The Miami Dolphins have 29 players who are expected to hit free agency in March, including a defensive lineman who has played out his rookie contract – Raekwon Davis.
Davis, 26, was a second-round pick of the Dolphins back in 2020 following a collegiate career at Alabama that included a national championship, two Second-team All-SEC seasons and a First-team All-SEC season.
In his four years since joining Miami, Davis has recorded 129 tackles (five for a loss), 10 quarterback hits and two sacks.
Despite missing just four games in his NFL career, Davis’ impact has been light with the Dolphins, partially because he was part of a rotation (playing no more than 52.1% of the snaps in any season) that included two incredible defensive linemen in Christian Wilkins and Zach Sieler.
According to Pro Football Focus, Davis was the 79th-best interior defender in the NFL in 2023, receiving a 57.5 grade.
The Dolphins have some legitimate questions at the position this offseason with Davis, Wilkins and Da’Shawn Hand set to become free agents, leaving Miami with just Sieler and Brandon Pili on the roster.
Davis could probably return to be part of the rotation again, and the money likely wouldn’t be unreasonable. However, he’d have to take a big step forward if he were taking on some of the snaps that Miami may miss if Wilkins leaves.
If he’s being re-signed to be the Wilkins replacement, that’s not exactly ideal.
In the end, if the Dolphins can bring him back on a one or two-year deal worth around $3 million annually, they should consider it, but retaining him shouldn’t be a priority for general manager Chris Grier and head coach Mike McDaniel.
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