In the NFL, it’s rare for teams to get another shot at signing a player they missed out on previously, but the Miami Dolphins have been granted that chance. As in 2023, 2022, and this year, the Dolphins are once again in need of bolstering their offensive line.

Chris Grier, with his deep insight into the team’s requirements, has consistently chosen to overlook the line issues, hoping that players with recurring injuries would somehow remain, well, injury-free. In 2024, the Dolphins showed interest in Dalton Risner. According to Barry Jackson, Miami considered bringing in the interior lineman but decided to stick with their existing roster instead.

This decision proved to be a misstep. Liam Eichenberg struggled, Isaiah Wynn spent the season sidelined due to injuries, and Robert Jones displayed inconsistency. Meanwhile, in Minnesota, Risner participated in 10 games and started 8. In 2023, he started 11 out of 15 games, and in the four seasons before 2023, he missed only a handful of games in his career.

Now, the Dolphins are in the same situation, needing offensive line reinforcements with Risner available as a free agent, yet Chris Grier seems reluctant to address both guard positions simultaneously. Risner isn’t a costly veteran option; his second year with the Vikings saw him earning a $1.2 million base salary and a total cap hit of $2.4 million.

It’s likely that 2025 will bring about a similar deal. Dalton Risner offers the Miami Dolphins a chance to correct their 2024 oversight. While Risner might not be the top guard on the market and Miami might find better options in Zach Scherff or Kevin Zeitler, he is certainly an upgrade over Eichenberg and Larry Borom.

He is versatile enough to play both guard positions but spent his initial four years at left guard, where James Daniels is expected to play. Considering Daniels is recovering from an Achilles tear, acquiring Risner would be a prudent, low-cost, high-reward move that, at the very least, would enhance their depth.