The Miami Dolphins struggled last season, fired their head coach mid-way through the year and now hold the No. 8 overall pick in the NFL Draft. A return to the playoffs soon could happen under new head coach Adam Gase, but the Dolphins must fill a few needs, and are looking to free agency to do just that. Here are five players they should target in free agency:
CB Janoris Jenkins
Jenkins is a proven starter in this league, starting 58 of his 60 games played with the St. Louis/Los Angeles Rams over the course of his four-year rookie contract. He's a consistent back-end tackler with ten career interceptions on his resume, and he's a durable enough commodity to expect 15-16 games of #2-level coverage work each year. Worth a multi-year look by the front office.
OLB Vincent Rey
Miami is desperately looking to improve their linebacking core, and Rey's the man for the job -- the leading tackler for the Bengals in 2015, and one of the most underrated 4-3 outside linebackers in the game today. He's not going to command elite money due to lack of name value, which should put him right in Miami's contract wheelhouse.
ILB Danny Trevathan
Want to splurge on a dominant linebacker? Go after Trevathan. There's no doubt that the Broncos want to bring back Trevathan, who at just 25 is already one of the best inside linebackers in the NFL. However, he's likely to hit the open market, with the Broncos planning to tag Von Miller. Denver will do everything they can to resign Trevathan, but he's going to attract plenty of interest. For a team with playoff expectations and a huge need at linebacker, throwing money at Trevathan would be worth it.
DE Malik Jackson
The Bears would be wise to try to raid the Broncos' defense. DE Derek Wolfe already signed an extension, and with multiple big free agents set to hit the market, Denver might not be able to keep them all. If Jackson hits the open market, Miami could sign him if they decide not to bring back Olivier Vernon, who is also a free agent. Want to be a contender? Bring in more players with Super Bowl experience, and Jackson certainly fits that criteria.
OG Ramon Foster
There isn't a lot of guard depth in the 2016 NFL Draft, and Foster's the kind of guy who could be undervalued on the open market by his former team (Pittsburgh Steelers). Foster would be a significant boost on the line - something of big importance with Miami's plan to more heavily utilize running game.
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