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The Miami Dolphins have started taking care of their own soon-to-be free agents, just eight days before the start of the new league year. The team extended qualifying tenders to exclusive rights free agents guard Jesse Davis, tackle Zach Sterup, guard Isaac Asiata, and defensive end Jonathan Woodard. The new league year and free agency begin on March 13th at 4 pm ET.
Davis joined the Dolphins in 2016 after training camp and practice squad stints with the Seattle Seahawks and New York Jets. After finishing 2016 on the Dolphins’ practice squad, he played in all 16 games for Miami in 2017, starting ten times, playing left guard, right guard, and tackle. In 2018, he started all 16 games at right guard for the team.
Sterup started his NFL career with the Kansas City Chiefs, starting 2016 on their practice squad. He then spent time on the Jets practice squad that season, then moved to the Cleveland Browns’ practice squad at the end of 2016, and continuing into 2017. Miami poached him off the Browns’ practice squad mid-2017, playing in six games that year. He also played in six games in 2018.
Asiata was a fifth-round choice by Miami in the 2017 NFL Draft. He essentially had a red-shirt rookie season, appearing just once as he was looked at as a developmental lineman for the Dolphins. He began 2018 on the practice squad, then was promoted to the active roster mid-season, but only appeared in one game.
Woodard was a seventh-round pick of the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2016, but suffered a torn Achilles during the team’s offseason training program and missed his rookie year. After being released by the Jaguars at the end of the 2017 preseason, he joined the Atlanta Falcons’ practice squad in mid-season, but was released after two weeks, before joining the Dolphins’ practice squad late in the year. He then returned for 2018, beginning the year on the practice squad before being promoted to the active roster three weeks into the season. He played in six games for Miami, recording 10 tackles, two tackles for loss, two quarterback hits, and one sack.
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