Andre Branch, Dolphins Reportedly Agree to 3-Year Contract

The Miami Dolphins and defensive lineman Andre Branch reportedly reached an agreement Wednesday on a three-year, $24 million contract extension.

Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network first reported the re-signing one day before the start of the NFL's new league year and the opening of free agency. Michael Lombardi of The Ringer confirmed the news. Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk provided the financial details on Saturday. 

Branch signed a one-year, $2.75 million deal with the Dolphins last offseason after a solid (albeit unspectacular) four-year run with the Jacksonville Jaguars. He responded with perhaps his most complete season to date, racking up 49 combined tackles, 5.5 sacks and two forced fumbles while playing all 16 games.

The 27-year-old defensive end isn't an explosive edge-rusher, but he's still a reliable piece for the pass rush with 19.5 sacks in 67 career games. He also showed improvement getting upfield against the run in 2016 en route to a career-high seven stuffs, per ESPN.com.

The Clemson product's penetration ability occasionally leads to some missed assignments in the running game. He can be overaggressive trying to get into the backfield, which leaves the door open for a big play to the outside.

Omar Kelly of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel showcased one example:

His overall impact was still an overall net positive, though. 

After the 2016 campaign ended, he told Antwan Staley of Pro Player Insiders he hoped to remain with the Dolphins, though he clearly understood the business aspect.

"Yes. I love this place," Branch said. "They believed in me when not too many people did. I appreciate them for that. So, we'll see how it goes. I don't know what the future holds, but I had an amazing time this year."

Ultimately, it's no surprise the interest was mutual, allowing the sides to come to terms on a new deal. Branch largely outplayed Mario Williams, who's since been released, and he should continue to provide solid value opposite Cameron Wake at defensive end.

Expect to see some changes elsewhere around the unit during the offseason, though. The Dolphins ranked 29th in total defense during the 2016 season in large part due to their struggles against the run, which suggests upgrades are still needed in the front seven.