Dolphins Re-Sign John Jenkins
John Jenkins‘ second stint in Miami will continue in 2022. The Dolphins announced on Thursday that they have re-signed the veteran defensive tackle. 
Jenkins, 32, began his career in New Orleans after the Saints drafted him in 2013. It was in his three-plus years there that he saw the most playing time of his career, eclipsing the 50% mark in terms of snap share for the first and only time in 2015. In 49 games as a Saint, he totalled 100 tackles and 1.5 sacks.
Jenkins seemed to be on the way out of New Orleans during his fourth year there, so it came as little surprise that the team gave him a head start on free agency and released him mid-season in 2016. That began a series of brief stints with four different teams, including the Seahawks and Giants. Between those two stays was the first of a pair of campaigns in Chicago.
His heaviest workload since his time with the Saints came with the Dolphins, however. Jenkins signed in Miami in 2019, then again last offseason. In two years in Florida, he has started seven of 23 contests and made 50 tackles. His retention will not only give him a tenure of multiple seasons with the same team for the first time in six years, but it also marks another re-signing from the Dolphins’ 2021 defense. That unit will still feature, most notably, Emmanuel Ogbah and Xavien Howard as it looks to help the team take a step towards AFC contention in 2022.
Dolphins Work Out P Thomas Morstead
The Dolphins are still seeking a punter, and they’ve turned their focus to a former Saints mainstay. According to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, the team worked out punter Thomas Morstead today.
Morstead, 36, first entered the league as a fifth-round draft pick by the Saints in 2009. After earning a ring as a rookie, he signed multiple extensions to stay in New Orleans through 2020. His 12-year stint with the organization included a Pro Bowl nod in 2012. Morstead was released in the middle of the Saints’ 2021 numbers crunch.
He caught on with the Jets in mid-September, replacing the injured Braden Mann. But, with Mann eventually designated for return, Morstead’s services were no longer needed in New York and he was cut. The veteran averaged 48.2 yards per punt with the Jets, his best average since 2016. His spent the second half of the season with the Falcons, where he averaged 46.1 yards on his 22 punts.
Michael Palardy was the Dolphins punter in 2021, but the veteran remains unsigned.
Minor NFL Transactions: 4/4/22
Today’s minor moves around the NFL:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: TE Stephen Anderson
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: CB Nik Needham (second-round RFA tender)
Cowboys, Falcons, Packers, Texans Pursued DeVante Parker
The Patriots’ latest wide receiver trade sent DeVante Parker from one AFC East team to another, but at least four teams from outside the division discussed acquiring the former first-round pick.
The Packers, Falcons and Texans engaged in talks with either the Dolphins or Parker’s agent about the veteran wide receiver, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com notes, while ESPN’s Adam Schefter adds the Cowboys resided in the mix as well (Twitter links).
Parker went to the Pats in a deal that sent the Dolphins a third-round pick, with Fowler adding talks between the rivals heated up on the pro-day circuit. The career-long Dolphin wanted to be dealt to the Patriots, per Fowler and NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (video link).
Dallas’ receiver room changed in March, when the team dealt Amari Cooper to Cleveland for little compensation — at least compared to what the Cowboys parted with to acquire Cooper — and let Cedrick Wilson Jr. defect to Miami. The Dolphins’ Wilson move and their Tyreek Hill blockbuster left Parker without a certain role in Mike McDaniel‘s offense. This led to the seven-year vet going on the trade block.
Green Bay joined Dallas in dealing its No. 1 wideout in March, sending Davante Adams to Las Vegas. Marquez Valdes-Scantling‘s Chiefs commitment leaves the Packers with little at receiver. The Falcons have seen their receiving corps gutted over the past 10 months, to the point they do not have a No. 1- or No. 2-caliber receiver on their roster. The Texans do not have much beyond Brandin Cooks at the position. And the oft-traded wideout is going into the final year of his Rams-constructed contract.
Parker is signed through the 2023 season and is on the Patriots’ books at $5.65MM and $5.7MM for the next two years. While the 29-year-old target has not been especially consistent, he has a 1,200-yard season on his resume (2019) and carried a contract that looks quite reasonable considering where Adams and Hill took the market last month.
