Day 733, Quasi-Quarantine: The 'Fins Kick Off Free Agency 2022 Somewhat Underwhelmingly With Chase Edmonds

Miami started the free agency period by adding a tone-setting offensive lineman, inking signing a scatback in Chase Edmonds. A former fourth-round pick of the Arizona Cardinals out of Fordham in 2018, Edmonds earned a two-year, $12.1 million deal with a $4.1 million signing bonus.

The pluses: Quicker than fast, Edmonds is a dynamic weapon for a backfield that desperately needed one. Only 25 years old, he's capable of chunk plays, reeling off runs of 54 and 40 last year, to go with a catch of 36 yards. Edmonds is coming off a career high in rushing yards with 592, averaging 5.1 yards per carry, and his 128 career catches and 921 receiving yards attest to his ability in the passing game.

The negatives: There's no sugarcoating the fact that the Dolphins just dedicated a lot of money for a gadget player. At 5-9, 205 pounds, Edmonds has a similar build to incumbent Duke Johnson, and durability has been an issue. Edmonds has 14 touchdowns in four seasons, so he's also not really a red zone answer, and his ability to pass protect has been problematic in the past. Weapons of any kind are a need, but a smallish halfback in the profile of a third-down back was not among Miami's top needs.

The bottom line: The Dolphins need to remake their entire offense, and if new coach Mike McDaniels thinks Edmonds is the first key to doing so, god bless. With such dire need along the offensive line, a splash signing was anticipated from the jump, so Edmonds caught many off guard. Later free agent signings and draft picks will lend more context to Edmonds's eventual role in the offense, but this felt like a bit of a head-scratcher at this price tag. That said, any pressure that Edmonds can help take off of Tua Tagovailoa and help Miami find some balance is likely to be worth the investment.