The Miami Dolphins have done a ton this offseason to improve from a 2021 team that failed to make the postseason, marking the fifth year in a row that Miami finished their season early.
With all of the moves that general manager Chris Grier and the other Dolphins decision-makers completed involving external free agents, it’s not surprising that some of their re-signings haven’t been talked about quite as much. This may include the decision to re-sign linebacker Duke Riley.
Riley, 27, is coming back for his second season with Miami after spending time with both the Atlanta Falcons and Philadelphia Eagles. With no big changes at the position for the Dolphins, to this point, it’s likely that Riley will return to his roles on defense and special teams.
The contract that the former LSU Tiger signed is a one-year deal that’s worth $3 million. According to Over the Cap, it has a $1.25 million base salary that is fully guaranteed. He also received a $1 million signing bonus and $750,000 in per-game roster bonuses. His cap hit for 2022 is roughly $2.96 million.
With Riley, Elandon Roberts, Brennan Scarlett and Sam Eguavoen all returning for at least this year, there probably won’t be much change in the tasks of these linebackers. Riley may be asked to cover a bit more than he did last season, as he gave up a team-low 67.6 passer rating against.
While some of the Dolphins who were brought in or re-signed aren’t guaranteed to make the team, Riley is essentially a lock. If Miami were to release him, they would create $2.25 million in dead money while only saving about $706,000. So, expect to see him wearing aqua and orange later this year.
