Dolphins Re-Sign T Sam Young
The Dolphins have re-signed offensive tackle Sam Young to a one-year deal, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk (Twitter link).
Young, 30, has been in the NFL since 2010 and has spent time with the Cowboys, Bills, and Jaguars in addition to the Dolphins. In 2017, Young tied a career-high with six starts and played on nearly 70% of Miami’s offensive snaps. The results were middling, as Pro Football Focus graded Young as the league’s No. 48 tackle among 81 qualifiers.
The Dolphins are already set at tackle with Laremy Tunsil and Ja’Wuan James on the left and right sides, respectively, so Young will return as a clear reserve. Other backup tackles on the Miami roster include Zach Sterup, Eric Smith, and Sean Hickey.
Dolphins To Sign RB Frank Gore
The Dolphins have agreed to sign running back Frank Gore, according to Mike Florio of PFT (on Twitter). It’s a one-year deal for the veteran. 
Gore, a potential future Hall of Famer, now has the opportunity to finish his career where it all began. Gore was born in Coral Gables, Florida and made his name at the University of Miami. After ten seasons in San Francisco and three seasons in Indianapolis, he gets to ply his craft in Miami once again.
The Dolphins project to start Kenyan Drake at running back, but the opportunity is there for Gore to split carries with him. The remainder of the Dolphins’ running back depth chart is decidedly less accomplished than Gore as Senorise Perry, De’Veon Smith, and Brandon Radcliff are all former undrafted free agents with minimal live action on their resume.
Gore, 35 in May, has 14,000+ career rushing yards to his credit, as well as five Pro Bowl selections. He nearly turned in a tenth 1,000 yard season in 2017, but he averaged just 3.7 yards per carry. Gore is no longer the star that he was with the 49ers, but he can still be a useful piece in Miami’s backfield. From the Dolphins perspective, it’s a low-risk proposition that they can bail on, if necessary, without any real financial penalty.
[RELATED: Dolphins Depth Chart]
Chiefs To Sign RB Damien Williams
The Chiefs are signing running back Damien Williams, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. It’s a one-year deal for $1.5MM. Williams recently had shoulder surgery and will miss most of the offseason, but the team hopes that he’ll be available for training camp, according to Rapoport. 
The Chiefs will start Kareem Hunt at running back and they hope to have Spencer Ware as the No. 2 RB behind him. But, Williams himself is coming off of preseason surgery to repair a torn PCL and a damaged LCL. Williams will serve as insurance for Ware, but the possibility exists that neither player will be at full strength to start the year.
Williams has spent the last four seasons in the league with the Dolphins, where he was used predominantly as a pass catcher, Williams has 85 receptions for 733 yards and six touchdowns to his credit with just 133 carries for 477 yards and three touchdowns on the ground.
Dolphins To Meet With QB Brock Osweiler
We have a Brock Osweiler sighting. The quarterback will meet with the Dolphins on Thursday, according to SiriusXM’s Craig Mish (Twitter link). The news has been confirmed by Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). 
Osweiler’s trip to Miami marks his first free agent visit of the offseason. One has to imagine that his history with coach Adam Gase is playing a role here as the two worked together in Denver.
We ranked Osweiler as one of the 15 best quarterbacks available in free agency this year, but that was due mostly to his solid showing with the Broncos in 2015 when he filled in for Peyton Manning. His monster free agent deal with the Texans in the following year was a bust and he did very little in his four starts with the Broncos last season.
The Dolphins re-signed David Fales to serve as one backup to Ryan Tannehill, but neither he nor Brandon Doughty is assured a spot on the final roster. Osweiler could serve as the No. 2 QB on the depth chart, though he’d have to battle it out with Matt Moore if he is re-signed.
Dolphins To Meet With Frank Gore
Frank Gore could finish his football career back where it all started. Gore is slated to visit with the Dolphins on Thursday, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). 
