Miami Dolphins Free Agency 2012: 5 Players the Dolphins Should Avoid

We are just one day away from the NFL’s free agency period and there have already been several stories that have taken over the offseason.

A lot of the big-name players that were in their contract year were retained by their respective teams by either the franchise tag or by re-signing.

With that being said, there are still a handful of solid players set to hit the open market on Tuesday—many of which would be great additions to the Dolphins roster.

On the flip side, there are also a few of those top-tier players that would be too much of a gamble for Miami to take.

Highlighted over the next few slides are five players that the Miami Dolphins should avoid in free agency.

Cortland Finnegan

The Miami Dolphins ranked in the bottom third of the league last year in pass defense and will likely be looking to add a young safety, corner or both at a reasonable price.

As a 28-year-old that wants a huge contract, Cortland Finnegan does not fit that mold and is someone Miami should stay away from.

There are many better and more realistic options for the Dolphins at the cornerback position, including players like Richard Marshall and Brandon Carr.

Mario Williams

Adding another pass-rusher is also on Miami's list this offseason, with the top name out there being former Houston Texans DE-LB Mario Williams.

Williams is worth pretty much every penny of the contract he is likely to get, but the Dolphins are in no position to fork out that kind of money for a player not named Peyton Manning.

There are several cheaper options in both free agency and the draft that could still make an impact for Miami's defense. This is not a knock on Mario Williams, but more an issue regarding the Dolphins' current salary cap situation and other needs.

Vincent Jackson

San Diego's Vincent Jackson has been quite vocal about his contract over the past year or so, as he looks to find a team that will pay him big money.

With the amount of cap room that teams like the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have, and the desperation of teams like the Washington Redskins, Miami would likely have to overpay Jackson significantly if they indeed want to land him.

This is something that the Dolphins do not need to do given that they already have Brandon Marshall, could possibly land Reggie Wayne, and have a couple other decent receivers in Davone Bess and Brian Hartline.

Mike Wallace

Mike Wallace made a name for himself this year with the Pittsburgh Steelers, developing into a more all-around receiver as the year went on, making the Pro Bowl for the first time in his career.

Wallace is a solid receiver that could wind up being one of the top wideouts in the game. The problem is, he is a restricted free agent with a first-round tender.

This means that if Miami was able to sign him, they would have to forfeit their first-round draft pick to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Wallace is likely worth a first-round pick to a lot of teams, but there are a number of other solid receivers on the market that can be had without such a sacrifice.

Matt Flynn

After an amazing performance in Week 17 against the Detroit Lions that included almost 500 yards and six touchdowns, Matt Flynn became a name that many fans around the league quickly learned.

Flynn's performance came just in time, as it was the final game he would play before hitting free agency.

Ever since Miami named ex-Packers offensive coordinator Joe Philbin their head coach, reports have been swirling about the Dolphins making a play for Matt Flynn.

Given that there are guys like Peyton Manning, Kyle Orton and Jason Campbell on the market, as well as Matt Moore already on the roster, paying a ton of money for an unproven quarterback is a risk that the Dolphins do not need to take.