Dolphins reach deal to re-sign Needham. And more free agent notes
The Dolphins have agreed to terms on a contract to re-sign defensive back Nik Needham, one of their best 21st century discoveries in the undrafted rookie free agent market.
A deal for Needham to return for a sixth season in Miami in now in place, a source said Saturday.
Needham, signed out of UTEP after the 2019 draft, made 51 appearances and 27 starts and had six interceptions, including one returned for a touchdown, in 3 ½ seasons for Miami before rupturing his Achilles tendon in October 2022.
He wasn’t activated until Oct. 29 of last season and played just 71 defensive snaps, essentially serving as Miami’s seventh or eighth defensive back when everyone was healthy.
He played double figures in defensive snaps (12 and 14) only in two blowout wins. By contrast, Needham logged 617 and 607 defensive snaps in his last two fully healthy seasons, in 2020 and 2021, under Brian Flores.
But he’s healthy now, and the front office remains optimistic about Needham’s ability to be the player he was before the Achilles injury.
After working as Miami’s primary nickel corner in 2020 and 2021, Needham never got a serious look for that job after returning in late October. The Dolphins remained committed all season to Kader Kohou in that role.
Needham described his role this past season as “kind of a safety-type position opposite the nickel in dime” packages.
The Dolphins value his ability to play nickel cornerback, boundary cornerback and safety and showed faith in him by re-signing him to a minimum contract last March even while knowing it might take half the season to return to game action.
In a conversation late last season, Needham said: “I love the Dolphins. They gave me the best opportunity in the world. I owe them my life. That’s how I feel. I would love to be a Dolphins next year.”
THIS AND THAT
Needham is the third potential Dolphins free agent to agree to a new contract with Miami in the past 40 hours, following safety Elijah Campbell and punter Jake Bailey.
They have interest in keeping receiver Braxton Berrios, linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel, guard Isaiah Wynn and running back Salvon Ahmed, among others.
Safety Brandon Jones, another impending unrestricted free agent, remains very much on Miami’s radar. The Dolphins like him.
The Dolphins must clear out more than $16 million off their salary cap to be cap compliant by the start of the league year at 4 p.m. Wednesday.
But realistically, they need to clear out about $40 million in space to have the capacity to make competitive offers at several critical need positions when teams can legally begin speaking with other teams’ free agents at noon on Monday.
If Christian Wilkins departs (which ESPN says is likely) and if Robert Hunt finds better offers elsewhere (that’s the expectation barring a dramatic increase in what Miami is willing to do), Miami will need to sign at least two defensive tackles (Raekwon Davis could be one of them), a starting inside linebacker, a starting cornerback, a safety, a guard and two edge players, among other needs.
▪ Restructuring -- or extending -- the contracts of Jalen Ramsey and Tyreek Hill remains the easiest way to clear out significant cap space.
Per a source, the Dolphins also have considered and discussed extensions or restructurings for players earning significantly less money than those two as a way to clear out 2024 cap space.
As far as players who could be cut to clear out cap space, running back Jeff Wilson Jr. remains at serious risk. Wilson’s $2.6 million 2024 salary is non-guaranteed and his cap hit would fall from $3.7 million to $782,500 if he’s cut.
The Dolphins also would save money by cutting quarterback Mike White, but that wouldn’t accomplish much because it would leave them needing to create cap room to sign another backup. White’s $3.5 million salary for 2024 is non-guaranteed and his cap hit would drop from $5.2 million to $1.7 million if he’s cut. His 2024 cap hit could be lowered with a contract extension, however.
Duke Riley’s $2.2 million 2024 salary is non-guaranteed, and his cap hit would drop from $3.1 million to $585,000 if he’s cut. But the need to replace Riley would seemingly offset any modest cap benefit. And Riley and David Long Jr. are the only inside linebackers with significant playing experience on the roster following the release of Jerome Baker.
