The start of NFL’s free agent signing period is just over two weeks away. The Miami Dolphins have decisions to make, including what to do with wide receiver Braxton Berrios.
The NFL is two-and-a-half weeks from the start of their 2025 league year. The league officially opens 2025 at 4 p.m. Eastern on March 12, bringing with it the start of free agency. Between now and then, teams are reviewing their list of players with expiring contracts, trying to work out contracts with player they want to re-sign, considering use of the franchise tag, or choosing to let the player test the free agency market.
The Miami Dolphins, who are scheduled to have 32 players hit the free agency market – including six players who are either restricted or exclusive rights free agents – have several decisions that have to be made. We have been working our way through the list, providing you with a chance to weigh in on what Miami should do with each player.
Today, we turn our spotlight toward wide receiver Braxton Berrios. After I take a look at his biographical data, his 2024 performance, what might be his role in 2025, and provide you my projection of what the team should do, we turn it over to you. Do you think the team should let Berrios walk away in free agency, use a franchise or transition tag on him, or re-sign him to a new contract? You can vote in the poll below, and feel free to head to the comments to discuss your reasoning as well.
Last five free agent reviews:
Biography
Braxton Berrios
Position: Wide reciever
Age (when season begins): 29
Draft: 2018 sixth-round (210th overall) by New England Patriots
Experience: 7 years
Previous Teams:
- New England Patriots (2018)
- New York Jets (2019-2022)
- Miami Dolphins (2023-2024)
Pro Bowl/All-Pro: 2021 First-Team All-Pro
Expiring Contract
1 year, $2.2 million
2024 Review
6 games played
7 punt returns
14.7 yards per return average
3 kick returns
25.3 yards per return average
Berrios was expected to be a depth wide receiver and the primary return option in his second season with the Dolphins. He assumed that role, beginning the year as the team’s slot wide receiver, working behind Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, while the team waited for Odell Beckham, Jr., to return from injury. Berrios’ 2024 season was shortened to just six games, however, as he tore his ACL against the Indianapolis Colts, ending his season with no receptions and just 10 return opportunities.
2025 Outlook
With a torn ACL in late October, Berrios’ 2025 season may not start on time as he completes his recovery. The question marks about his availability may lead to him being a late addition in free agency or an in-season signing for depth from someone. He is a solid returner, maybe not a threat to break it for a touchdown on every return, but he will be sure-handed and make smart decisions with the return. His career high in receptions is 46 in 2021. He is not a high-target wide receiver, but he can be an important piece of an offense – in 2023, he caught 27 passes for the Dolphins, with 15 of them for first downs. He is not your prototypical possession wide receiver, but he can provide that surehanded target when needed, and that is probably the best role for him heading into 2025.
Walk, Tag, Re-Sign?
Projected tag value (Wide receiver): $26.4 million (franchise); $23.1 million (transition) (via OvertheCap.com)
Walk/Re-sign. Berrios re-signing makes sense, giving the team a veteran depth option at wide receiver, but it is not a move the team needs to make right now. His injury likely will slow the market for him, giving the Dolphins the option to re-sign him later this summer when his knee is closer to being cleared. He is not someone the team has to bring back, but he knows the offensive system, provides solid check down options when needed, and can be a returner on special teams. There is a spot on the roster for him, even if it is signing him later this year rather than re-signing him now.