I was actually proactive as the regular season ended and the Miami Dolphins were not headed to the playoffs. I started building a document to share with all of the contributors on the site to set up our offseason coverage as we look toward the NFL Scouting Combine, free agency, and the 2022 NFL Draft. Then, the Dolphins fired Brian Flores and everything was thrown up into the air.
This was not going to be an offseason of just trying to figure out the player needs for the team. Analysis of the holes on the roster and what available free agents or draft prospects could be used to fill them was suddenly put on hold. Instead, we have been focused on the rumors, speculation, and reports about the next head coach for the Dolphins. As we wait for the next move in that story, it is time for us to turn back to the offseason and what might happen for Miami over the next few months – no matter who the next head coach is.
The first step is to take a look at some of the key dates coming up on the NFL calendar. With the Playoffs having moved to the Conference Championship games, coming up on Sunday January 30, we can look at the other events happening. Ahead of the AFC and NFC Championships, on Friday, January 28, the HBCU Combine will take place at the University of South Alabama in Mobile, Alabama.
The rest of the offseason schedule looks like:
Feb. 3 – East-West Shrine Bowl, Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas, NV
Feb. 5 – Senior Bowl, Hancock Whitney Stadium, Mobile, AL
Feb. 6 – NFL Pro Bowl, Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas, NV
Feb. 13 – Super Bowl LVI, SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, CA
Feb. 19 – HBCU Legacy Bowl, Yulman Stadium, New Orleans, LA
Mar. 1-7 – NFL Scouting Combine, Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, IN
Mar. 8 – Franchise/Transition tag deadline
Mar. 14-16 – Free agency negotiating period (“Legal Tampering Period”)
Mar. 16 (4 p.m. ET) – New league year begins/Free agency begins
Mar. 27-30 – Annual league meeting, The Breakers, Palm Beach, FL
Apr. 4 – Teams with new head coaches begin offseason training program
Apr. 18 – Teams with returning head coaches begin offseason training program
Apr. 20 – Deadline for teams to conduct physicals on draft prospects
Apr. 22 – Deadline for restricted free agents to sign offer sheets
Apr. 27 – Deadline for teams to exercise right of first refusal for restricted free agents / Deadline to time, test, interview draft prospects
April. 28-30 – NFL Draft, Las Vegas, NV
The second half of today’s offseason reset article brings us to the Dolphins’ potential free agents. The team can still sign any of these players to extensions, and the franchise tag is also in play, but as of now, these are the players who are scheduled to hit the free-agent market from the Dolphins in March. Over the next few weeks, we are going to take a closer look at each of these players in our annual “Re-Sign, Tag, Walk” series, but today, we are just establishing the list of players with expiring contracts.
Unrestricted free agents:
Vince Biegel, linebacker
Malcolm Brown, running back
Jacoby Brissett, quarterback
Justin Coleman, cornerback
Isaiah Ford, wide receiver
Will Fuller, wide receiver
Mike Gesicki, tight end
Mack Hollins, wide receiver
John Jenkins, defensive tackle
Duke Johnson, running back
Phillip Lindsay, running back
Greg Mancz, center
Jason McCourty, safety
Emmanuel Ogbah, edge
Michael Palardy, punter
Duke Riley, linebacker
Elandon Roberts, linebacker
Brennan Scarlett, linebacker
Durham Smythe, tight end
Albert Wilson, wide receiver
Restricted Free Agents:
Sam Eguavoen, linebacker
Patrick Laird, running back
Nik Needham, cornerback
Jamal Perry, cornerback
Sheldrick Redwine, safety
Preston Williams, wide receiver
Exclusive Rights Free Agents:
Salvon Ahmed, running back
Elijah Campbell, safety