If the Miami Dolphins trade tight end Jonnu Smith this summer, what free agent tight ends are available?
The Miami Dolphins are expected to trade cornerback Jalen Ramsey in early June, ending a two-year marriage between the South Florida franchise and the seven-time Pro Bowl player. On Thursday, a report from ESPN indicated Ramsey is not the only player who Miami may be looking to trade once the calendar moves into June. The Dolphins could be looking to trade tight end Jonnu Smith, who is coming off his first career Pro Bowl appearance and is seeking a new contract.
Miami signed Smith to a two-year contract in 2024, with a total value of up to $10 million with incentives. He has no guaranteed money remaining on his contract this year, but has a $4.6 million salary cap number. After his strong performance as Miami’s starting tight end in 2024, he is likely looking for additional years and more guaranteed money on a new contract.
The Dolphins do not seem ready to make that commitment, leading to the trade rumors. How would Miami address the tight end position if they were to trade Smith, who set career highs with 88 receptions, 884 receiving yards, and eight touchdowns in 2024?
Available Free Agent Tight Ends
There are not many tight ends still available on the free agent market, according to the latest free agency tracker at OverTheCap.com. Players Miami could consider, along with their 2024 team, include:
Jordan Akins, Cleveland Browns
Baylor Cupp, Kansas City Chiefs
Tyler Davis, Green Bay Packers
Gerald Everett, Chicago Bears
Peyton Hendershoot, Kansas City Chiefs (RFA)
Hayden Hurst, Los Angeles Chargers
Dalton Keene, Houston Texans (RFA)
Marcedes Lewis, Chicago Bears
MyCole Pruitt, Pittsburgh Steelers
Stephen Sullivan, Carolina Panthers
Geoff Swaim, Cleveland Browns
Tommy Sweeney, Chicago Bears
C.J. Uzomah, Philadelphia Eagles
Nick Vannett, Tennessee Titans
Akins is headed into his eighth season, spending five years with the Texans before two with the Browns. He caught a career-high 40 passes for 390 yards and two touchdowns last year.
Vannett is entering his 10th season, having played for the Seattle Seahawks, Pittsburgh Steelers, Denver Broncos, New Orleans Saints, Los Angeles Chargers, and Titans during his career. He caught 17 passes for 135 yards and three touchdowns in 2024.
No one else on the list caught 10 or more passes in the past season. Everett could be an option if the Dolphins expect him to rebound after only catching eight passes for 36 yards in 2024 in his one year with the Bears. In 2022 and 2023, he caught more than 50 passes each season, tallying a combined 966 yards and seven touchdowns for the Chargers. Would he bounce back in South Florida similar to the production jump Smith saw in Miami?
Could Smith’s replacement be on the roster?
The Dolphins signed former Seattle Seahawks tight end Pharaoh Brown as a free agent this offseason. Primarily an in-line blocking tight end, he only caught eight passes for 65 yards last year. He is not likely to have a breakout and prove to be a pass-catching option behind wide receivers Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle.
Instead of relying on the tight end position, the Dolphins could look to running back De’Von Achane to be even more of a pass-catching threat than his 78 receptions for 592 yards and six touchdowns, essentially replacing Smith with Achane – along with a return to relying primarily on Hill and Waddle.
Miami also has Julian Hill, Tanner Conner, Hayden Rucci, and rookie Jalin Conyers on the roster in the tight end position group.
Could a new deal be made with Smith?
Prior to the 2024 season, head coach Mike McDaniel had said adding the tight end position into the offensive threat was the next evolution of his offense. Smith provided that evolution, but the Dolphins offense was much less explosive in 2024 than it had been in 2022 and 2023. Could they simply look to move on from Smith as a sign the team is planning to return the offense to something more like the first two years of the McDaniel era?
Smith would prefer to stay with the Dolphins, according to ESPN’s report, but a new deal likely would need to be reached. Smith may be seeking a contract that pays him closer to $8-$10 million per year, while Miami could consider adding a couple of years to the back end of the contract with some additional guaranteed money and added incentives to protect themselves from Smith’s performance improving only for one year.
It seems like Smith could be on the move, with the Pittsburgh Steelers the rumored most interested team, but Miami could still look to work out a deal with Smith. It just might prove to be a little higher than they would like.
