The Miami Dolphins needed to sign an impact free agent on the edge with Jaelan Phillips and Bradley Chubb recovering from season-ending injuries and Andrew Van Ginkel hitting the market (and eventually signing with the Minnesota Vikings).
General manager Chris Grier and head coach Mike McDaniel may have found exactly the guy to fill in as a starter at the beginning of the season and become a rotational piece as Phillips and Chubb return when they signed Shaq Barrett.
Barrett had 59 career sacks during his time with the Denver Broncos and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, including one season that he led the league in the statistic, recording 19.5 in 2019. He’s also made two Pro Bowls and helped both Denver and Tampa Bay win Super Bowls during his nine-year career.
What is it about the Dolphins that attracted the 31-year-old?
“The team that they have here, the potential to get the job done, to go on a run and be hoisting the trophy at the end of the year,” Barrett told members of the South Florida media in his introductory availability. “And then the group of guys that they’ve got in the outside linebacker room is a great group of guys. I would love to be a part of that and I know they’re hurting and nursing injuries right now, so my role may be just to hold it down until they come back and then become a well-oiled machine when everyone gets back. I’m just ready for whatever my role is and just to help take this team and defense to the next level.”
Grier and McDaniel have put together a competitive roster full of talented players, and while they lost quite a bit this offseason in free agency, they’ve been able to fill some holes with veterans on inexpensive, short-term deals to try and capitalize on this window.
If they can’t do it now, the team may have to do a full reset in the near future, but they’re hoping it’s additions like Barrett’s that can take them to the next level.