Calais Campbell's decision to leave the Miami Dolphins after one season definitely was a blow to the team, but there are a few layers to the news.
We can start with the bright spot for the Dolphins, and that's the possibility of his departure bringing a fourth-round compensatory pick in the 2026 NFL draft.
We say possibility because the signing period for unrestricted free agents involved in the compensatory pick system ends June 1, so there could be more transactions that could affect this.
But as it stands out right now, the Dolphins have a net loss of compensatory free agents based on annual salary of the new contracts.
After signing a one-year deal worth $5.5 million (with the possibility of reaching $7.5 million through incentives), Campbell became the third compensatory free agents to leave the Dolphins after Jevon Holland (to the New York Giants) and Robert Jones (to the Dallas Cowboys), while they have signed two — James Daniels from the Pittsburgh Steelers and Zach Wilson from the Denver Broncos.
While there have been plenty other signings and departures in free agency, none of the annual salaries involved were high enough to get into the group of players in the compensatory pick pool.
Since the Dolphins now have a net loss of compensatory free agents, they're in line to get a fourth-round pick for Holland based on his $15.1 million average on his three-year contract with the Giants.
According to overthecap.com, the threshold for a free agent to factor into the compensatory formula for 2026 is right around $3 million per year. This means the Dolphins will retain that projected fourth-round pick for Jevon Holland if they don't sign another UFA for that annual average.
Having Campbell become a compensatory free agent was one perk for the Dolphins keeping him all of last season instead of waiving him so he could join a contender for the final weeks of the regular season and the playoffs.
Of course, the biggest factor was that the Dolphins still had a chance to make the playoffs heading into the last week of the regular season.
THE CAMPBELL CONTRACT
Campbell took to Instagram after he agreed to terms to the Cardinals to talk about the idea of a storybook ending to his brilliant career, starting with a Super Bowl appearances with Arizona as a rookie and finishing with another one (and this time winning) with Arizona in his final season.
The question that remains unanswered for now — and maybe forever — is whether the Dolphins were willing to give him the kind of contract he got from Arizona.
If they weren't, then it says here that's a bad miss.
Surely, the Dolphins didn't think they were going to get Campbell back for the $3.125 million they paid him last year — because that was a steal for what he wound up giving them.
The news comes one day after Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel discussed Campbell's status and the possibility/desire of having him back on the roster in 2025.
"Calais specifically is in a unique situation where he is assessing multiple options as a player in the 45th year of his career," McDaniel said, seriously at the start but jokingly at the end. "So I understand and there’s a lot at play with regard to, all right, so your play is high, you decided to play another year; he’s assessing those options. He was a very important player to the team last year, and I see him having the opportunity to be a very important player on the team this year.
"I also see ... I feel like we have some options at the position. He has some options. That position in particular has been a focal point of mine this offseason and I feel good about how it could play out and there’s a couple different scenarios it could play out."
Campbell didn't sign with the Dolphins last year until the middle of June, so his decision to continue playing clearly was a lot easier for him this time around.
CAMPBELL AND THE CARDINALS
Arizona seemed like a long shot for Campbell because of his stated desire to compete for a championship, and the Cardinals having made the playoffs once (2021) in the past nine seasons.
Campbell, though, is very familiar with the organization and Arizona itself, having spent his first nine NFL seasons with the Cardinals after being selected in the second round of the 2008 draft out of the University of Miami.
With Arizona, Campbell reached the Super Bowl as a rookie in 2008 and then reached the NFC Championship Game during the 2015 season before losing against the Carolina Panthers.
Campbell then spent three seasons each with the Jacksonville Jaguars and Baltimore Ravens.
His best NFL season came in 2017 with the Jaguars when he finished with 14.5 sacks, was named first-team All-Pro and helped Jacksonville reach the AFC Championship Game.
But after one season with Atlanta and one with the Dolphins, it seemed like Baltimore would be the best fit for him to continue his career because the Ravens look like the former team of his closest to a Super Bowl.
Campbell spent three seasons with that organization, from 2020-22, which ironically sandwiched Lamar Jackson's two NFL MVP years and the one where he was the runner-up to Josh Allen.
THE DEFENSIVE TACKLE ISSUE
While McDaniel talked about remaining options for the Dolphins, probably none were as appealing as having Campbell for a second year.
While fellow defensive tackle Zach Sieler was named the Dolphins MVP last year, Campbell actually earned a higher grade from Pro Football Focus, ranking sixth among all NFL interior defenders last year. Against the run, Campbell was right at the top.
The Dolphins' defensive tackle room right now consists of Sieler, Benito Jones, Matt Dickerson and Neil Farrell, so obviously more help is needed.
Campbell leaving certainly won't change the idea that a defensive tackle very well might become the target for the Dolphins when they pick at number 13 in the first round of the 2025 draft.
Even if Campbell had come back, the Dolphins would have needed to supplement that.
Now, the gaping hole at defensive tackle remains as large as ever, and the Dolphins have to say goodbye to an ageless wonder who was a hit on and off the field in his one season for Miami.
