The Miami Dolphins saw a huge hole on its defense open up with the departure of Christian Wilkins to the Las Vegas Raiders last month in free agency.
No one is going to fill that hole next season. At least no one they can get now. However, the Dolphins have lined up a group of candidates to try and serve as a band aid solution until a better option comes along down the road.
They added to that pool of candidates on Friday afternoon with the signing of Teair Tart, per multiple outlets.
Tart, who played college ball at FIU, went undrafted in the 2020 NFL Draft. The 6'2" 304-pound defender signed as an undrafted free agent with the Tennessee Titans but failed to make the 53-man roster and ended up on the practice squad. He started 26 games from 2021-22 and was eventually released in December 2023. He finished the season with the Texans. His best season came with the Titans in 2021, when he started all 16 games with 34 tackles, 5 tackles for loss, and 1.5 sacks.
Tart joins a number of veterans that the Dolphins have signed since free agency began. Benito Jones, Jonathan Harris, Neville Gallimore, Daviyon Nixon, and Isaiah Mack. Plenty of experience, but not really any star power among that group.
We'll see if the Dolphins address the position in the first two rounds of the upcoming NFL Draft, with the Dolphins holding the 21st and 55th overall picks. If not, it appears the Dolphins will have to see if one of their many new faces can find a way to hold down the fort in 2024.
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