Dolphins need another edge rusher or two. Here’s what’s left in free agency

The injury-ravaged Dolphins were so needy for edge rushers in January that they added three in the days before their playoff game in Kansas City: accomplished veterans Justin Houston, Bruce Irvin and Malik Reed.

More than a month into free agency, they find themselves in a precarious position, with just one healthy proven edge player/outside linebacker under contract: free agent pickup Shaq Barrett, who had 4.5 sacks for Tampa Bay last season.

Jaelan Phillips (torn Achilles on the day after Thanksgiving) could be back for the season opener, but that’s iffy. Bradley Chubb (torn ACL on Dec. 31) could be back in the first half of the season, but that remains to be seen. Cameron Goode (serious knee injury) is very much in question for the start of the season.

The Dolphins likely will add another two or three edge rushers in the draft process — perhaps with one or two of their six draft picks, and then in the undrafted rookie free agent market afterward. Miami has picks in the first round, second round, fifth round and seventh round and two picks in the sixth round.

But they need at least one more veteran rusher. Miami could pick through a group of remaining free agents or wait to see who gets cut after the draft. They also could draft one at No. 21, with UCLA’s Laiatu Latu and Missouri’s Darius Robinson considered the best options.

Here’s who’s still available among accomplished free agent pass rushers:

▪ Emmanuel Ogbah: He was released in February so the Dolphins could avoid a big cap hit and a $16 million salary. A return isn’t entirely out of the question, but Ogbah has had more success as a hand-in-the-ground end than a standup outside linebacker, at least during his Dolphins tenure.

He was still productive as a rusher last season, with six sacks and 19 pressures in 144 pass rushing snaps.

▪ Yannick Ngakoue: He had 9.5 sacks for the Colts in 2022 and four for the Bears last season before sustaining a broken ankle in December. He has played for five different teams this decade and has 69 career sacks.

▪ Calais Campbell: He had 6.5 sacks as a 17-game starter for the Falcons last season, but he’s 37 and it’s unclear if the former Miami Hurricanes star wants to continue playing. He’s a defensive lineman, not a linebacker.

▪ Tyus Bowser: He has experience with Dolphins defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver in Baltimore, but injuries have limited his availability the past two years.

After missing the first two months recovering from an earlier torn Achilles, he played nine games in the 2022 season and had two sacks, 13 tackles, two passes defended, and one forced fumble. He missed last season with a knee injury.

The former second-round pick out of Houston had seven sacks as a 17-game starter for the Ravens in 2021. He would make some sense at the right price.

▪ Bud Dupree: He had 39 tackles and 6.5 sacks in 16 starts for the Falcons last season. He has 53 sacks in nine seasons.

▪ Markus Golden: He had four sacks in 16 games off the bench for Pittsburgh last season after producing 11 sacks for Arizona in 2021.

▪ Carl Lawson: The 265-pound defensive end had seven sacks for the Jets in 2022, but played just 101 defensive snaps in six games for the Jets last season.

▪ James Smith-Williams: The 6-4, 265-pound defensive end had 22 tackles and a sack in 13 games and seven starts for Washington last season. He had three sacks as a 14-game starter the previous season.

▪ Jerry Hughes: The veteran pass rusher had three sacks for Houston last season and nine in 2022. But he’s 35.

▪ Among edge players who signed with Miami in December or January and ended last season with the Dolphins, all four — Houston, Melvin Ingram, Irvin and Reed – remain unsigned.

▪ Charles Harris: The former Dolphins first round bust has 10 sacks in the past three seasons with Detroit.

NEWS NOTES

Agent Drew Rosenhaus said on his weekly WSVN-Fox 7 segment on Sunday that defensive tackle Teair Tart turned down significantly more money elsewhere to sign with the Dolphins. Tart, who attended FIU, could end up starting at nose tackle (Benito Jones is the competition).

He also could play Christian Wilkins’ former defensive tackle spot, though most of his NFL work has come at nose tackle....

The Dolphins hired Wisconsin senior offensive analyst Rob Everett as an offensive assistant. He previously was a Division III defensive coordinator.

Here’s my Monday piece on a draft-eligible running back that the Dolphins are bringing in for a visit.

Here’s my Friday piece on Dolphins’ remaining free agent options at guard.

Here’s my Friday piece on Dolphins’ remaining free agent options at wide receiver.