Ranking the 2015 Impact of the Miami Dolphins' Free-Agent Signings so Far

The ink has barely dried on the first wave of free-agent contracts, but we're already beginning to get a picture of how each team will look headed into the 2015 season.

For the Miami Dolphins, that look is much different than it was last year.

It's been an offseason with more turnover than a pastry shop, as the Dolphins have cut ties with aging, overpaid veterans and moved in a new direction, with different high-paid veterans. 

Whether or not those players will live up to their contracts remains to be seen, but here's a look at which of the Dolphins' signings have the best chance to make a big impact right away—from a talent and positional perspective. 

5. Louis Delmas

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The Dolphins finally re-signed veteran free safety Louis Delmas on Friday with another one-year deal, according to NFL Media's Albert Breer. 

His presence helps solidify a secondary that, with the uncertainty at safety and more uncertainty at cornerback coupling for a troubling picture, certainly needed the stability. The six-year veteran notched 51 total tackles (12 assists), one sack, one interception and three pass break-ups in 2015. He did it all while playing in only 13 games.

Delmas tore his ACL in Week 14 of the 2015 season, and it's unclear whether he'll be ready for training camp. But even if he begins the season on the physically unable to perform list, he could still be a vital re-signing for the Dolphins.

4. J.D. Walton

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The Dolphins' reconstruction of their offensive line continues with the announced signing of free-agent center J.D. Walton from the New York Giants. 

Walton's impact could depend on what position the Dolphins have in mind for him. On one hand, they could ask him to move to guard, where the Dolphins have the bigger need; on the other hand, they could keep him at center, where he's played for the past five seasons, and keep Mike Pouncey at guard.

Either way, Walton is going to have to step his game up from last season. He finished 2014 with a negative-19.6 grade, ranked 67th out of 70 centers, according to ProFootballFocus.com. If the Dolphins are going to field a competent offensive line in 2015, they need to find answers at two of the three spots on the inside (depending on where Pouncey plays). Walton has struggled, but sometimes a change of scenery is all it takes to turn a career around.

3. Brice McCain

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The slot cornerback position is one of the hardest to play in the secondary. Not only must the player be ready for routes either over the middle or toward the sideline, he must also make sure he's not getting lost in traffic with someone else right next to him. His head must also be on a swivel for any running plays, and he must possess the toughness to carry out those duties.

With question marks around the development of Jamar Taylor, Will Davis and Walt Aikens, the Dolphins made the right move to sign six-year veteran Brice McCain away from the Pittsburgh Steelers.

McCain may not possess the ideal frame for a perimeter cornerback at only 5'9" and 182 pounds, but if Brent Grimes has proved anything during his time in the NFL, it's that a talented player can overcome his size. McCain allowed a lot of completions (65.5 percent into his coverage) but not a lot of touchdowns (one) in 2014, according to ProFootballFocus.com. 

The Dolphins needed to find a surefire starter for their secondary, and while McCain may spend most of his time in the slot, he could still be a starter in the all-too-frequent nickel package.

2. Jordan Cameron

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Yes, the Dolphins lost a few wheels off the wagon this offseason, but most of them were by choice. One that was not: tight end Charles Clay. The Dolphins placed the transition tag on Clay, meaning that another team could tender him an offer if they wanted. Clay ended up signing with the Buffalo Bills, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. 

In the process, however, the Dolphins made a smart move to cover their bases by signing former Cleveland Browns tight end Jordan Cameron. The 6'5", 254-pound tight end has been productive when healthy, and notched 80 receptions for 917 yards and seven touchdowns in 15 games during the 2013 campaign. Injuries have also held him out of 17 games in his four-year career (four games per season). 

That wouldn't be such a problem if most of those injuries weren't to the head. The Dolphins made the smart move to not only add a talented and capable red-zone threat to their offense, but also to only give him $5 million guaranteed, to ensure an insurance policy in case those concussions turn out to be a long-term problem.

More importantly, they also ensure that they won't be caught with their pants down at tight end. With Clay out of the picture, Cameron will be expected to step right in and be a big part of the Dolphins offense.

1. Ndamukong Suh

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I briefly considered writing "duh" and calling it a day, but for the sake of consistency, let's explore what kind of impact Ndamukong Suh will have on the Dolphins defense in 2015. 

For starters, with the departures of both Jared Odrick and Randy Starks, the Dolphins are in need of starting talent at defensive tackle. The two have combined for 34 sacks in the past four seasons, for an average of 8.5 combined sacks per season. That's a lot of disruption up the middle, but Suh has averaged 6.5 sacks per season over the past four years on his own.

Put him next to Cameron Wake and Olivier Vernon, and I do not envy opposing offensive lines or offensive coordinators one bit. The Dolphins have one of the most fearsome defensive lines in football, and it's all thanks to the splash signing of Suh.