Bargain Free-Agents Dolphins Must Target
The Miami Dolphins may need to dip into the veteran free-agent market as the preseason rolls along.
The Dolphins have a few injuries piling up that temporarily opened up some spots on their depth chart.
Miami already dipped into the free-agent market with the signing of Emmanuel Ogbah a few weeks ago.
That may not be the only significant move before the end of preseason if some of Miami's players are not fully healthy for Week 1.
Halapoulivaati Vaitai
The Dolphins are currently down one starting offensive lineman as Isaiah Wynn still recovers from a quadriceps injury.
Wynn will hopefully be healthy closer to the start of the regular season, but the Dolphins could plan for the worst-case scenario by bringing in Halapoulivaati Vaitai.
Vaitai has had injury issues himself, but he works as a bargain option in case Wynn can't recover in time for the start of the regular season.
The Dolphins currently have Lester Cotton and Jack Driscoll on their reserve list, so they may not need another interior player, but you can never have too much competition at a position in training camp.
Miami's best-case scenario is that Wynn is healthy for a majority of the season, but it never hurts to have a back-up plan.
Michael Thomas
The Dolphins recently signed Willie Snead IV to bring in another body while Odell Beckham Jr. is on the PUP list.
Another former New Orleans Saints wide receiver, Michael Thomas, may be worth a flier on the free-agent market as well.
The Dolphins' wide receiver depth drops off significantly after Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, especially with Beckham on an injured list.
There's no guarantee Thomas can perform at even a quarter of the level he was at during his peak in New Orleans, but he is at least a higher profile player and someone who is used to playing an important role inside an offense.
Carl Lawson
The Dolphins already provided cover on the edge with the addition of Emmanuel Ogbah, but adding one more veteran pass-rusher may not hurt.
Miami is relying on rookies Chop Robinson and Mohamed Kamara to make up for the lost production in the pass rush while Jaelan Phillips and Bradley Chubb work back to 100 percent.
Miami hopes the pair of rookies shine in preseason and that translates to regular season action so that it will have a robust pass rush when its two stars get back.
There is still a scenario in play in which one or neither rookie thrives right away and the Dolphins need a bit of veteran help.
That is where Carl Lawson could come in as a short-term replacement. He probably would not last the entire season on the roster, but he may be needed in Miami's worst-case scenario.