Dolphins Re-Sign DB Nik Needham
The Dolphins are re-signing their final exclusive rights free agent. Miami has agreed to terms with cornerback Nik Needham, reports veteran NFL reporter Howard Balzer (via Twitter).
Needham has been one of the Dolphins’ better hidden gems in recent years. Needham went undrafted out of UTEP in 2019, and after catching on with Miami during the offseason, he was cut by the team at the end of the preseason. He subsequently joined the Dolphins practice squad, and he was promoted to the active roster in early October. He proceeded to start 11 of his 12 games that season, collecting 54 tackles, 11 passes defended, and a pair of interceptions.
Despite the addition of Byron Jones last offseason, Needham still managed to contribute in a lesser role this past season. While he started only six of his 16 games, he still finished the year with 58 tackles and two picks.
The Dolphins had previously retained their other two ERFAs: linebacker Calvin Munson and cornerback Jamal Perry. Quarterback Jake Rudock was also set to become an ERFA, but the Dolphins declined to place a tender on the player.
Dolphins To Sign OL D.J. Fluker
D.J. Fluker is joining the Dolphins. The offense lineman is set to sign with Miami, reports Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald (via Twitter).
Following a four-year stint with the Chargers to start his career, the former first-round pick has bounced around the NFL recently. He spent the 2020 campaign with the Ravens, where he started in eight of his 16 games. He also played in a pair of playoff games for Baltimore, appearing in at least 40-percent of his team’s offensive snaps in those two games.
Fluker has shown plenty of versatility throughout his career, spending time at right tackle, left tackle, and right guard. The 30-year-old’s ability to play multiple positions should provide him with plenty of opportunities for snaps in Miami, even if he isn’t the definitive starter at any one position.
Meanwhile, Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald opines (on Twitter) that this signing makes the Dolphins’ chances of selecting a lineman in the first round “even more remote.” The Dolphins haven’t necessarily been busy adding to their offensive line this offseason; they signed veteran Matt Skura and re-signed backup Adam Pankey.
Dolphins Considering Trading Down Again
Between the Laremy Tunsil trade and the recent deal with the 49ers, the Dolphins have accumulated their share of high-value draft picks. GM Chris Grier may not be done.
The Dolphins, who traded down from No. 3 to No. 12 before moving back up, are now receiving calls for their No. 6 overall pick, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. They are considering moving down again, per Rapoport.
This draft could feature one or two QB-related firsts — the first to see four straight passer picks atop the event and/or the first to have five QBs go in the top 10 — and certain teams who are interested in drafting one of this year’s top passing prospects are not currently in range to acquire one. In addition to the Falcons, the Dolphins appear open to being a vehicle for another team to trade up for a quarterback.
[RELATED: Falcons Open To All Options With No. 4 Pick]
The Patriots, Washington and the Bears — at Nos. 15, 19 and 20, respectively — have been linked to possible trade-ups. Washington and Chicago more so than New England. But with the Broncos sitting at No. 9 and viewed by some teams as a stealth quarterback suitor, teams may be aiming to move in front of them.
It would be unlikely if the Dolphins traded the pick within the division, however, so the Pats emulating the 49ers’ nine-spot move is difficult to foresee. The Broncos also may be interested in moving up three spots, should they suspect one of the QB-seeking teams will move in front of them. All this would create a market for another Dolphins move.
Miami holds two first-round picks this year and is set to have two in 2023. Teams are expecting Grier to draft a skill-position talent at No. 6, Peter King of NBC Sports notes. But it is possible the top two in this year’s draft are gone by the time the Dolphins’ No. 6 pick arrives. The Falcons have been heavily linked to Kyle Pitts at 4, and buzz about the Bengals reuniting Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase — a prospect that helped induce the Eagles to trade their No. 6 pick to the Dolphins — at 5 is building. Both of this year’s Alabama wideout talents (DeVonta Smith and Jaylen Waddle) may be available a bit later than 6, but likely not too much later, should Grier receive an offer to move slightly down the board.
Before the 49ers gave up a bounty for the third pick, Grier obtained two first-rounders and change for Tunsil and collected another Round 1 choice for Minkah Fitzpatrick. The Dolphins are a team to watch for acquire more first-round capital.
This Date In Transactions History: Dolphins Acquire Junior Seau From Chargers
For a three-year stretch in the mid-2000s, the Dolphins rostered three All-Decade defenders. Eighteen years ago Friday, Miami brought in Junior Seau to start on its Jason Taylor– and Zach Thomas-led defense.
On April 16, 2003, the Dolphins finalized a trade that brought Seau over from San Diego. It took only a conditional draft choice for the Dolphins to acquire the 13-year Chargers starter, who was 34 at the time of the trade. (That pick ended up becoming a fifth-rounder in 2004, which turned into future LaDainian Tomlinson backup and Falcons Pro Bowler Michael Turner.)