Dolphins Eyeing Nickel CB
The Dolphins have been busy lately, but they’ve still got some items on their offseason agenda. Among the items remaining on their to-do list: finding a nickel cornerback to back up Nik Needham (via Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald). 
[RELATED: Frank Gore To Retire]
Justin Coleman could have stayed on as their other slot man, but the Dolphins allowed him to sign with the Seahawks in free agency. Clearly, Needham was the priority due to his youth and his strong showing in 2021. Miami cuffed him with a second-round RFA tender, keeping him at a $3.9MM salary for the coming year.
Needham caught on with the Dolphins as an undrafted free agent in 2019 and has played extensively, even as the Dolphins added reinforcements at his position. Needham logged a 60% defensive snap rate in 2020 and, even with Coleman in the fold, he played on 54% of Miami’s defensive plays last season. He’s snagged six interceptions in three Dolphins seasons and clearly earned his place as a first-stringer. Now, the ‘Fins just need to round out the depth chart behind him.
Besides nickel CB, the Dolphins are also on the lookout for center, punter, and nose tackle support. The Dolphins do have a little bit of extra cap room following the DeVante Parker trade, but they’re still likely to plug most of these holes via minimum salary deals and the draft.
Frank Gore To Retire
Ageless running back Frank Gore has decided to call it a career. In an interview on TheSFNiners podcast (video link), Gore said that, within the next several months, he will sign a one-day contract with the 49ers and officially announce his retirement.
San Francisco selected Gore in the third round of the 2005 draft, and though he appeared in 14 games in his rookie campaign, he started just one, operating as part of an RB tandem with Kevan Barlow. Prior to the 2006 season, the Niners traded Barlow to the Jets, thereby clearing the way for Gore to take over as a full-time starter, a role he held for nine seasons in the Bay Area.
During that time, the Miami product established himself as one of the best, and most consistent, backs in the league. He racked up all five of his Pro Bowl nominations, and he averaged over 1,160 yards per season on a robust 4.5 yards-per-carry average. That stretch included eight seasons of 1,000+ yards, and the only year in which he did not hit that benchmark was 2010, when he appeared in just 11 games due to a hip injury.
Gore, who will turn 39 in May, was also an effective receiver out of the backfield, particularly in the early days of his career. From 2006-10, he averaged 51 catches and just over 430 receiving yards per season, which, when added to his rushing output, made him a true dual threat. The 2006 season was especially productive, as he generated 2,180 all-purpose yards and nine total TDs. Though he was never a prolific touchdown producer — just one season of 10 or more combined rushing and receiving scores — he did find paydirt an even 100 times in his regular season career (81 on the ground, 18 through the air, and one fumble recovery).
After Gore’s tremendous run with the 49ers — he is now the franchise’s all-team leading rusher by a wide margin — he began the second chapter of his career by signing a three-year, $12MM deal with the Colts in March 2015. He was still productive during his three years in Indianapolis, as he did not miss a game and averaged nearly 1,000 rushing yards per season to go along with 263 rushing yards per year, but he did not post a YPC rate above 3.9.
Gore ended his career with a tour of the AFC East, hooking on with the Dolphins in 2018, the Bills in 2019, and the Jets in 2020. The 2018 season in Miami was a bit of a throwback, as he played in 14 games (all starts) and rushed for 722 yards on 156 totes, good for a 4.6 YPC average.
Despite all of his individual successes, Gore was not fortunate enough to play for many championship contenders. In 16 NFL seasons, he suited up for just four playoff outfits (the 49ers from 2011-13 and the Bills in 2019). He did get to participate in Super Bowl XLVII with San Francisco at the end of the 2012 season, but the Niners came out on the losing end of that contest. Gore at least held up his end of the bargain, rushing for 319 yards and four TDs on 63 carries in the team’s three-game postseason run.
In all, Gore rushed for exactly 16,000 yards in the regular season, which gives him a beautifully round 1,000 yards/season average and positions him behind only Emmitt Smith and Walter Payton on the all-time list. He supported that total with a 4.3 YPC mark, thereby demonstrating that his production was not driven just by his remarkable longevity.
