Grading the Miami Dolphins Free-Agency Moves so Far

Forget about making a "splash"—the Miami Dolphins did a cannonball straight into the free-agency pool with the "Suhpersized" contract of defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh. And when a 6'4", 305-pound defensive tackle does a cannonball, you can bet it's an urgent and horrifying news story.

Horrifying, at least, to rival offensive lines and offensive coordinators.

But fortunately for the Dolphins, the signing of Suh wasn't the only move they made this offseason in the first week of free agency. This wasn't one of their more active signing frenzies of late, but it was highly productive, as they added a weapon to the passing game and another cornerback for the secondary. 

Here's a look at the Dolphins' moves so far, with grades for each of them.

Dolphins Sign Ndamukong Suh to 6-Year, $114 Million Contract

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The Dolphins were off to the races before free agency even opened, as ESPN's Chris Mortensen reported last Sunday—48 hours before the start of the league year—that the Dolphins and Suh agreed to terms on a six-year, $114 million contract with $60 million guaranteed. 

The Dolphins lost defensive tackles Jared Odrick (free agency) and Randy Starks (released) this offseason, so it was important for them to add talent up front. They did it in the biggest way possible.

In 2014, Suh was the league's seventh most-productive pass-rushing defensive tackle on a per-snap basis, according to ProFootballFocus.com, and registered a league-high 57 total pressures (most in the NFL for a defensive tackle). He's also an impact player in the running game, where he logged 23 tackles for loss, according to TeamRankings.com. 

It's a pricey move, but the Dolphins immediately improve their defense and now feature one of the most dominant defensive lines in football with Suh playing alongside defensive ends Cameron Wake and Olivier Vernon. 

Grade: A

Dolphins Place 2nd-Round Tender on Derrick Shelby

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Derrick Shelby might only be a rotational player on the defensive line, but he is still a valuable one. According to Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald, the Dolphins tendered Shelby at $2.35 million—a second-round tender, ensuring they would receive a second-round pick if a team signs him away.

Shelby's primary role is to supplement Cameron Wake and Olivier Vernon as an extra pass-rusher; the 6'3", 270-pound three-year veteran played 420 snaps in 2014, according to ProFootballFocus.com, with 236 of them as a pass-rusher and 18 of them in coverage.

The $2.35 million may seem like a lot of money to allocate to a rotational player, but the Dolphins had no other choice to ensure they would keep him. Shelby was an undrafted free agent, meaning an "original-round tender" of $1.52 million could have allowed Shelby to go to the open market and take a better offer without any draft compensation returning to the Dolphins.

In all, the Dolphins made the right choice by keeping Shelby in the fold.  

Grade: B

Dolphins Sign Brice McCain to 2-Year, $5.5 Million Contract

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After cutting Cortland Finnegan, the Dolphins have more question marks at cornerback than The Riddler. By signing former Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Brice McCain, the Dolphins have at least attempted to gain an answer. 

Young cornerbacks Jamar Taylor, Will Davis and Walt Aikens have yet to prove their true value in the NFL, but McCain's presence could allow all three to slide into roles as backups and nickel cornerbacks, where they could thrive.

McCain's deal is for two years at $5.5 million, according to Spotrac, which is a manageable number no matter what his role ends up being.

McCain is a bit smaller than the average cornerback at 5'9" and 182 pounds, but if his new teammate Brent Grimes (5'10", 190 lbs) has proved one thing in his career, it's that size isn't everything—even at the cornerback position. McCain allowed completions on 65.5 percent of the throws into his coverage last year, but with only one touchdown allowed against three interceptions, he was able to keep his opponents' passer ratings against him down to 76.7. 

Grade: B- 

Dolphins Sign Jordan Cameron to 2-Year, $15 Million Contract

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Now that the Jordan Cameron-Cameron Jordan snafu has been clarified, the Dolphins can revel in the signing of a gifted former Pro Bowl tight end.

The 6'5", 254-pound tight end has been marred by concussions of late, but he's been highly productive when he's been on the field. At full health in 2013, he notched 80 receptions for 917 yards and seven touchdowns.

His size makes him a threat particularly in the red zone, where he hauled in 11 of 19 throws in his direction for all seven of his scores. In fact, he was pretty much the only red-zone threat the Browns had that season, as they scored 20 red-zone touchdowns as a team in 2013.

With Jordan Cameron and Charles Clay both in the fold, the Dolphins have two talented tight ends who can provide big-play threats down the seam and line up all over the field in the passing game. And with only $5 million guaranteed initially, according to Spotrac, the Dolphins don't have to worry too much about Cameron's concussion history.

Grade: A-

Overall Grade: A-

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The Dolphins have not been nearly as active this year as in past years, but their moves are no less significant. In fact, this year's moves are potentially some of the smarter moves they have made in recent years. 

Future discussions of the 2015 free-agency moves of the Dolphins will ultimately be shaped by the performance of Ndamukong Suh. If he lives up to the massive contract, the Dolphins will be revered for ponying up for one of the prize ponies of free agency. If he doesn't, they will continue to be criticized for their irresponsible spending over the likes of Suh and Mike Wallace.

Ultimately, though, the Dolphins' success will hinge upon whether or not Ryan Tannehill continues his development into a top-tier quarterback. The Dolphins are nearing some big decisions on his future with the team, and a little improvement on Tannehill's end could go a long way in solidifying his status as the face of the franchise. They helped him in the process by signing Jordan Cameron, but they can do more if they add some linemen to the inside of the offensive line.

The Dolphins are off to a good start but still have some moves to make.

Grade: B+

Unless otherwise noted, all salary cap and contract information provided by OverTheCap.com. All advanced statistics provided by ProFootballFocus.com.