Why the Dolphins Never Made Sense for Alexander

A big-name veteran cornerback was signed off the free agent market on Wednesday, and it wasn’t to the Miami Dolphins. 

Former Green Bay Packers cornerback Jaire Alexander signed a one-year, $4 million deal that has $2 million in incentives with the Baltimore Ravens, taking a potential upgrade in the secondary off the market.

Because the Dolphins' cornerback room is so underwhelming, many speculated about the Dolphins potentially signing Alexander. There’s no doubt he would’ve been the team’s best cornerback once the Jalen Ramsey situation is settled. 

However, Alexander never made sense for the Dolphins, given how they’ve approached the offseason. In fact, it doesn’t seem like the Dolphins were ever interested in Alexander. 

Coach Mike McDaniel said the team would explore all options when asked about it, but that’s about as generic of a response as you could get. Plus, The Miami Herald reported the Dolphins were not among the teams to reach out to Alexander when he was released. 

As upset as some fans seem to be about Alexander going elsewhere, it was just never in the cards for him to end up in Miami. 

Signing Alexander Doesn’t Fit Miami’s Strategy 

If you look at the Dolphins’ big picture approach to the offseason, a few things stand out. For starters, the team is focused on adding more physical players and getting stronger in the trenches. 

Miami’s most significant investments of the offseason — whether through contracts or the draft — were offensive linemen Jonah Savaiinaea and James Daniels, along with first-round defensive tackle Kenneth Grant. 

The Dolphins also spent the offseason resetting their books and staying away from flashy signings. Alexander didn’t end up costing much, but it’s clear the Dolphins are out of the “chasing stars” business. 

As good as Alexander is when he plays, he hasn’t played much in recent seasons. He has missed 33 games out of a possible 68 the past four seasons, which is almost 50 percent. 

Miami is no longer just concerned with a player’s name value — it wants the right players in the building and is more concerned about the long-term plan.

The Dolphins have made it a focus to bet on players who are positive locker room presences and not off-field distractions (Tyreek Hill is the exception here). 

In Green Bay, Alexander was suspended in 2023 for one game for going to the pre-game coin toss despite not being a captain. He also made the wrong call after the coin was flipped and almost cost Green Bay a possession in a game it won by three points. 

Alexander butted heads with management a bunch this offseason about his contract, which is why he was released in the first place. Plus, there seemed to be some friction when he returned from injury last season, as he practiced but never took the field. 

The Dolphins are dealing with a similar situation regarding Ramsey right now, so the idea that they would want to bring in a player who just got into a contract dispute with their old team doesn’t make sense.  

Alexander Probably Wasn’t Interested in Miami 

Although Alexander never fit with the Dolphins’ plan, it’s hard to imagine the Dolphins fitting into Alexander’s plan. 

He was teammates with Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson in college at Louisville, and several national outlets have reported Alexander took less money to reunite with Jackson in Baltimore. 

Plus, Alexander needs to prove himself. The Ravens had an opening in the secondary and are far better equipped to repeat this season than the Dolphins. Baltimore’s entire roster is better than Miami’s, but the difference in their secondary quality is an especially large chasm. 

The Ravens have veteran cornerback Marlon Humphrey, budding star safety Kyle Hamilton, and two highly touted recent first-round picks in cornerback Nate Wiggins and safety Malaki Starks. 

What would be the appeal for Alexander to sign in Miami? Baltimore is a better team with the same opportunity (starting cornerback), and Jackson, someone he’s still close with, is a perennial MVP candidate. 

The Final Word 

As easy as it might be to look at the Dolphins’ depth chart and get upset with them not pursuing Alexander, it just never made sense for either side. 

Alexander had better options, and the Dolphins are trying not to learn from their past mistakes of not just bringing in anyone with name recognition. Remember how the Jordan Poyer and Odell Beckham deals worked out? The Dolphins’ front office certainly does. 

Now, to be fair, Alexander has played much better football than those guys did when Miami signed them, but the Dolphins are trying to change how they think about roster construction. Adding someone like Alexander just doesn’t fit with that change. 

Additionally, it’s not like the Dolphins are just sitting on their hands. Reports have indicated they’ve reached out to free agents Rasul Douglas and Asante Samuel Jr. Missing out on Alexander doesn’t mean the Dolphins will roll into Week 1 with the current group. 

The other important thing to note is that no one signing will make the Dolphins’ secondary good. Their cornerback depth would still be lackluster, and they’d still be betting on a group of unproven safeties. 

Why undo the work you’ve done to change your roster-building process to sign a player who has missed almost 50 percent of his games during the past four seasons? 

Signing Alexander is a move a team all-in on competing at any cost in 2025 makes. Every move the Dolphins have made this offseason has shown that they aren't that team.

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