Per Spotrac, Gore earned over $63MM in his playing career, and he indicated on the podcast that he hopes to move into a front office role. He said, “I told [49ers CEO] Jed York that I always wanted to be a Niner, so we’re working on [the one-day contract] right now, and then we’re going to also sit down with me and my agent to talk about me working in the front office. I love looking at talent, and I love evaluating talent, and I love ball.”
We here at PFR congratulate Gore on a terrific career — which may ultimately end with a Hall of Fame bust in Canton — and wish him all the best in his front office endeavors.
Dolphins Trade DeVante Parker To Patriots
The Dolphins are sending DeVante Parker to the Patriots (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). Once finalized, the trade will see Parker and a 2022 fifth-round pick go to the Patriots in exchange for a 2023 third-round pick.
[RELATED: Rosenhaus Says Hill To Jets Was “Almost A Done Deal”]
Bill Belichick & Co. have done plenty of scouting on Parker, a longtime staple of their AFC East rival. While his career has been up-and-down, his raw talent is undeniable. He’ll provide the Pats with more veteran support in their WR unit, joining a group that also includes Jakobi Meyers, Kendrick Bourne, Nelson Agholor, N’Keal Harry, Ty Montgomery, Kristian Wilkerson, and Malcolm Perry.
The Dolphins recent acquisition of Tyreek Hill left Parker without a clearly defined role. In turn, Parker’s camp asked the Dolphins to help him find a better landing spot.
“I am truly grateful to the Dolphins and to coach Belichick and [owner] Bob Kraft in their efforts to make this happen,” said Parker’s agent, Jimmy Gould. (Twitter link via Rapoport).
The Dolphins, meanwhile, have bolstered their already impressive stockpile of draft ammo. Even after the Hill blockbuster, they still have two first-round picks, a second-round pick, and, now, two third-round picks in next year’s draft.
The Patriots will assume the balance of Parker’s contract – a $5.65MM base salary in 2022 (with $500K in per-game bonuses) and $5.7MM in 2013 (also with $500K in per-game roster bonuses). However, he’s not owed any guaranteed money, so the Patriots can cut ties whenever they’d like. As Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com tweets, New England was very thorough in its search for a wide receiver, and even had exploratory talks with Odell Beckham Jr. The Pats were also interested in OBJ after he was cut by the Browns in November.
Parker, a 2015 first-round pick, showed serious promise in 2019 with 72 catches, 1,202 yards, and nine touchdowns that year. He hasn’t done nearly as much since, especially following the emergence of Jaylen Waddle last year. In 2021, Parker finished with just 40 grabs for 515 yards and two TDs.
Dolphins, Xavien Howard Agree On New Contract
After much talk about a new contract being in the works for star cornerback Xavien Howard, the Dolphins have indeed signed him to an extended deal. As detailed by NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo (on Twitter), the pact is five years in length and includes $50.7MM in new money. 
USA Today’s Josina Anderson adds the new per-year average that Howard will receive is just over $25.3MM (Twitter link). Per his agent, that figure sets a new record for the most new money gained by a player signing a re-worked contract. Howard previously had three years and $39.3MM on his existing deal, so in all, he is now on the books for the next five seasons at a cost of $90MM. Meanwhile, Field Yates of ESPN reports that the new pact also includes the most guaranteed money ever given to a corner (Twitter link).
The 28-year-old agreed to a restructured deal before the start of last season, and actually re-worked it a second time in November. As Yates notes, those moves came with the understanding that a longer-term contract (and with it, a sizeable raise) was coming relatively soon. That time has clearly now come. After six seasons in Miami, the three-time Pro Bowler has totalled 27 interceptions and 71 pass deflections, leading the league in each category during an All-Pro 2020 campaign.
The $25MM-plus annual average comfortably eclipses the previous record for cornerbacks, held by Jalen Ramsey at exactly $20MM per annum. Pro Football Talk’s Aaron Wilson reports that Howard is the first corner to have five seasons’ worth of his compensation fully guaranteed. He now also has the unique distinction of becoming the first player to have a contract restructured with four, and now, three, years remaining on it at the time of signing.
