5 Free Agents Who Won't Be Signing with the Miami Dolphins

Miami Dolphins head coach Joe Philbin stood on the sideline at Gillette Stadium dejected after his team had been knocked out of playoff contention for a third straight year. The New England Patriots had walloped the Dolphins, 41-13, to put an emphatic stamp on the AFC East title, and Joe Philbin knew his job could be in jeopardy.

As Philbin walked off the field in Foxborough, he had to be wondering what he could do to finally change the .500 fortunes of his team after three seasons on board. 

A narrow win over the Minnesota Vikings the following week was enough to save his job for the 2015 season, but it was not enough to get the Dolphins into the postseason for the first time since 2008. And the Dolphins will have to be much better and more consistent in order to finally get to the tournament for the Lombardi Trophy.

With roughly $2 million in cap space for 2015, according to Spotrac, the Dolphins do not have much room to work with and could be hamstrung when it comes to signing outside free agents, and even some inside ones (defensive tackle Jared Odrick and tight end Charles Clay, to name a couple). 

With so little wiggle room, the Dolphins certainly won't land every free agent they have their hearts set on. Here are some of the players they won't end up signing.

Brandon Spikes, Buffalo Bills

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The linebacker position could be in flux for the Dolphins this offseason. Philip Wheeler and Dannell Ellerbe are due $4.4 million and $9.85 million against the salary cap respectively. The duo known as Milli Vanilli for its dreadlocked look has been injured and underperformed in its two years in Miami after landing megadeals in the 2013 offseason.

Now may be the time for a changing of the guard.

A run-stuffing linebacker like Brandon Spikes can help provide a tough presence in the middle of the defense and can introduce an intensity that could galvanize the unit. He could help provide a force in the middle of the Dolphins' 4-3 defense, which would move linebacker Koa Misi to the outside.

That being said, Spikes has always been a liability in coverage, and that will probably not change regardless of where he fits in the Dolphins' schematic plans.

Mike Iupati, San Francisco 49ers

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The Dolphins offensive line was comprised of five turnstiles in 2013, allowing a league-high 58 sacks which also set a team record for most sacks allowed in a season. So, it was no surprise to anyone that the Dolphins went out and rebuilt the entire line from the ground up (excluding Mike Pouncey, the only holdover from the previous year). 

Some of those pieces (Branden Albert and Ja'Wuan James) appear to have promise for the future. Others (Daryn Colledge, Dallas Thomas and Shelley Smith) were not quite what the Dolphins had hoped for. Thus, they will probably be searching for at least a couple more linemen this offseason.

San Francisco 49ers left guard Mike Iupati has built a reputation as a dominant run-blocking interior lineman who can help open holes in either a man-blocking scheme or a zone scheme. It looks like a perfect fit on paper.

The Dolphins have some opportunities to clear some cap room, but with so little cap space to start, the Dolphins may not be able to afford a big-money contract for a guard. It may be smarter for them to draft on the offensive line and develop players up front like Billy Turner.

DeMarco Murray, Dallas Cowboys

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The Dolphins gave running back Knowshon Moreno a one-year prove-it deal last offseason, and he was off to the races early in the year with 134 yards against the Patriots. But an elbow injury brought his season to a halt after only three games. Now, the Dolphins are back to where they started, looking for a veteran presence in the backfield to help complement Lamar Miller.

The open market will present some opportunities for the Dolphins to upgrade their depth chart at running back, and none is better than Dallas Cowboys running back DeMarco Murray. The fourth-year pro broke out in 2013, broke records in 2014 (eight straight games with 100 rushing yards or more to start the season) and now teams will be breaking the bank for his services in 2015. 

Much like the guard position, however, the Dolphins may be better off investing their money in positions where their investment could pay off on a more long-term basis. The NFL draft features some depth at running back, which the Dolphins could dip into if they want to add to their own depth.

Greg Hardy, Carolina Panthers

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The Carolina Panthers gave defensive end Greg Hardy the franchise tag in 2014, paying him $13.116 million for a season in which he totaled four tackles and one sack in one start before being banished to the commissioner's exempt list for the remainder of the year on the heels of domestic violence charges. 

With Bleacher Report's Jason Cole reporting that Hardy is "extremely unlikely" to face further punishment from the NFL, that means NFL teams are in the clear to court Hardy to their heart's content. After posting back-to-back seasons with 11 sacks or more and helping the Panthers field one of the league's two best defenses in the 2013 season, Hardy could be on his way to a nice payday.

The Dolphins already have Cameron Wake and Olivier Vernon on the roster, but they may need some depth at defensive end. A player like Hardy would provide a huge boost to the Dolphins pass rush. At the same time, the Dolphins may be wiser to spread their investments out at different positions in order to give more talent to other positions that are in greater need of an infusion. 

Sean Weatherspoon, Atlanta Falcons

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On paper, it makes a lot of sense for the Dolphins to go after Atlanta Falcons linebacker Sean Weatherspoon as a free agent. The five-year veteran has played all over the Falcons' 4-3 front and is versatile in his ability to run and cover as well as rush the passer. 

Weatherspoon tore his Achilles tendon prior to the 2014 season, cutting his contract year short before it ever got started. Now, he'll probably be forced to sign a one-year, prove-it deal to show the world that he has what it takes to rebound after the injury.

The Dolphins may be able to get him on the cheap, but that's only if he hits the open market. Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff has already said that he hopes to re-sign Weatherspoon, according to D. Orlando Ledbetter of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

"Sean Weatherspoon is going to be an important part of building this defense and building this team," Dimitroff said. "He has that side of him and that leadership that we need across the board."

Thus, there's no certainty Weatherspoon would even be available, but if he is, the Dolphins would be foolish to bring him in on anything but a one-year deal with as little risk involved as possible. 

All salary-cap and contract information provided by Spotrac.