The Miami Dolphins probably won’t have a ton of money to spend in free agency this spring. While they have ways to dig themselves out of their salary cap hole, they’ll still have to be thrifty and choosy when adding players to the roster.
According to Pro Football Focus, there’s a player set to hit the market in March who would give the Dolphins a huge boost at a reasonable price: Detroit Lions guard Kevin Zeitler.
Zeitler, 34, has been one of the NFL’s better interior offensive linemen for more than a decade. After starting his career with the Cincinnati Bengals, Zeitler became the highest paid guard in the NFL when he signed a blockbuster deal with the Cleveland Browns in 2017. Two years later, he was traded to the New York Giants.
In 2023, in his last season on a three-year deal with the Baltimore Ravens, Zeitler earned Pro Bowl honors for the first time in his career. Then he joined the Lions on a one-year, $6 million deal last year.
While Zeitler has been excellent in Detroit with an 86.8 grade from PFF — third best in the NFL at the guard position — he’s probably not going to get any more in free agency this offseason after he turns 35 in early March.
It’s not a long-term solution for the Dolphins at guard, but the team could certainly benefit from adding an immediately reliable player up front like Zeitler.