Exploring Dolphins’ options to upgrade on defense

How do the Dolphins improve a defense that was 24th in points allowed? Step one has been achieved with the hiring of esteemed defensive coordinator Vic Fangio.

Step two? Adding a talented veteran cornerback (to replace injured

Byron Jones, presuming the team moves on from his big contract) and figure out a way to upgrade at inside linebacker.

“So many good pieces in that Dolphins front seven,” ESPN’s Louis Riddick said. “Have to get secondary reinforcements for the new DC.”

With cornerback, it’s clear that a veteran is needed to supplement a group led by Xavien Howard, Nik Needham and Kader Kohou.

Needham is a free agent coming off a torn Achilles; the team has told him it wants to re-sign him. He believes he will be 100 percent by the end of July, but Achilles timetables can be tricky.

Keion Crossen (who recently had surgery),

Noah Igbinoghene and

Trill Williams (off a torn ACL) also remain under contract.

Among the 60 or so cornerbacks who can become unrestricted free agents in March, here are the most prominent and the ones who logged the most snaps this season, and their final passer ratings against in 2022:

Baltimore’s Marcus Peters (113.5, five touchdowns allowed); the

Saints’ Bradley Roby (79.4); Philadelphia’s

James Bradberry (54.2, three interceptions); New England’s Jonathan

Jones (77.1, six TDs, four interceptions); Dallas’

Anthony Brown (96.8, five touchdowns); the Chargers’ Bryce Callahan (102.8, five touchdowns, three interceptions) ...

The Giants’ Fabian Moreau (106, five touchdowns); Pittsburgh’s Cameron Sutton (69.6, four touchdowns, three interceptions); Minnesota’s

Patrick Peterson (77.3, five interceptions); Tampa Bay’s Jamel Dean (81.3, five touchdowns allowed and two interceptions) ...

Cincinnati’s Eli Apple (103.7, four touchdowns); the Lions’ Mike Hughes (131.3, four touchdowns); Las Vegas’ Rock Ya-Sin (82.5, one touchdown); Tampa’s Shawn Murphy-Bunting (94.6, five touchdowns); Tennessee’s

Terrance Mitchell (104.1); Detroit’s Amani Oruwariye (130.6); and Jacksonville’s Tre Herndon (119.5).

It’s difficult to imagine the Patriots letting Jones slip away after losing J.C. Jackson to the Chargers.

From that aforementioned group, Bradberry, Sutton, Dean and MurphyBunting would be the best additions.

But Dean and Bradberry won’t be cheap; Pro Football Focus rates them sixth and 16th best players overall on its top 50 free agent list. PFF has Pittsburgh’s Sutton 17th among all free agents, noting his “versatility as a defensive back who can still line up in the slot.”

Peterson, the former Pro Bowler who attended Blanche Ely in Pompano Beach, was the one Vikings cornerback who was very good this season, but he’s 32, and I would be surprised if Miami pursues a 30-plus cornerback. PFF rates him 18th among all free agents.

Among Dolphins cornerbacks, here were the Dolphins passer ratings against this season: 116.1 against Needham (but only 16 throws against him before his injury), 114.6 against Howard, 98.1 against Crossen, 83.7 against Kohou and 77.1 against Igbinoghene (only 23 throws against him, with 11 completions, two TDs and an interception).

Former coordinator

Josh Boyer often left Howard on an island because he blitzed so much; Fangio likely won’t do that as often.

As for inside linebacker,

Jerome Baker and rookie

Channing Tindall are the only players under contract for 2023, and Tindall can’t necessarily be counted on for a significant role after playing only nine defensive snaps as a rookie.

One of the key questions of the offseason: Do the Dolphins re-sign Elandon Roberts and Duke Riley for a third consecutive year and say “we’re good” at the position, or do they spend significant money to land a top player from a decent group of free agent inside linebackers?

Or do they do something more radical and cut Baker, who comes off a 100-tackle season, and sign someone they view as better, considering Baker’s $8.4 million salary is entirely nonguaranteed?

Among unrestricted free agents, Buffalo’s Tremaine Edmunds (a twotime Pro Bowler who had 102 tackles in 13 games), Tampa Bay’s Lavonte David (the Miami native had 124 tackles, including 10 for loss, and three sacks) and Philadelphia’s T.J. Edwards are arguably the best of the group. Edwards had 159 tackles, including 10 for loss, this season. All will be costly.

The free agent inside linebacker group includes several other solid starters: San Francisco’s Azeez Al-Shaair (started 22 games the past two seasons but missed Weeks 3 to 9 this year with a sprained MCL); Pittsburgh’s Devin Bush (the Flanagan High/Pembroke Pines native had 81 tackles but just two for loss); Tennessee’s David Long (86 tackles, including seven for loss, in 12 starts); the Raiders’ Denzel Perryman (the UM alum had 83 tackles, including 14 for loss in 12 games); and Dallas’ Leighton Vander Esch (90 tackles and a sack in 14 starts).

There’s also Detroit’s Alex Anzalone (125 tackles in 17 starts); Cincinnati’s Germaine Pratt

(99 tackles, two interceptions in 15 starts); Indianapolis’ Bobby Okereke

(151 tackles in 15 starts); and the Jets’ Kwon Alexander (69 tackles in 12 games and 7 starts).

Edmunds naturally would be appealing because he’s productive, entering his prime at 24 and because landing him would hurt rival Buffalo. He earned $12 million last season. One evaluator with another team said pairing Edmunds — whose shaky pass coverage improved a lot in 2022 — and Baker would be too much financial allocation for inside linebacker.

From that group, PFF rated David the third-best linebacker in football this past season, Edmunds seventh, Pratt ninth, Long 13th, Perryman 18th, Okereke and Al-Shaair tied for 21st, Vander Esch 23rd, Alexander 44th, Bush 53rd and Anzalone 57th of 81. Miami likely needs to pursue one of those 10.

Among Dolphins linebackers, PFF rated Baker 17th, Riley 57th and Roberts 63rd.

One keen talent evaluator from another team mentioned he likes Edwards, Long, Vander Esch and Al-Shaair and said all would fit a Fangio defense. Fangio likes wellrounded linebackers in his 3-4 defense, and Roberts struggles against the pass. Returning with the exact same inside linebackers — including Sam Eguavoen

— seems the least likely scenario.

Per SI.com, Fangio will make $4.5 million per season each of the next three seasons. He will be the highest-paid coordinator in football.

CHATTER

The only Heat players who can veto a trade before this week’s deadline are Victor Oladipo (who could have value now that he’s healthy) and Udonis Haslem (who isn’t going anywhere). Tyler Herro essentially cannot be traded until July 1 because of cap rules. ... Count Chicago’s Zach LaVine and Utah’s Kelly Olynyk as the latest Heat player linked to Miami in trade talks.

One reason that UM quarterbacks coach Frank Ponce left for the offensive coordinator job at Appalachian State is it was clear to him that he wouldn’t be promoted to replace offensive coordinator

AAJosh Gattis, who was told he wouldn’t be kept weeks before UM announced it.

If closer Matt Barnes ends up spending only one season with Miami, Boston will be paying more than half his salary. The Red Sox are sending $5 million to the Marlins (and getting Richard Bleier )in return for Barnes, who will earn $7.5 million this season and has a $2.25 million team buyout in 2024. If he’s great in 2003, Miami could exercise his $8 million team option in 2024. The Marlins’ projected payroll is now close to $105 million.

ABarry Jackson: 305-376-3491, @flasportsbuzz