Fins Unlikely To Target TE Martellus Bennett

The Dolphins will be on the lookout for a tight end in the coming months, but free agent Martellus Bennett won’t be on the club’s radar, according to Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald, who reports Bennett will “never play for the Dolphins as long as the current administration is running the organization.” That’s likely an allusion to head coach Adam Gase, who didn’t get along with Bennett when the two were with the Bears in 2015.

[RELATED: Dolphins Release Mario Williams]

Tight end should be a focus for Miami this offseason, as both Jordan Cameron and Dion Sims are scheduled to become unrestricted free agents. Cameron may hang up his cleats altogether after suffering repeated head trauma, but the Dolphins reportedly view Sims as their starter going forward. Sims, 26 this week, has never topped 30 receptions or 300 yards receiving during his four-year career, meaning Miami would be taking quite the leap of faith by installing him in its starting lineup.

As such, the addition of a veteran tight end has been listed among the Dolphins’ needs, but that new face apparently won’t be that of Bennett. The 29-year-old Bennett is eyeing free agency following an excellent campaign with the Patriots, but he’s unlikely to land in Miami given his history with Gase. During the duo’s lone season together in Chicago, Bennett reportedly irritated much of the club’s coaching staff, exhibiting behavior that ultimately led to his being traded to New England. On the field, Bennett wasn’t productive, either, failing to top 500 yards receiving for the first time since becoming a full-time starter.

With Bennett not in the cards, the Dolphins figure to look elsewhere in free agency to find a new tight end, and the club could also invest a draft pick in what is thought to be a deep tight end draft class. Miami has been loosely linked to local product David Njoku throughout the draft process, while Alabama’s O.J. Howard could be also be in consideration.