Miami Dolphins Free-Agency Tracker: Updated Signings, Rumors and Grades
Free agency is underway, with NFL front office executives and head coaches scrambling to improve their rosters ahead of the 2015 season.
The Miami Dolphins have not waited a beat to get the process started and are already on the board with a big signing in big man Ndamukong Suh, but their work is far from done. If they want to get over the hump to the playoffs, they'll need to make more than one signing, with multiple holes on both sides of the ball.
The news will fly in fast and furious over the next week, which is why we'll be providing a one-stop spot for you to stay updated on all the latest moves. So, here's a tracker with grades and analysis for every move made by the Dolphins.
Ndamukong Suh Signs 6-Year, $114 Million Deal
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The Miami Dolphins have landed one of the prized possessions of free agency in two of the past three seasons: In 2013, it was wide receiver Mike Wallace, and in 2015, it's defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh.
ESPN's Chris Mortensen reported on Sunday that the Dolphins and Suh have agreed to parameters around a six-year, $114 million contract with $60 million guaranteed.
So, you could probably call his contract "Suhpersized."
Mortensen highlighted three of the tipping points in the negotiations: location, location, location.
"Florida doesn't have any state income tax, so in order for the Lions and the Raiders to match the after tax net earnings on a $60 million guarantee, the Lions would have had to pay Suh approximately $64.9 million and the Raiders would have had to pay $70.1 million, said sports tax specialist Robert Raiola, senior manager at the accounting firm O'Connor Davies in New York.
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Suh finished the 2014 season as the league's seventh-most productive pass-rushing defensive tackle, according to Pro Football Focus, registering 57 total pressures (most in the NFL). That's not all: 9.7 percent of his run tackles were considered "stops," or unsuccessful plays for the offense, ranking him 11th out of 82 defensive tackles.
The Dolphins immediately improve their defense, albeit at a high price, but it's hard not to love the move for the sheer impact Suh can have on a game.
Grade: A
Dolphins Place 2nd-Round Tender on Derrick Shelby
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The Dolphins have a dominant duo of defensive ends in Cameron Wake and Olivier Vernon, but the depth behind those two is just as important so that they can stay fresh.
According to Armando Salguero of The Miami Herald, the Dolphins don't have to worry about that for the 2015 season. They have placed a second-round tender on defensive end Derrick Shelby, meaning he will be paid $2.35 million for next season on a one-year contract. The other 31 teams can sign him to an offer sheet, but the Dolphins have the choice to either match that offer sheet or to let Shelby walk, receiving a second-round pick in return.
The 6'3", 270-pound defensive end is not as explosive off the line as Wake and Vernon, but he is able to hold his own at the line of scrimmage and creates pressure off hustle and effort.
Shelby played only 420 snaps in 2014, according to ProFootballFocus.com, with a majority of those snaps on passing downs (254 passing downs, 166 rushing downs). $2.35 million seems like a lot of money to pay for a player who is used so sparingly, but with three years of experience, the Dolphins felt it would be smarter for them to keep him in the fold so they don't have to develop someone else in that role.
Grade: B
Dolphins Sign CB Brice McCain to 2-Year, $5.5 Million Contract
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With Cortland Finnegan gone and question marks among the Dolphins' depth at cornerback, it was obvious that Miami needed to fortify their secondary this offseason.
It did not take them long to accomplish that, and according to Armando Salguero of The Miami Herald, the Dolphins signed cornerback Brice McCain to a two-year, $5.5 million contract on Wednesday.
McCain played for the Houston Texans for the first five years of his career before joining the Pittsburgh Steelers on a one-year deal in 2014. He allowed 33 completions on 41 throws into his coverage (64.7 percent) for 422 yards, allowing one touchdown with three interceptions and a 72.5 passer rating according to ProFootballFocus.com.
McCain has experience in both man and zone coverage, but at 5'9" and 182 pounds, his size is much more well-suited for a zone-heavy defensive scheme. The Dolphins run a mix of coverages, but McCain will find a role for himself as they tend to run primarily zone coverage.
The Dolphins can now move Jamar Taylor, Will Davis and Walt Aikens back into their roles as backup cornerbacks on the depth chart.
Grade: B-
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Dolphins Have Interest in C.J. Spiller
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The Dolphins appear to be taking a plug-and-play approach at running back, with one veteran free agent after another cycling through in the role as scatback. In 2014, it was supposed to be Knowshon Moreno, but a pair of injuries (elbow and ACL) derailed his season. Now, it could be Buffalo Bills running back C.J. Spiller.
According to Josina Anderson of ESPN, the Dolphins join the Arizona Cardinals, San Francisco 49ers and New York Jets among the "potential suitors" for Spiller.
The 5'11", 200-pound back is known best for his ability to do damage out in space. He used his speed and quickness on his way to a breakout campaign in 2012 in which he totaled 1,703 yards from scrimmage and averaged more than six yards per carry. His production has slipped over the past two seasons as he has dealt with injuries, and he has put up only 1,543 yards from scrimmage with 4.4 yards per carry in that time.
If the Dolphins were to sign Spiller, it may seem to signal a lack of confidence in Lamar Miller, but the combination of Miller and Spiller would allow the Dolphins to rotate the two backs without showing their hand as to what kind of play they will run.
Dolphins Made 'Preliminary Inquiry' About Buffalo Bills SS Da'Norris Searcy
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The Dolphins have been searching far and wide for a safety to plug next to Reshad Jones, and they've set their sights on one of the top free-agent safeties in this year's crop.
The Dolphins are one of four teams (along with the Indianapolis Colts, Houston Texans and Oakland Raiders) that have shown preliminary interest in Buffalo Bills safety Da'Norris Searcy, according to Josina Anderson of ESPN. The four-year veteran has played all over the secondary, from cornerback to free safety to strong safety and everywhere in between.
He has primarily been used in sub-packages in the past, but he was given a bigger role in 2014 after the departure of former Bills safety Jairus Byrd last year in free agency. Searcy's coverage skills were vastly improved as well, and he notched three interceptions for his trouble.
Last year, the Dolphins brought in former Detroit Lions safety Louis Delmas on a one-year prove-it deal. The former first-round pick proved he could still play but did not stay healthy, and now they are moving in another direction.
The problem with Searcy is that he also plays strong safety, which is Reshad Jones' natural position. The Dolphins would be better off targeting a more natural free safety like Nate Allen of the Philadelphia Eagles.
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