Call the job whatever you’d like — edge rusher, defensive end, outside linebacker. The bottom line is the Dolphins, who plan to utilize both 4-3 and 3-4 looks defensively, are hopelessly deficient in this area. Woefully deficient.

Free agency begins March 11 (a week from Wednesday), and the cash-strapped Dolphins can’t afford the top pass-rushing talent. Heck, they might not be able to afford mid-level pass-rushing talent.

The Dolphins had a franchise-record 56 sacks in 2023, but dipped to 35 in 2024 before posting 39 sacks in 2025, which was tied for 15th in the league. 

Miami primarily returns edge rusher Chop Robinson, the 2024 first-round pick who had 6.0 sacks as a rookie and just 4.0 sacks last season, and little-used Derrick McLendon, who has played in just one game in his brief career. 

Potential free agent reserves such as Quinton Bell and Cameron Goode would be low–cost players, but they don’t have experience as starters and, frankly, might not be starting caliber.

Miami, under the direction of general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan and coach Jeff Hafley, must figure out how to re-stock its pass rushing cupboard with enough talent to get through this season while also planning for the future.

First-year defensive coordinator Sean Duggan’s pass-rushing prototype isn’t yet known but it’s safe to say the Dolphins will seek all types of budget-friendly defensive end/edge rusher/outside linebacker talent — standup guys, hand-in-the-dirt guys, pass-rushing specialists, edge-setting specialists, etc.

Many of the Dolphins’ new defensive coaches don’t have a lot of NFL experience, so drawing lines between those coaches and their former players doesn’t offer much insight into who Miami might pursue on the free agent market.

A few of the acquisitions at this position will likely be draftees and unsigned rookie free agents.

Here are a few names (mostly aging players) to keep in mind for free agency:

Kwity Paye, Indianapolis

Paye, 27, is a six-year veteran who can play the run or the pass. The 2021 first-round pick by the Colts had a nice three-year stretch between 2022-24 in which he had 6.0 sacks, 8.5 sacks and 8.0 sacks, respectively. Paye has made 74 starts in 75 career games and averages 47 tackles and 7.0 sacks per season. He counted $13.3 million against the salary cap last season on his fifth-year option.

A.J. Epenesa, Buffalo

Epenesa, 27, is a seven-year veteran who had 2.5 sacks in 16 games for the Bills last season. Epenesa, a 2020 second-round pick by Buffalo, is low key but consistent, totaling 6.5 sacks in 2022, 6.5 in 2023 and 6.0 in 2024 before his dip last season. He’s made 19 starts in 91 career games and also has four interceptions (one returned for a touchdown), five forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries and a safety. He counted $7.4 million against the salary cap last season.

Al-Quadin Muhammad, Detroit

Muhammad, 30, had a career-best 11.0 sacks with Detroit last season. Prior to that, Muhammad, an eight-year veteran who was a sixth-round pick by New Orleans in 2017, never had more than 6.0 sacks in a season. He’s been a durable, low-key rotational player in his career. Plus, Muhammad, the former University of Miami player, has Drew Rosenhaus as his agent, and Rosenhaus works well with the Dolphins. He counted $1.1 million against the salary cap last season.

Kingsley Enagbare, Green Bay

Enagbare, 26, is a four-year veteran who has 21 starts in 68 career games. He’s better against the run than the pass, averaging 36 tackles and 3.0 sacks per year. Enagbare, a fifth-round pick by the Packers in 2022, spent the last two years with Hafley, and his entire four-year career with Sullivan in Green Bay. Enagbare counted $3.4 million against the salary cap last season.

K’Lavon Chaisson, New England

Chaisson, 26, is a six-year veteran who hasn’t come close to fulfilling projections as a 2020 first-round pick by Jacksonville, but has experienced a measure of success the last two years in Las Vegas (5.0 sacks) and New England (7.5 sacks). He only has 25 starts in 88 career games with a career-best 10 starts with the Patriots last year. Chaisson counted $3.9 million against the salary cap last season.

Joey Bosa, Buffalo

Bosa, 30, is a 10-year veteran who probably has no desire to be part of a rebuild, but the allure for the former St. Thomas Aquinas star could be playing in his hometown. Bosa, who averages 10.7 sacks per season but hasn’t had a double-digit sack total since 10.5 sacks in 2021, is aging and would be a rotational player. This would be a hometown favor for both Bosa and the Dolphins. Bosa counted $5.3 million against the salary cap last season.

Haason Reddick, Tampa Bay

Reddick, 31, is a nine-year veteran who had a strong four-year run between 2020-23, but wasn’t very impressive before that and hasn’t been impressive since. Reddick, the 2017 first-round pick by Arizona, followed his 11-sack Pro Bowl season of 2023 with Philadelphia with a contract dispute, a 1.0-sack, 10-game performance for the New York Jets in 2024, and a 2.5-sack, 12-game performance for Tampa Bay in 2025. Reddick counted $13.5 million against the salary cap last season.