This is the second notable financial move the Dolphins have made with respect to their CB tandem. They restructured Byron Jones‘ contract one week ago to create some financial flexibility while keeping the pair under contract. In other significant news this offseason, Miami has also, of course, added the likes of Tyreek Hill and Terron Armstead.
The Dolphins look to have a much-improved offense in 2022. The backend of their defense, though, will remain the strength of the roster for the foreseeable future with Howard in the fold long-term.
Dolphins Looking For Center Help
Addressing needs at left tackle and left guard, the Dolphins are turning their attention to center. GM Chris Grier plans to bring in competition for incumbent Michael Deiter, per Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. The Dolphins are looking to keep costs down here, Jackson adds, noting they are not currently on the radar for J.C. Tretter or Matt Paradis. Both have been center starters for the past several years but would qualify as replacements for Deiter rather than competition. Given Tretter’s performance in Cleveland, the NFLPA president looms as one of the top free agents available. Miami’s to-be-determined center will join Terron Armstead, Connor Williams, Robert Hunt and either Austin Jackson or Liam Eichenberg on the team’s reconfigured O-line.
Contract Details: Armstead, MVS, Douglas, Peterson, Peppers, Butler, Barnett, Harris
Here are the latest details from contracts recently agreed to around the NFL:
- Terron Armstead, T (Dolphins): Five years, $75MM. In addition to a $12MM signing bonus, Armstead’s $43.37MM guarantee includes his 2022 and ’23 base salaries ($1.1MM, $9MM), Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com tweets. Armstead’s $13.25MM 2024 base salary is guaranteed for injury at signing. The deal includes $2.5MM-per-year incentives for playing time and Pro Bowl accolades, Wilson adds (on Twitter).
- Marquez Valdes-Scantling, WR (Chiefs): Three years, $30MM. Valdes-Scantling’s $18MM guaranteed includes a $6MM signing bonus and a fully guaranteed 2022 base salary ($2.56MM), Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk notes. The Chiefs have some flexibility in 2023. MVS has $6.4MM of his $8.6MM 2023 salary guaranteed for injury at signing; that shifts to a full guarantee if the wideout is on Kansas City’s roster on Day 3 of the 2023 league year. Valdes-Scantling’s $11.6MM 2024 base is nonguaranteed.
- Rasul Douglas, CB (Packers): Three years, $21MM. The Packers gave Douglas a $5.3MM signing bonus and have him tied to base salaries of $1.1MM, $2.25MM and $6.25MM, Wilson tweets. Douglas will collect a $2MM roster bonus if he is on Green Bay’s roster on Day 3 of the 2023 league year.
- Derek Barnett, DE (Eagles): Two years, $13.2MM. Barnett will see $7MM fully guaranteed, which includes $5.5MM in Year 1 and $1.5MM in Year 2, Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer notes (Twitter links). The Eagles guaranteed $1.5MM of Barnett’s 2023 salary and will guarantee $2MM more of that $7.5MM figure if he is on their roster on Day 3 of the 2023 league year. There are $9MM in incentives available, Wilson tweets.
- Malcolm Butler, CB (Patriots): Two years, $9MM. The Patriots only guaranteed the recently unretired cornerback $750K, Ben Volin of the Boston Globe tweets. That comes via a $500K signing bonus and a $250K guarantee of Butler’s 2022 base salary. Butler’s cap numbers check in at $2.22MM and $2.75MM.
- Patrick Peterson, CB (Vikings): One year, $4MM. In addition to the $3.5MM guaranteed Peterson will collect, Wilson notes the Vikings included $1MM in playing-time and playoff incentives (Twitter link). The team tacked a void year onto the deal.
- Anthony Harris, S (Eagles): One year, $2.5MM. The Eagles are guaranteeing $1MM of Harris’ $2MM base salary, Wilson tweets.
- Jabrill Peppers, S (Patriots): One year, $2MM. The Patriots are giving Peppers a $300K signing bonus and guaranteeing his $1.1MM base salary, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. The deal includes $3MM in playing-time incentives.