1 pending free agent Dolphins should target from each AFC South team

The 2020 free agency window is quickly approaching — here’s 1 player from each AFC South team the Dolphins should consider targeting.

The Miami Dolphins are all set to enter 2020 free agency next month and continue the team’s ambitious plan to completely overhaul the roster. Yes, this team’s primary objective appears to be to build through the draft. But the Dolphins will have a mass surplus of cap space at their disposal and the environment in South Florida is one filled with optimism after the Dolphins finished 5-4 over their final nine games.

Looking across the NFL landscape, there’s a ton of potential contributors set to hit the market. Here’s one pending free agent from each team in the AFC South that the Dolphins should consider:

Houston Texans – Defensive Tackle D.J. Reader

Dec 1, 2019; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Texans defensive end D.J. Reader (98) is introduced before the game against the New England Patriots at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

The Texans are another team headed by a Patriots disciple — so you know the qualities of their defensive linemen are going to be similar to the ones the Dolphins covet up front. But Reader brings an element that the Dolphins don’t currently have: he’s a true nose tackle who eats up a ton of space in the middle. Putting such a big body (347 pounds) in the heart of Miami’s defensive line on the early downs will help free up Christian Wilkins for more splash production in the backfield.

Wilkins caught some flak for Dolphins fans for not playing up to his draft status this past season, but with no nose tackle in the middle and no legitimate pass rush threat off the edge, it’s hard to blame him for not seeing the lightbulb come on until later in the season.