Da’Shawn Hand looks like he will be back with the Miami Dolphins next season. According to Dianna Russini of the Athletic, he is expected to sign with the Dolphins, a team he spent this past season with and a team that’s seeing plenty of change on the defensive side of the ball.
The Miami Dolphins are expected to sign De’Shawn Hand, per source. A familiar face is back.
— Dianna Russini (@DMRussini) March 14, 2024
Da’Shawn Hand with the Miami Dolphins
Hand first signed with the Dolphins back on August 6th, 2023. However, he was among their roster cuts after the preseason. It didn’t take long for Da’Shawn Hand to find his way back with the Dolphins, however, as he was signed to the practice squad just a day later.
He was elevated from the practice squad to the active roster on September 16th, 2023, and spent the rest of the season with the Miami Dolphins.
He played in 16 games this past season, recording 17 tackles and 1 sack while pressuring the quarterback 5 times.
Da’Shawn Hand was originally by the Detroit Lions in the 4th round of the 2018 NFL Draft. He spent his time in Alabama, where he had 71 tackles and 9 sacks for the team.
Hand is likely brought in more as a depth piece than anything else. Come the preseason, he’ll likely be fighting for a spot on the 53-man roster with Isaiah Mack, Neville Gallimore, Daviyon Nixon, and Brandon Pili.
The Miami Dolphins have been hard at work this free agency, navigating one of the more difficult landscapes in terms of their own cap space and where they are at in terms of a playoff window. They’ve added plenty of talent on the defensive side of the ball, which frees up the ability to use draft capital on offensive players to try to keep the team’s window open and get back into the playoffs.