Many of the big names are off the board in NFL free agency, and with the dust having settled, the Miami Dolphins are in a bit of an interesting spot. They've had some big names leave, and they've also brought some big names to town. One of their more recent flashy moves involved signing former Washington Commanders cornerback Kendall Fuller to a two-year, $16.5 million contract.
In a weak cornerback market, Fuller was viewed as the top option available after a solid four season stint with the Washington Commanders. Fuller had another strong season in 2023 (79 tackles, 2 INT, 9 PD, 2 FR, 2 TFL), and while his coverage metrics took a step back from his prior seasons, it didn't exactly help how the Commanders blew up their defense midway through the season.
Now, Fuller goes from one of the worst teams in the NFL to one of the best, as the Dolphins are an up-and-coming squad in the AFC that is looking to find a way to get themselves over the hump. So with Fuller officially on board, let's take a closer look at this deal and hand out a final grade for Miami's latest big signing.
Grading Kendall Fuller's contract with the Dolphins
Kendall Fuller earned himself a starting role with the Commanders after he signed with them back in 2020, and he was a consistent piece in their secondary during that time, starting every game he played and never missing more than two games in a single season. With the cornerback market not really developing, Fuller gets a decent deal that will allow him to hit the open market again when he's 31 to potentially cash in on one final big contract before he retires.
The Dolphins entered free agency knowing that they needed some help at cornerback after they surprisingly released Xavien Howard. Howard did not have a good year in 2023 playing alongside Jalen Ramsey, and the team opted to save some money on the salary cap rather than continue paying him an extremely high rate to underperform.
You can make a case that Miami moved on from Howard too soon considering how he had made it to the Pro Bowl three straight years before this, but the Dolphins also have other areas on their roster that needed upgrading. Swapping Howard out with Fuller is not only a more cost effective option, but there's reason to believe Fuller can be more productive than him moving forward.
It's also worth noting that Miami has another star cornerback at their disposal in Ramsey. Having two lockdown corners is nice in concept, but when it comes time to pay them, it's a lot more difficult to justify. With other needs on their roster, the Dolphins took a gamble that they'd be able to find a suitable replacement for Howard, and they accomplished that goal by signing Fuller.
Despite the fact he had been playing as the Commanders top cornerback over the past four seasons, Fuller is probably better suited for being the second best cornerback on a playoff contending team, which is precisely what he now becomes. Ramsey can match up with the opposing team's top wide receiver, while Fuller can spend time in the slot or on the outside against the second best pass catcher.
In terms of the money associated with this deal, it's pretty clearly a good value addition for the Dolphins. Again, when compared to Howard, who had a cap hit of $25.9 million for the 2024 season prior to his release, Fuller is a steal. The $18.5 million that Miami saved from that move wasn't even all used on Fuller, and again, you can make a case he is currently a better player than Howard.
Is there a bit of risk associated with this deal? Of course there is, but that's true of every deal in the NFL. Howard had a track record of being one of the best corners in the league before falling apart last season, so maybe restructuring his deal to lessen his cap hit would have been a more beneficial move. It's also not like Fuller has ever been a Pro Bowler himself, and he's largely had his struggles excused by playing on a poor Washington team.
The spotlight is going to shine brightly on Fuller in Miami now that he's playing on a Super Bowl contending squad, and there's a chance he cracks under the pressure. But paying him $8.25 million per year isn't exactly a massive investment, and even if he struggles, this is only a two-year deal that would be very easy to get out of. This was a great signing by the Dolphins, and they earn a high mark for landing Fuller on this deal.
Final Grade: A-
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