although Sieler is on a three-year, $30.75MM contract, the Dolphins opted to save along their defensive line by passing on going where the Raiders did (four years, $110MM) for Wilkins. Jones, 27, has been part of the team’s solution under Anthony Weaver. The 335-pound DT will soon get to work on reprising a role as a starter.

Dolphins, LB Willie Gay Agree To Deal

March 19th, 2025 at 3:45pm CST by Sam Robinson

Although Chase Young transitioned from Saints one-year deal to a lucrative second contract with the team, Willie Gay will depart New Orleans after a 2024 one-off.

The Dolphins are signing the former Chiefs starter, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports. A two-time Super Bowl starter, Gay will join a Dolphins team that has done some linebacker shuffling recently.

Miami, which swapped out Jerome Baker for Jordyn Brooks last year, has been busy at linebacker this month. Re-signing the player they claimed after a Seahawks cut (Tyrel Dodson), the Dolphins also brought in K.J. Britt after his Buccaneers starter season. Gay passes both in terms of experience, and the former Nick Bolton sidekick is only going into his age-27 season.

Last year, the Chiefs prioritized Drue Tranquill over Gay, letting their longer-tenured LB walk. Gay’s market did not take off, as he joined the Saints on a one-year, $3MM deal. Gay did not emerge as a full-time Saints starter, lining up with the first-stringers in only eight of the 15 games he played. Gay only notched 28 tackles, though he did add two sacks, a forced fumble, two recoveries and three passes defensed. Gay’s 27% usage rate on defense paled in comparison to the role he played in Kansas City.

A 2020 second-round pick, Gay became a Chiefs defensive staple before Bolton’s arrival. Both players manned the Chiefs’ defensive second level in 2021, beginning a three-year partnership. Gay was a regular Chiefs starter, producing his best season in 2022 by finishing with 88 tackles (nine for loss) to go with 2.5 sacks and eight pass breakups. Pro Football Focus, which had respectively graded Gay as the 20th- and 32nd-best off-ball LB in 2021 and ’22, slotted him near the bottom during his part-time Saints season, viewing him as one of the league’s worst coverage ‘backers.

Gay played 88% of the Chiefs’ defensive snaps in Super Bowl LVII but saw his role reduced coming off injury in Super Bowl LVIII, when he logged a 52% snap rate against the 49ers. The Chiefs have since re-signed Bolton to pair with Tranquill, allocating far more to their LB spot than they had during most of Gay’s time in Missouri. The Dolphins have Brooks on a three-year, $26.25MM deal, while Dodson and Britt are on lower-level accords. Gay can be expected to join the latter trio in vying for a job complementing Brooks.

Dolphins Have Submitted Offer To Calais Campbell

March 18th, 2025 at 2:54pm CST by Adam La Rose

It was recently learned the Dolphins have made an offer to keep Emmanuel Ogbah in the fold. He is not the only veteran who could find himself remaining on Miami’s defensive front next season, though.

A standing offer is also in place for Calais Campbell, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald writes. It remains to be seen if Campbell will play in 2025, but he said after the regular season ended he would contemplate doing so. The Dolphins inked the Hurricanes product to a one-year deal last offseason, and that signing proved to be worthwhile.

Campbell logged a 58% snap share in 2024 and he operated as a key figure along the D-line. The 2010s All-Decade Team member posted five sacks and 12 tackles for loss, showcasing his disruptive abilities against the run and pass even this deep into his career. Campbell will turn 39 in September, but he could still provide value to Miami or an interested team if he chooses to play next year.

Midway through the 2024 campaign, a trade agreement was in place to send Campbell back to the Ravens (after he played there from 2020-22). Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel vetoed the deal, though, and Campbell helped Miami remain in postseason contention through to Week 18. A scenario in which the six-time Pro Bowler was waived to allow him to join a playoff team was floated, although that did not take place. Now, the Dolphins await a decision from Campbell while making other free agent moves.

Miami ranked ninth against the run last season, and retaining Campbell could set the team up to repeat that success in 2025. In the event he were to turn down the Dolphins’ offer and depart in free agency, though, finding a replacement (likely through the draft) would become a key priority. With work still to be done to keep Ogbah in place as a veteran edge rush presence, it will be interesting to see if negotiations will take place in the near future in Campbell’s case.

S Nick Emmanwori Lines Up Pre-Draft Visits

March 18th, 2025 at 1:25pm CST by Adam La Rose

The 2025 draft is not viewed as being deep at the safety spot, but two standouts are firmly in contention to be selected in the first round. One of them is Nick Emmanwori, who has lined up several pre-draft visits.

The South Carolina product will meet with the Falcons in the near future, he announced on Tuesday (h/t Josh Kendall of The Athletic). Atlanta still has 2023 free agent addition Jessie Bates on the books, but Justin Simmons is a free agent. The latter (who did not match his previous level of play with the Broncos during his debut Falcons season) hopes to re-sign, but as expected he has reached the open market.

