One of the areas where Grier is finding help. And where Dolphins position groups rank

A six-pack of Dolphins notes on a Wednesday:

▪ In recent years, Dolphins general manager Chris Grier has done a particularly good job finding bargains in the 12 or so weeks between the draft and the start of training camp.

He seemingly has done it again this offseason by adding longtime NFL starters Calais Campbell and Marcus Maye at bargain basement prices.

Maye, who has started all 77 of the NFL games he has played for the Jets and Saints during the past seven seasons, landed a one-year deal worth just less than $1.4 million, with $400,000 guaranteed. That’s good value for a proven rotation safety.

Campbell, a 17-game starter for Atlanta last season, will earn $2 million this season — great value for an accomplished player with 105.5 career sacks.

During the past nine years, the Dolphins have added more than 15 accomplished veterans during this postdraft/pretraining camp period.

About half have worked out to some extent.

But the batting average has been better this decade than last decade.

Last year, Isaiah Wynn more than justified his one-year, $1.3 million deal (signed May 14), grading out as one of the NFL’s best guards in pass protection before a season-ending injury in the seventh game.

In 2022, Melvin Ingram (signed May 15) validated his one-year, $4 million contract with six sacks in 17 games.

In 2021, Jason McCourty (signed May 6) was a competent safety for seven games and a good value at one year and $1.2 million before a season-ending injury.

In 2020, trading a sixth-rounder for Adam Shaheen proved defensible; he was serviceable — with 14 catches for first downs — in two seasons here.

But postdraft/precamp signings often don’t work out, here and elsewhere. In Miami’s case:

Sony Michel, signed in May 2022 for $1.75 million, didn’t make the team. Neither did Mohamed Sanu ($1.12 million) and Jermaine Eluemanor ($1.12 million), with the latter eventually becoming a competent starter for the Raiders before signing with the Giants this offseason.

In previous years, Arian Foster (2.5 average on 22 carries), Jason Jones, Mark Walton, Nate Orchard and Kyle Fuller were disappointments as postdraft veteran Dolphins signings. Allen Hurns was a modest success (32 catches for 416 yards); he technically signed with the Dolphins in the first 48 hours of 2019 training camp.

So credit Grier for finding players to fill holes, at good value, in May, June and July this decade. But also be realistic about what to expect from postdraft veteran signings. Few, if any, make enormous contributions. But several have made solid contributions here in recent years.

▪ Speaking of Grier, his ability to sign players at bargain numbers also preceded the draft this year. Knowing their desire to play here, Grier seized on that advantage to sign receiver Odell Beckham Jr. ($3 million guaranteed) and safety Jordan Poyer ($2 million, with $1 million guaranteed) to less money than their resumes would suggest they warrant.

Same with former FIU players Teair Tart ($1.1 million, with $400,000 guaranteed) and Jonnu Smith (two years, $8.4 million, $3.9 million guaranteed).

▪ One reason the Dolphins already are $9.3 million over the 2025 cap: There’s a $15.7 million dead money hit on Xavien Howard on the team’s 2025 books.

And that $9.3 million doesn’t include whatever Tua Tagovailoa’s cap hit will be in 2025. On the positive side, Miami can carry over much of $16 million in current cap space.

Incidentally, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport sounded optimistic this week that a Tagovailoa extension eventually will get done, perhaps in the next six days. It seems likely considering how much both sides want to get it done.

▪ Pro Football Focus has been rating teams by position and ranked the Dolphins’ inside linebackers 20th in the league, with this comment:

“David Long shined against the run in his first season in Miami, finishing the year with a position-leading 92.6 PFF run-defense grade. However, he struggled in coverage, having the lowest-graded season of his career in that regard.

“New addition Jordryn Brooks has also never been a standout coverage defender, with his poor 59.9 PFF coverage grade in 2023 marking a career high.”

▪ PFF rated the Dolphins’ defensive linemen 25th:

“The loss of Christian Wilkins removes arguably Miami’s best player from this group, and they said goodbye to Andrew Van Ginkel after his career year. Miami is also dealing with every edge rusher of significance coming off an injury late in the season.

“Zach Sieler is an extremely underrated player inside, and Calais Campbell can still be effective, but this is a group long on questions.”

PFF ranks Long the 27th-best linebacker in football.

▪ On the flip side, PFF says the Dolphins have the second best running back group in the league, behind only San Francisco. PFF’s assessment:

“The Dolphins earned the highest team rushing grade last season, at 94.1. Their top two backs, Raheem Mostert and De’Von Achane, recorded elite rushing grades of 91.7 and 93.1, respectively.

“As a group, Miami tallied the most explosive runs of 20 yards or more last season [61]. The Dolphins added another speedster to their backfield in the offseason in rookie Jaylen Wright from Tennessee.”