The 2003 offseason brought considerable change for the Chargers, who said goodbye to Seau and Rodney Harrison. While these two would end up teammates again in New England, Seau took a three-season detour. The Dolphins brought Seau over to join a defense that had ranked fourth in 2002; it ranked third in ’03, which turned out to be Seau’s best Miami season.
A Chargers first-round pick in 1990, the San Diego native became the greatest defender in franchise history. Seau ventured to 12 straight Pro Bowls from 1991-2002 and was a first-team All-Decade performer in the 1990s. The USC alum was the best player on the Bolts’ Super Bowl XXIX team, pairing elite tackling skills with pass-rushing ability that allowed him to put together three seven-sack seasons despite not working as a pure rusher. The Chargers, however, moved in a different direction in 2003, allowing Seau to seek a trade. The Bolts paid Seau around $2MM of a $2.7MM roster bonus, which was due the day before the trade was finalized.
Seau started 15 games for the ’03 Dolphins. He posted 96 tackles (12 for loss) and three sacks that season, a 10-6 Dolphins campaign that ended with the team just missing the playoffs. However, the Dave Wannstedt-run team could not generate momentum coming out of the season. The Dolphins started 1-9 in 2004 and fired Wannstedt. Seau battled through injuries — a pectoral tear in 2004 and an Achilles malady in ’05 — and was only able to log 15 games in that span. Prior to joining the Dolphins, Seau had not missed more than three games in a season.
The Dolphins released Seau in 2006, and he retired soon after. However, the Patriots pulled him out of retirement and used him as a starter in 2006. Seau played four more seasons, becoming one of the only NFL defenders to enjoy a 20-year career, before retiring for good in 2010. Tragically, Seau died by suicide in 2012. He was inducted to the Hall of Fame on the first ballot in 2015.
Dolphins, Rams Join Teams Skipping Offseason Workouts
Half the NFL teams have now pledged not to attend voluntary offseason workouts. Well, the bulk of the players on those teams have. The Dolphins and Rams became the latest to do so.
Both teams issued statements Friday, via the NFLPA (on Twitter), indicating their players will not attend the start of the NFL’s offseason workouts. This year’s program is scheduled to start Monday. The Dolphins and Rams are the 15th and 16th teams to have released statements indicating most or all of their players will not be in attendance.
Neither the Dolphins nor the Rams offered the “many players will not attend” caveat, as some teams have, and they will move forward with virtual programs. No on-field work can take place until May 17, the second phase of the offseason itineraries, but teams can begin work at their respective facilities from April 19 through May 14.
Last year, the NFL and NFLPA came to an agreement — in the initial months of the pandemic — the offseason would be entirely virtual. The NFLPA is pushing for that arrangement to continue, even as COVID-19 vaccines are now available. A rookie minicamp will be part of the on-field workouts that begin in Phase 2, so it will be interesting to see how teams’ rookie draftees and UDFAs proceed.
Here are the teams that have issued statements regarding their players’ intention not to attend offseason programs:
Dolphins Still Searching For Center
The Dolphins made an offer to center David Andrews even after signing Matt Skura, according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. Andrews ultimately wound up back with the Patriots, but Jackson hears the Dolphins are still in the search for center support. 
[RELATED: David Andrews Chooses Pats Over ‘Fins]
Andrews missed all of 2019 with a pulmonary embolism, but he managed to return for the 2020 season. Even though he missed a handful of games with a thumb injury, he suited up in 72% of the Pats’ offensive snaps across 12 games.
Presumably, the Dolphins were willing to give Andrews a deal that was in the neighborhood of his new Pats contract – $19MM over four years with $6.5MM fully guaranteed. Meanwhile, Skura was signed for just $1.75MM on a one-year deal. Between Skura’s struggles and his injury history, it’s a safe bet that he won’t be handed the starting job in South Beach.
Dolphins To Sign John Jenkins
The Dolphins already signed Adam Butler to help replace fellow defensive tackle Davon Godchaux after he signed with the Patriots, and now they’re adding another. Miami has agreed to terms with free agent John Jenkins, Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald confirmed on Twitter.
Joe Schad of the Palm Beach Post was first to tweet the news. Financial terms weren’t immediately available, but it’s a one-year deal for Jenkins. The Georgia product was originally drafted by the Saints back in 2013. He started 12 games for New Orleans in 2015, but was released midway through the 2016 season and quickly scooped up by the Seahawks.
After that brief stint with Seattle he signed with the Bears, then the Giants, before landing with the Dolphins in 2019. He appeared in all 16 games that year, starting five and racking up 34 tackles and a sack. He signed back with Chicago last season and played a rotational role. Miami will likely be looking for him to play a similar rotational role on running downs.
