The Miami Dolphins’ 2025 season was less than ideal as the team stumbled its way to a 7-10 record. Miami now heads into the 2026 offseason with changes across the front office and coaching staff, including a new general manager, Jon-Eric Sullivan, and a new head coach, Jeff Hafley. They have question marks up and down the roster, and they have a mess of a salary cap.
While 2025 was a rough season for Miami, not everything was miserable. The Dolphins made several offseason moves, including signing free agents to bolster their roster. Which free agent acquisition was the best?
Cornerback Jack Jones and offensive lineman Daniel Brunskill could be in the conversation as Miami’s best free agent addition. Jones started all 17 games for Miami, recording 77 tackles with two forced fumbles, six passes defensed, and one interception. Brunskill played in 16 games, starting just five times, but when the Dolphins introduced him to the lineup as a sixth offensive lineman, the running game took off. He was instrumental to Miami finding any sense of identity on offense this past year.
But I will suggest kicker Riley Patterson may be the right answer here. Originally signed to the practice squad at the end of training camp, the addition of Patterson filled a vacancy created when incumbent Jason Sanders sustained an injury that turned out to be a season-long issue. A journeyman kicker, Patterson spent time with five other teams over the previous four seasons before catching on with Miami. As the Dolphins’ kicker, Patterson set a new team record for field goal accuracy, converting on 93.1 percent of his kicks – surpassing Sanders’ 92.3 percent from the 2020 season.
Note: As was pointed out to me in the comments, I originally omitted cornerback Rasul Douglas from this list. Douglas signed a one-year contract with Miami and immediately slotted into the starting lineup. He played in 15 games, starting 13, with 62 tackles, a sack, a forced fumble, 13 passes defensed, and two interceptions. Complete oversight on my part. I still would go with Patterson as my top choice, but Douglas should have been in the article.
Who do you have as Miami’s best free agent addition from last year? Let us know in the comments below.
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