Gore was born in Coral Gables, Florida and played his college football at the University of Miami. With the Hurricanes, Gore averaged 5.7 yards per carry and became a third round pick of the Niners in 2005. Thirteen years later, GMs regret allowing him to slip all the way to No. 65 overall. Gore has had a remarkable career and has been shockingly durable throughout as well. He has missed only 12 possible regular season games in his career and has missed none since 2010.
The five-time Pro Bowler is no longer among the very best at his position, but he remains healthy and somewhat productive on the verge of his 35th birthday. Last year, Gore ran for 961 yards off of 261 carries, giving him a 3.7 yards per carry average. That wasn’t terribly efficient, but he did add 29 catches for 245 yards and one score.
It’s possible that Gore can perform better after moving on from the Colts, who finished 18th in run blocking last season, per Football Outsiders. The Dolphins were ranked even lower by FO’s stats, but they do have a new look offensive line that features guard Josh Sitton and Daniel Kilgore and is bookended by a pair of former first round picks in Laremy Tunsil and Ja’Wuan James.
Minor NFL Transactions: 3/21/17
Denver Broncos
- Signed: K Taylor Bertolet, LS Christian Kuntz
Houston Texans
- Waived: DT Chunky Clements, WR Cobi Hamilton
Miami Dolphins
- Re-signed: S Jordan Lucas (ERFA)
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: LS Nick Dooley, TE Josiah Price
- Waived: LB Shaan Washington
Emmanuel Lamur To Meet With Dolphins, Raiders
Vikings free agent linebacker Emmanuel Lamur will visit the Raiders on Wednesday and will travel to meet with Dolphins afterwards (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo). Lamur has ties to both clubs thanks to defensive coordinators Paul Guenther and Matt Burke who know Lamur from their time with the Bengals. 
We first heard of the Raiders’ interest in Lamur last week. He’d be a logical fit for Oakland’s new-look defense, but the Dolphins are also showing interest after parting ways with veteran linebacker Lawrence Timmons. For now, the Dolphins project to start Chase Allen alongside Raekwon McMillan and Kiko Alonso with Neville Hewitt, Mike Hull, and Stephone Anthony in support. That unit will need an impact player or two, either through free agency or the draft.
In other Dolphins news, Kirk Cousins‘ agent reportedly researched the ‘Fins heading into free agency. We also learned that the release of Mike Pouncey was not related to locker room issues.
Contract Details: A. Smith, Pugh, Curry, ASJ
Let’s take a look at the details of a few recently signed NFL contracts:
AFC
- Austin Seferian-Jenkins, TE (Jaguars): Two years, $10MM. $4MM guaranteed. $3.21MM signing bonus. $500K 2019 option bonus. $500K annually available via catch, playoff, and touchdown incentives (Twitter link via Wilson).
- Adrian Clayborn, DE (Patriots): Two years, $10MM. $5.5MM guaranteed. $4MM signing bonus (Twitter link via Ben Volin of the Boston Globe).
- Albert Wilson, WR (Dolphins): Three years, $24MMM. $14.45MM guaranteed. $4.5MM signing bonus (Twitter link via Wilson).
- Marcus Gilchrist, S (Raiders): One year, $4MM. $3.85MM guaranteed. $1.85MM signing bonus. $1MM available via playtime, interceptions, and Pro Bowl incentives (Twitter link via Wilson).
- Tramaine Brock, CB (Broncos): One year, $3MM. Fully guaranteed. $1MM signing bonus. $1MM available via playtime incentives (Twitter link via Mike Klis of 9News).
- Seantrel Henderson, T (Texans): One year, $4MM. $1MM guaranteed. $500K signing bonus (Twitter link via Wilson).
NFC
- Alex Smith, QB (Redskins): Four years, $94MM. $55MM guaranteed. $27MM signing bonus (Twitter links via Tom Pelissero of NFL.com and Albert Breer of TheMMQB.com).