Contract Details: Rhodes, Johnson, Abdullah, Roberts, Moreau
Let’s catch up on the latest batch of financial terms from recent free agent deals:
- Colts CB Xavier Rhodes: One-year, $4.77MM. $3.75MM fully guaranteed salary, $1.02MM in per game active roster bonuses. $1.75MM in additional playing time, interception, and Pro Bowl incentives, via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link). This was originally reported as a one-year, $6.5MM pact, but it looks like that’ll only be the case if he hits those incentives.
- Titans CB Kevin Johnson: One-year, $2.25MM. $2MM guaranteed, with a $1MM salary and $1MM signing bonus. $250K in per game active roster bonuses, via Wilson on Twitter. We didn’t have any word on compensation initially, and it turns out Tennessee got the former first-rounder for a pretty reasonable price.
- Vikings RB Ameer Abdullah: One-year, $990K. Non-guaranteed. Via Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press on Twitter. Terms of the deal weren’t previously reported, but the Vikings got the former second-rounder back for a non-guaranteed vet minimum contract.
- Dolphins LB Elandon Roberts: One-year, $1.995MM. $1.345MM salary, $650K signing bonus, plus $750K in incentives available, via Field Yates of ESPN on Twitter. We also didn’t have any terms for Roberts, and he ended up getting some decent money to return to Miami.
- Falcons CB Fabian Moreau: One-year, $1.127MM. $987.5K guaranteed. $137.5K signing bonus, $990K salary ($850K guaranteed), via Wilson on Twitter. Finishing things up with one more cornerback we were missing terms on. Moreau, a part-time starter for Washington the past few years, got just above the minimum, although it’s almost entirely guaranteed at least.
Dolphins Received 4 Offers For No. 3 Pick?
The Dolphins’ trade decisions Friday did well to shake up the first round of the upcoming draft. They moved out of the No. 3 overall spot — their placement because of the 2019 Laremy Tunsil trade — to acquire two future first-round picks from the 49ers and then dealt one of those selections to the Eagles to move back into the top 10 this year.
San Francisco’s offer, however, was just one of the proposals Miami received for the No. 3 pick this offseason. The Dolphins are believed to have received four offers for the No. 3 selection within the past few weeks, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald notes. The 49ers also held talks with the Falcons and Bengals for the Nos. 4 and 5 selections, respectively.
GM Chris Grier opted to wait until closer to the draft to accept the proposal, but the Dolphins capitalized on what is expected to be a historic quarterback-heavy start to this draft. The 49ers moving up also puts other QB-seeking teams in more difficult spots. And in moving back up to No. 6, Miami will be in position to take one of the top non-QBs in this year’s draft. The Dolphins were not planning to select another quarterback as a potential Tua Tagovailoa contingency plan, and they confirmed this by moving down.
The likes of Ja’Marr Chase, Kyle Pitts and DeVonta Smith should be considered potential Dolphins targets. No draft has ever begun with four straight quarterbacks being taken; the Falcons adding an heir apparent for Matt Ryan would put the Bengals in position to draft the top non-QB available at 5.
The Dolphins still hold the No. 18 overall pick in this year’s draft, and they now have the 49ers’ first-rounder in 2023. The 2022 first-rounder the Dolphins sent the Eagles was their own, Jackson adds. The 2022 first-rounder Miami still holds originally belonged to San Francisco.
NFL Contract Details: Fuller, Ford, Barr, Pats
As free agency’s second wave continues, here are the latest contract details from around the league:
- 49ers DE Dee Ford: Two years, $24MM. $11.6MM guaranteed, with $4.6MM of that sum due in 2022, David Lombardi and Matt Barrows of The Athletic note (subscription required). Ford’s 2021 guarantees ($7MM) include a $4MM base salary. Ford’s contract also includes a void year (2023).
- Dolphins WR Will Fuller: One year, $10.63MM. Contract maxes out at $13.63MM, with $3MM available in performance-based incentives, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle tweets. Fuller will receive a $9.6MM signing bonus and is due a $990K base salary.
- Vikings LB Anthony Barr: One year, fully guaranteed $9.4MM. $8.4MM signing bonus, $1MM base salary. Barr’s cap number will drop to $6.1MM. Contract includes $3MM in sack-based incentives and features two void years, per the Minneapolis Star Tribune’s Ben Goessling (all Twitter links).
- Patriots T Trent Brown: Fully guaranteed $6.5MM base salary, up to $2MM in per-game roster bonuses, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. Contract can climb to $11MM based on the roster bonuses, $1MM for 90% playing time, $1MM for a Pro Bowl nod and $500K in weight incentives. Brown must stay under 380 pounds, Vic Tafur of The Athletic tweets.
- Bills DE Mario Addison: $4.1MM base salary in 2021, $3.25MM of that is guaranteed, Matthew Fairburn of The Athletic tweets. Addison is also due a $1.9MM roster bonus. His contract will now void after 2021.
- Colts T Sam Tevi: One year, $2.51MM. $1MM guaranteed, $1.5MM base salary. The deal also includes $1MM in playing-time incentives, Wilson tweets.