Joseph Ossai draws mid-level free agency interest as teams seek younger edge help
Teams looking for younger, cost-effective help off the edge may soon have a new option, with joseph ossai set to become an unrestricted free agent on March 11. Miami and Tampa Bay have been floated as potential fits as each looks to balance upside with affordability at a premium defensive position.
Jon-Eric Sullivan and the Dolphins’ search for younger, cheaper replacements
Miami’s roster decisions have created a need to fill, especially on defense. New general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan said the team released decorated veterans such as wide receiver Tyreek Hill and linebacker Bradley Chubb in an effort to get “younger and cheaper, ” a direction that also left major vacancies and added to what was described as significant roster turmoil.
Bradley Chubb, described as Miami’s best pass rusher, had also been a key locker-room presence. The two-time Pro Bowler was named a team captain for the second time in his career in 2025, with that being his first captaincy stint in Miami. With his departure, replacing his pass-rush production is positioned as a top offseason task, with Miami expected to shop for value rather than pay at the top of the market.
That setup has put joseph ossai, a Cincinnati Bengals defensive end and former Texas standout, in the mix as a potential replacement type. He is set to turn 26 in April, a point framed as aligning with Miami’s timeline, and his calculated market value was placed at roughly $9. 2 million annually.
Joseph Ossai’s production and role, from Cincinnati to a potential second contract
Ossai has spent the early part of his NFL career with the Bengals, mostly in a rotational role while flashing athleticism and burst off the edge. During the 2025 season, he finished with five sacks, two forced fumbles, and a career-high nine tackles for loss, production that was cited as evidence of continued development as a situational pass rusher.
His workload also trended upward. Cincinnati ramped up his usage over time, and he posted a personal-best defensive snap share rate of 67 percent this season. That followed what was described as a mini-breakout in 2024, with the tools from his college career still showing up in spurts.
Before the NFL, Ossai earned Consensus All-American honors as a junior at Texas. Despite that, he slipped to Cincinnati in the third round of the 2021 draft, taken No. 69 overall, a fall characterized as surprising given his impact at Texas and his emergence as a difference-maker in that program.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ mid-tier approach and the $9 million range
Tampa Bay has also been framed as a potential landing spot if it prioritizes upside over bigger-name veterans in free agency. The Buccaneers were tied to the idea of targeting younger players rather than committing major cap space to older options, with Ossai presented as an under-the-radar edge rusher who could fit an EDGE group described as still finding its footing.
Financially, he was described as a more affordable alternative to the top-tier edge rushers. Players in his production tier were characterized as landing short-term deals with moderate annual value, with a realistic target pegged around $9 million annually and potentially structured with incentives.
The next concrete trigger for how quickly this market develops arrives March 11, when Ossai is set to become an unrestricted free agent. If teams follow the value-and-upside approach described for Miami and Tampa Bay, he could be in line for the kind of mid-level deal discussed once free agency opens.
