A day after releasing Mike Hilton, the Miami Dolphins found a way to upgrade their cornerback spot.
The Dolphins signed Rasul Douglas to a one-year, $3 million contract on Tuesday, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.
Douglas spent 2024 with the Buffalo Bills, amassing 58 tackles, five tackles for loss, one forced fumble and five passes defended in 15 games while helping them reach the AFC Championship Game.
This will be Douglas’ ninth NFL season, and he has played 120 games for the Bills, Green Bay Packers, Carolina Panthers and Philadelphia Eagles, including his Super Bowl LII win with the Eagles in 2017.
Why Did The Dolphins Sign Rasul Douglas?
The Dolphins have been looking for a cornerback ever since they traded Jalen Ramsey to the Pittsburgh Steelers, since you don’t exactly replace a seven-time Pro Bowler and three-time All-Pro.
But Douglas is as close you can get to a cornerback of Ramsey’s caliber that was still available this time of the year. The 6-2, 209-pound veteran did not have an interception in 2024, and was a middle-of-the road cover corner proven by his 58.9 coverage grade (128th) and 59.2 overall grade (133rd) among 222 qualifying cornerbacks at Pro-Football Focus.
Douglas has been a free agent since Buffalo’s season ended and had been linked to a Bills reunion among other teams. But presumably Douglas saw a fit like Matthew Judon did and locked in with Miami mere days before Week 1.
So Douglas can raise the competition and talent level without breaking the bank or parting with valuable draft capital. He will join presumed starters Storm Duck and Jack Jones for reps, while giving the Dolphins a proven commodity, in case they can’t meet Miami’s expectations.
Duck, a second-year undrafted free agent, and Jones, who caught on right before training camp after he was released by the Las Vegas Raiders, are the potential starters, and 2025 fifth-round pick Jason Marshall Jr. are listed as the starters on Miami’s depth chart.
That doesn’t inspire much confidence among Dolphins fans.
What Moves Did The Dolphins Make Tuesday?
Tuesday was the NFL’s roster cutdown deadline for teams to finalize their 53-man rosters ahead of Week 1.
So the fact the Dolphins, who spent much of the off-season reconfiguring their secondary, made multiple moves involving defensive backs was not exactly shocking.
Aside from releasing Hilton, the Dolphins cut veteran Cam Dantzler late Monday night. The soon-to-be 27-year-old corner, who last played with the New Orleans Saints in 2023, confirmed his release from Miami via X (formerly Twitter).
https://x.com/camdantzler3/status/1960195140976287810
The Dolphins also released undrafted free agent rookies B.J. Adams and Ethan Robinson to make room for Douglas.
Adams, who played college ball at UCF, was carted off during practice early in training camp and diagnosed with a head injury. He finished with one tackle and two passes defended in the preseason.
Robinson played at Minnesota, and like Adams, caught on in Miami after going undrafted. He had four tackles, one interception and one pass defended in the preseason. His interception sealed their 24-17 win over the Detroit Lions in preseason Week 2.
Dolphins Sign $3 Million Super Bowl Champion Cornerback