Live updates: Day 5 of Dolphins free agency: Miami adds potential OL starter

MIAMI — The fifth day of the Miami Dolphins’ 2026 free-agency blitz brought another wave of roster shuffling, headlined by the arrival of a versatile offensive lineman who could step directly into the starting lineup.

Jamaree Salyer, 25, agreed to terms with Miami on Friday morning, according to two league sources, and the club announced the move shortly after 10 a.m. A sixth-round pick by the Chargers in 2022, Salyer has started 40 games over the past four seasons, splitting time between left tackle (19 starts) and right guard (21 starts). His 3,182 career offensive snaps include 1,295 at left tackle and 1,561 at right guard, making him an immediate candidate to solidify the interior of a line that has undergone heavy turnover this week.

“Versatility is the first word that comes to mind,” one Dolphins staffer said of Salyer, who filled in as a 14-game starter at left tackle as a rookie after Rashawn Slater’s injury. “He’s played both edges and both guards in the SEC and the NFL. That flexibility matters when you’re still building the final five.”

Salyer’s 2025 tape—250 snaps at left tackle, 157 at right guard and 42 at right tackle—earned him the second-best pass-blocking grade among Chargers linemen from Pro Football Focus, trailing only rookie Joe Alt. While he graded 61st of 89 qualifying tackles last season, his body of work inside has been steadier; PFF ranked him 57th among guards in 2024 after logging 260 snaps at the position.

The 6-foot-4, 325-pound Atlanta native joins Jonah Savaiinaea and Andrew Meyer as the only guards on the roster with extensive starting experience. Miami is expected to continue addressing the position through the draft, but Salyer provides an early-floor, high-ceiling option who could also serve as the swing third tackle behind Patrick Paul and Austin Jackson.

He becomes the 22nd player to sign with the Dolphins since the new league year opened, continuing a roster overhaul that has seen 21 external free agents and one re-signing cycle through the building in five days.

Elsewhere Friday, Miami reinforced its edge-rush room by agreeing to terms with former Ravens defensive lineman David Ojabo. The 6-4, 252-pound Nigerian native recorded 32 tackles and 4.5 sacks across 32 games in Baltimore, playing 575 defensive snaps. Ojabo joins Chop Robinson, Cameron Goode, Joshua Uche and Robert Beal as candidates to rotate off the corner.

Special teams also received a facelift. After losing punter Jake Bailey to Atlanta, the Dolphins signed Seth Vernon, who averaged 45.4 yards on 23 punts for the UFL’s Michigan Panthers last season. Long snapper Tucker Addington returns for a second stint, replacing Joe Cardona, who departed for Los Angeles. Addington appeared in three games for Miami in 2024 while Blake Ferguson recovered from illness.

In the secondary, safety Elijah Campbell departed for the Giants on a one-year deal, clearing room for newcomers Zayne Anderson and veteran Lonnie Johnson Jr. At cornerback, exclusive-rights free agent Ethan Bonner re-upped on a one-year contract, pushing Miami’s cornerback total to 11 players—seven holdovers and four newcomers headlined by ex-Titans starter Darrell Baker and former Cardinals starter Marco Wilson.

The wide-receiver room added size in the form of Jalen Tolbert, a 6-1 Cowboys castoff who posted career highs of 49 receptions, 610 yards and seven touchdowns in 2024. Tolbert’s relationship with new Dolphins quarterback Malik Willis—both were teammates at the Senior Bowl—helped seal the one-year pact. He becomes the tallest receiver on a depth chart otherwise populated by sub-six-foot speedsters Jaylen Waddle, Tutu Atwell and Malik Washington.

Friday’s transactions occurred against the backdrop of Tua Tagovailoa’s official departure. The former Dolphins starter signed a one-year, $1.3 million deal with Atlanta, leaving Miami on the hook for $52.7 million of his $54 million 2026 salary and a $55.4 million dead-money charge in 2026. Tagovailoa will compete with Michael Penix Jr. for the Falcons’ starting job.

With the draft six weeks away, the Dolphins have now turned over nearly half their roster. General manager Chris Grier indicated the makeover is “far from finished,” but the addition of Salyer gives Miami an immediate, battle-tested option along a line that surrendered 58 sacks in 2025.

Miami returns to the practice field Monday for the first voluntary workouts of the offseason.