The Miami Dolphins added three-year NFL tight end Ben Sims earlier this week. After going undrafted in 2023, Sims has had stints with the Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings as a backup tight end. He now looks to earn a spot on the Dolphins' 53-man roster, and potentially an increased role.
The Dolphins are experiencing significant turnover at the tight end position with the departure of Julian Hill to New England, and veteran tight end Darren Waller doesn't appear likely to return to an organization that is destined for a rebuild. In addition to Sims, the Dolphins' tight end group currently features Greg Dulcich, Jalin Conyers, Cole Turner and Zack Kuntz.
Before Sims gets a chance to show what he is made of, here are four things to know about the Dolphins' new tight end.
Sims was a three-star high school recruit from Clark High School in San Antonio, Texas, and went on to attend Baylor from 2018-22. Sims holds the program's career receiving TD record by a tight end with 12. He also ranked second in receptions by a tight end (78) and fourth in receiving yards by a tight end (785) at the end of his time at Baylor.
The addition of Sims adds yet another piece to the "Green Bay South" narrative. There has been a trend of Jon-Eric Sullivan bringing in former Packers' coaches and players to the team during his first offseason as the Dolphins' new GM, most notably head coach Jeff Hafley and quarterback Malik Willis.
Sullivan clearly saw enough out of Sims during their time together in Green Bay to give him this opportunity. Time will tell if this signing has a significant impact on the team, but there is clearly a value in familiarity during Sullivan's first free agency.
If Sims is going to earn a role on this offense in 2026, it will probably be in a blocking tight end role. The South Florida Sun Sentinel's David Furones wrote Wednesday that "The Miami Dolphins already locked in their pass-catching tight end. Now, they found their next in-line blocker at the position.
"The blocking tight end is important in the Dolphins' offense, which should mirror some aspects of previous coach Mike McDaniel's scheme. New offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik also comes from the same Shanahan coaching tree, and the offense should feature the wide-zone blocking scheme."
The Dolphins re-signed Greg Dulcich , who became the primary pass-catcher of the tight end group last season while Waller was out due to injury. Sims' ideal role on this team would be to replace Julian Hill, who started 11 games for Miami a season ago.
In Sims' first three years, he has totaled 93 receiving yards and one touchdown. While these numbers could be viewed as modest and underwhelming, Sims has not had a real chance to move up on a team's depth chart. In Green Bay, he was behind Tucker Kraft and Luke Musgrave, and in Minnesota, he was behind T.J. Hockenson and Josh Oliver on the depth chart.
This Miami team is in the midst of a rebuild, which will provide a player like Sims an opportunity to show what he can do with an increased snap count on offense. Dulcich is likely to be at the top of the depth chart, but the Dolphins' TE2 spot will be open for competition during OTAs and training camp.
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This article originally appeared on Dolphins Wire: NFL free agency: What fan should know about new Dolphins TE Ben Sims