In the event Simmons departs, adding a starting-caliber safety would become a draft priority. The Falcons (who are set to select 15th overall) are far from the only team line up an Emmanwori visit, though. As Kendall notes, he is also set to meet with the Panthers, Seahawks, Bengals and Dolphins.

Carolina made several splashy additions on defense last week, including a three-year deal for Tre’von Moehrig. The former Raider will look to replace Xavier Woods, who joined the Titans in free agency. Jordan Fuller and Nick Scott are unsigned at this point, and losing both could leave the Panthers in the market for a draft addition at the position (although doing so at No. 8 would come as a surprise).

Cincinnati and Seattle are slated to pick 17th and 18th, respectively. Both teams could stand to improve in the secondary in 2025, and the Bengals in particular will need to emphasize defensive additions via the draft with Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins attached to lucrative new deals. Adding Emmanwori in that range could very well be on the table; the latest mock draft from ESPN’s Mel Kiper has Seattle selecting him at No. 18.

Miami has frequently been linked to drafting a safety this spring with Jevon Holland departing on the open market and Jordan Poyer unlikely to be re-signed. Many have pointed to Georgia’s Malaki Starks (the other Day 1 safety prospect in the class) as a logical target as a result. Indeed, NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah mocks Starks to the Dolphins at No. 13 with Emmanwori going 24th.

The latter spent three years with the Gamecocks, operating as a full-time starter during that spell. Emmanwori earned all-conference honors in 2024 along with a first-team All-American nod after posting 88 tackles and four interceptions (two of which were returned for touchdowns). He will face high expectations upon arrival in the NFL, and the coming weeks will no doubt include visits with other interested teams.

Dolphins Submit Offer To Emmanuel Ogbah; No Deal Imminent

March 17th, 2025 at 2:13pm CST by Adam La Rose

Emmanuel Ogbah has spent the past five years in Miami, but he is among the free agents still on the market at this point. Efforts to continue his Dolphins tenure have not yielded traction so far.

During his latest appearance on WSVN-7 Fox, agent Drew Rosenhaus noted (via Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald) the Dolphins have submitted an offer to Ogbah. He added, however, that the sides “haven’t found common ground” yet with respect to an agreement being reached. Ogbah was cut by the Dolphins last February but he wound up re-signing in July.

Miami had a deal in place with Shaq Barrett, but his retirement decision (which ended up turning into a brief Buccaneers reunion) left the team in need of an addition along the edge. The Ogbah reunion allowed for him to handle a full-time starting role; the 31-year-old’s snap share (73%) was the highest of his Dolphins career. Ogbah posted five sacks and 19 pressures in 2024, figures which should help his market with Miami or other interested teams.

After being cut, the Oklahoma State product took a one-year deal to remain with the Dolphins. That pact contained $2MM in guarantees and included incentives which allowed Ogbah to surpass its base value of $3.25MM. A higher locked in figure could be required this time around for another deal to be reached. Having remained healthy for four of his five Miami campaigns so far, the former second-rounder could be in line for a multi-year commitment but at a minimum he will be expected to remain an important defensive figure should he re-sign once again.

The Dolphins do, on the other hand, still have Bradley Chubb and Jaelan Phillips on the books. The former missed all of last year while rehabbing his ACL tear, while the latter was limited to four games in 2024 due to a partial ACL tear of his own. Miami used a first-round pick in 2024 on Chop Robinson, and he flashed potential during the second half of the campaign in particular. Those three represent a large portion of the Dolphins’ plans along the edge moving forward, but it will be interesting to see if that holds true for Ogbah as well.

Dolphins To Sign CB Artie Burns

March 17th, 2025 at 11:29am CST by Adam La Rose

Artie Burns is the next player to land a new deal in the secondary waves of free agency. The veteran corner has agreed to a one-year Dolphins pact, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports.

This represents a homecoming for Burns. The Miami native played for the Hurricanes during his college career, one which ended with a six-interception junior campaign. That production helped make Burns a first-round pick, but his four seasons with the Steelers did not go according to plan.

By the end of his Pittsburgh run, Burns had gone from a full-time starter to a rotational defender tasked with handling special teams duties. After being out of the league in 2020, he returned on a one-year Bears contract which saw him handle a 39% defensive snap share. In the three years since then (in Seattle), though, the 29-year-old has earned primarily his playing time with his third phase contributions.

Miami has Jalen Ramsey atop the CB depth chart for next season, and holdovers Kader Kohou and Cam Smith are also set to play a role moving forward. The Dolphins have seen safety Jevon Holland depart in free agency as expected, and Jordan Poyer is considered unlikely to be retained. Former Lion Ifeatu Melifonwu was added last week, and he is in line to serve a notable role in the secondary as a result.

The Dolphins also retained Elijah Campbell, putting him on track to reprise his role as a key special teams presence. Burns will look to join him in that regard while attempting to boost his value ahead of free agency next spring.

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