- Justin Pugh, OL (Cardinals): Five years, $45.025MM. $15.75MM guaranteed. $10MM signing bonus (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle).
- Vinny Curry, DE (Buccaneers): Three years, $23MM. $6.5MM guaranteed (Twitter link via Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times).
- Zach Brown, LB (Redskins): Three years, $21MM. $10MM guaranteed. $4.5MM signing bonus. $1MM annually available in Pro Bowl, All-Pro incentives (Twitter link via Wilson).
- Ed Dickson, TE (Seahawks): Three years, $10.7MM. $3.6MM guaranteed. $2.6MM signing bonus. $1.1MM annually available via catch, yards, and Pro Bowl incentive (Twitter link via Wilson).
- Aaron Lynch, LB/DE (Bears): One year, $4MM. $1.25MM guaranteed. $1MM signing bonus (Twitter link via Wilson).
Kirk Cousins' Agent Researched Dolphins
- The seven-team research list McCartney’s office compiled earlier this offseason included the final four teams, but also featured the Bills, Browns and Dolphins. Going into the final week, King notes McCartney and Cousins felt the Jets and Vikings had the edge but acknowledged the Broncos and Cardinals were still in the mix. McCartney told teams a fully guaranteed contract was important during this process. It’s unclear if the Cardinals offered that, but the other two proposals were for fully guaranteed deals. The agent confirmed only the Vikings, Cardinals and Jets made offers, and Minnesota’s included the pitch of possibly being in position to win multiple titles with Cousins as the missing piece. King notes Minnesota’s new stadium and new facility also surfaced during the team’s over-the-phone proposal.
AFC East Notes: Pouncey, Jets, Draft
The Dolphins are overhauling their roster this offseason, looking to improve the culture of the club. A move that wasn’t motivated by the locker room, however, was the release of veteran center Mike Pouncey, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets.
Rapoport notes the All-Pro center received rave reviews for his leadership skills and toughness, but was simply cut because the Dolphins invested more money in the signing of Josh Sitton and the trade for Daniel Kilgore. Pouncey, who had three years left on his current deal, asked and was granted his release earlier this week after declining to take a pay cut. The Dolphins saved $7MM against the cap with the move.
Despite playing in all 16 games, Pouncey struggled through a hip injury in 2017. Pro Football Focus noted his down year, grading Pouncey as just the No. 27 center in the NFL. It’s possible Pouncey will require hip replacement surgery down the road, while at least one doctor has reportedly recommended that Pouncey retire, but he’s rejected that advice tho this point.
Since the trade deadline in 2017, the Dolphins have now parted ways with top producers like Jarvis Landry, Ndamukong Suh and Jay Ajayi, while also releasing veterans Lawrence Timmons and Julius Thomas.
Here’s more from around the AFC East:
- Sticking with Pouncey, it was reported earlier in the week that he would take his first visit to meet with the Chargers on Sunday. That meeting is expected to be an extended one that will last through Monday and include a physical, CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora tweets. The Buccaneers and Colts have also shown interest in the center, but Tampa Bay could be more content now after signing Ryan Jensen to the richest deal for a center in NFL history.
- After acquiring the No. 3 pick in the upcoming draft from the Colts, the Jets have not ruled out moving up even further, ESPN’s Rich Cimini writes. Cimini thinks that if they have one or two quarterbacks markedly ahead of the rest of the pack, New York could swing a deal for the Giants’ No. 2 pick or Cleveland’s No. 1. He does not that it is unlikely and would probably be “too rich for the Jets’ blood.”
- Cimini also thinks the Jets prefer Josh Allen, Sam Darnold and Josh Rosen to Oklahoma’s Baker Mayfield. He notes general manager Mike Maccagnan typically prefers prototypical signal-callers, rather than the undersized Mayfield. “My hunch is that Maccagnan and coach Todd Bowles wouldn’t be fans of the Mayfield sideshow.”