Dolphins go to the Texans well again, add veteran linebacker

The Miami Dolphins added depth to their thinned-out linebacker unit on Friday by signing Brennan Scarlett, an outside linebacker who spent his first five seasons with the Houston Texans.

Scarlett has started 22 of the 56 games he’s played in the past five seasons, but all but one of those seasons ended with him on injured reserve because of an injury.

Last season, Scarlett missed five games because of a fractured forearm.

Details of Scarlett’s contract weren’t immediate available, but it’s likely that he signed a one-year deal for a salary paying him slightly more than the NFL minimum.

Scarlett, who has contributed 139 tackles, 5.5 sacks and one interception and forced three fumbles and recovered one during his NFL career, will likely contribute on defense and special teams. He’ll compete with Andrew Van Ginkel, who is entering his third season, and Vince Biegel, who was re-signed this week, for the starting spots, and playing time vacated by the departures of Kyle Van Noy, who was released, Shaq Lawson, who was traded to the Texans, Kamu-Grugier-Hill, who signed with the Texans as a free agent, and Elandon Roberts, who remains a free agent.

The Dolphins, have a need to fill at edge rusher, but that’s not exactly Scarlett’s forte, going back to his collegiate career at Stanford and the University of California.

Scarlett becomes the 13th NFL veteran added this offseason, and the second linebacker, joining Benardrick McKinney, a 2018 Pro Bowl selection the Dolphins acquired in a trade this week, a deal that sent Lawson to Houston in an exchange that also included a swap of late-round picks (Miami sends a 2021 sixth for Houston’s 2021 seventh).

So far the Dolphins have had an active first week in free agency, adding three former Texans — Scarlett, McKinney and receiver Will Fuller.

Miami also signed quarterback Jacoby Brissett, tailbacks Malcolm Brown and Jordan Scarlett, receiver Robert Foster, centers Matt Skura and Cameron Toms, defensive tackle Adam Butler, cornerback Justin Coleman and punter Michael Palardy.

The Dolphins also acquired offensive tackle Isaiah Wilson, a 2020 first-round pick, in a trade with the Texans that featured a swap of 2021 and 2022 seventh-round picks.

The Dolphins also re-signed Biegel, and placed qualifying tenders on exclusive rights and restricted free agent offensive linemen Adam Pankey, cornerback Nik Needam and Jamal Perry and linebacker Calvin Munson.

The Dolphins began free agency with roughly $35 million in cap space, and are projected to have roughly $12 million remaining. Miami will need a good portion of that cap space to sign the 2021 rookie class, but that won’t prevent the franchise from continuing to add veteran players in the second wave of free agency if that’s their intention.