Miami Dolphins Making Major Upgrades in Free Agency

The Miami Dolphins have made some significant moves in the offseason, acquiring Jalen Ramsey in a trade and adding David Long Jr and Braxton Berrios to their team. These additions could help the Dolphins become better in 2023 than they were in 2022.

Jalen Ramsey is considered one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL and has been a dominant force on defense for the Los Angeles Rams. The Dolphins were able to acquire him in a trade for a third-round pick and tight end Hunter Long. Ramsey is a game-changer on defense and will give the Dolphins one of the best cornerback duos in the league alongside Xavien Howard. Howard looks to make a comeback to his former elite status as he spent most of 2022 dealing with injuries. With Ramsey on the field, Vic Fangio and the Dolphins will be able to match up against any team’s top receiver, giving their defense an added level of versatility.

David Long Jr is another key addition to the Dolphins’ defense. He is a fast, athletic linebacker who will bring much-needed speed to the team’s linebacker corps. Long Jr will be paired with Jerome Baker, who is already one of the fastest linebackers in the NFL. With these two players on the field together, the Dolphins will have one of the fastest linebacker duos in the league. They will be able to cover running backs and tight ends in the passing game and will also be able to make plays in the run game. Head coach Mike McDaniel had nothing but superlatives when speaking about David Long, calling him a “spark plug “and an “inspiration”:

On offense, the Dolphins added Braxton Berrios, a wide receiver who has shown flashes of potential in his time with the New York Jets. Berrios will add depth to the Dolphins’ wide receiver corps and will also give them a dynamic option in the return game. With Berrios, Miami’s special teams’ unit will have a dangerous return man that has the speed and quickness to make big plays which could be the difference in close games:

In all, the additions of Long, Ramsey and Berrios prompted PFF to give the dolphins the best grade in free agency thus far:

The Dolphins had $20 million in cap space this offseason, which they used to improve their team. These additions, along with their draft picks, will make the Dolphins a more competitive team in 2023. The Dolphins decided they would surround Tua with better talent and seem to be rolling with him this off-season trying to build on their playoff appearance from last year. Dolphins still need to address OL and TE as they lost Mike Gesicki in free agency. They are hoping to fill those holes through the draft and hoping their evaluations and scouting hit on quality linemen and tight ends. As the roster takes shape for the 2023 season, the Dolphins are confident that the new additions will help them reach the next level. With a strong defense led by Ramsey, Long and Howard, and an improving offense with young talent like Tua Tagovailoa, Jaylen Waddle, and Tyrique Hill, and a playmaker like Berrios added to the mix, the Dolphins have the potential to make a deep playoff run in 2023.