The Dolphins Signed These 5 Players in the Offseason

The Miami Dolphins made the National Football League (NFL) playoffs for the second consecutive year in 2023, but once again lost in the wild card round. The team's 11-win season, tied for their most in any year since 1990, was a positive step for an organization that missed the playoffs in five consecutive years before Mike McDaniel was appointed head coach in 2022. However, Miami is hoping for a better playoff result in 2024. 

To that end, the team was fairly busy during NFL free agency, re-signing several core players and spending tens of millions of dollars on coveted free agents. Below are five players who signed with the Dolphins in the 2024 NFL offseason. 

Jordan Poyer 

The Dolphins signed 6-foot, 190-pound safety Jordan Poyer to a one-year, $2 million contract in March. An 11-year NFL veteran, Poyer began his career with the Philadelphia Eagles and has since played with the Cleveland Browns and Buffalo Bills. He was a team captain with the Bills from 2020-23 and was a first-team All-Pro in 2021. He has 766 tackles, 54 passes defended, 24 interceptions, 12 sacks, and nine forced fumbles in 155 career games. He's also one of only two players with at least 500 tackles, 20 interceptions, and 10 sacks since 2017.  

While Poyer has been plagued by injuries during the last two years, he was still able to play in 16 games last season and was an important player for the Bills defense. McDaniel, the Dolphin's current head coach, was a wide receivers coach with the Browns when Poyer was with the team in 2014. Poyer should help the Dolphins on the field, but will also be a valuable resource to budding star and fellow safety Jevon Holland. 

"To hear him have conversations with Jevon Holland and just exuberance about both players taking their game to another level, that gets you excited," said McDaniel. "I think that's really good news for the Miami Dolphins organization because at the end of the day, you want guys who are fully invested, that are excited and energetic towards the goal and come into the building every day and work. I know that’s what he is going to do and I know players on the team are excited to have him." 

Shaquil Barrett 

After losing Andrew Van Ginkel in free agency, Miami filled the void at the linebacker position by signing former Tampa Bay Buccaneer Shaquil Barrett to a one-year deal with potential earnings of up to $9 million. An undrafted free agent out of Colorado State, Barrett has played 131 career games with the Denver Broncos and Buccaneers. He was fourth in Defensive Player of the Year voting in 2019 and made the Pro Bowl in 2019 and 2021. He started 16 games last season with Tampa Bay, recording 52 tackles, 4.5 sacks, and three forced fumbles. 

Barrett missed nine games due to injury in 2022 and isn't as dominant a pass rusher as he once was, but still provides the Dolphins with veteran presence and depth, especially considering there's no timeline for the return of Jaelan Phillips and Bradley Chubb.  

Jordyn Brooks 

Miami also shored up its outside linebacker position, signing Jordyn Brooks to a three-year, $30 million contract. Replacing the departing Jerome Baker, Brooks recorded a career-best 4.5 sacks last season with the Seattle Seahawks and also added 111 tackles, four defended passes, one interception, and one forced fumble. A four-year NFL veteran selected by the Seahawks in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft, Brooks led all players in solo tackles (109) in 2021 and has 513 combined tackles in 63 career games. He has also only missed two games in his career due to injury. 

Jonnu Smith 

While McDaniel has helped turn around the Dolphins' fortunes in the last two seasons, the team has still lacked production at the tight end position. Miami is hoping to fix that with the addition of Jonnu Smith, who signed a two-year, $10 million contract with the team in free agency. Smith, a third-round pick of the Tennessee Titans in the 2017 NFL Draft, has 20 touchdowns and 2,423 receiving yards on 219 catches in 107 career games with the Titans, New England Patriots, and Atlanta Falcons.  

Smith recorded a career-best 582 receiving yards on 50 receptions with the Falcons last season. Durham Smythe, Miami's starting tight end in 2023, had just 35 receptions for 366 yards in 2023. 

Aaron Brewer 

Miami will also have a new starting center in 2024 as the team signed former Titan Aaron Brewer to a three-year, $21 million contract. Ranked 11th among centers by Pro Football Focus with a 71.6 overall grade, Brewer will fill the void left by Connor Williams, who left the team in free agency. Brewer spent four seasons in Tennessee and, while proving himself a capable pass blocking center, did allow more sacks (21) than any center over the last three seasons.