Acquiring Darren Waller and trading away Jonnu Smith in a matter of days was probably a rather interesting sequence of roster moves for Dolphins fans, but now, after Darren Waller was deemed unfit and out of shape to be playing any kind of football at the moment, the Dolphins have found themselves in an odd situation, but missing out on one massive free agent may be something they look back on to regret. Passing on Noah Fant.
Although no concrete negotiations were said to be happening between the former Seahawks and Miami, the veteran tight end did work out with the Dolphins, but not making a bold move for him in their current tight end situation may have been a big mistake, and keeps them in that dark spot at the tight end position heading into the season. Even though Waller will likely be fit and ready for the 2025/26 season, some cover behind him is definitely needed, and with his injury history, Fant may have been the perfect piece.
After Fant signed a one year deal with the Bengals after being released by the Seahawks last month, Miami lined up to be the perfect landing spot for him, but now they continue to fall into the category of teams with poor tight end groups. With Julian Hill currently topping the depth chart for tight ends in Miami, Fant not only would've filled that spot immediately, but would have been perfect backup cover, and an asset which would've fit in perfectly for the Dolphins.
The former late first round pick out of Iowa has never really reached the heights he once promised, but as a solid and reliable TE, and a great backup opinion, Fant’s price tag would've been ideal for Mike McDaniel's Fins, and may have been a bad decision to pass by. Fant has shown glimmers of offensive promise over his six seasons in the NFL, and in both Denver and Seattle has proved to be an athletic menace, who can be a great option as a blocker and a receiver. As Waller heads towards his recovery, whether he can get back to where he was post-retirement is unknown, but missing a massive bargain on Fant may be a mistake, and their pursuit for cover elsewhere may not get as good as the opportunity they have just dropped the ball on. The season only gets worse for Dolphins fans.
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