Dolphins To Meet With RB DeMarco Murray
Free agent running back DeMarco Murray will visit the Dolphins on Sunday, according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald (Twitter link). Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com (Twitter link) reported earlier today that Miami had inquired on Murray, who has also met with the Seahawks and Lions since getting a pink slip from the Titans.
Murray, 30, is coming off of a down season in which he amassed just 659 yards and averaged 3.6 yards per carry. On a per-tote basis, it matched the career low he set in his lone season with the Eagles. He did have 39 catches for 266 yards, however, and may be capable of getting back to his old form with a new team. Murray ultimately graded out as Pro Football Focus’ No. 40 running back in the league.
Murray would certainly provide the Dolphins will some experience at running back, as the team’s current options are all 26 or younger. Behind projected starter Kenyan Drake, Miami is also rostering Senorise Perry, De’Veon Smith, and Brandon Radcliff.
Extra Points: DRC, Redskins, Maxwell
Free agent cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie says he’s in no rush to make a decision in free agency. Right now, he’s hoping to make a decision “in April sometime” (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Josina Anderson).
Rodgers-Cromartie visited with the Redskins and had a meeting scheduled with the Saints, but it seems that New Orleans lost interest after signing fellow corner Patrick Robinson. The Redskins could still use an addition to their cornerback group, but it’s possible that their offer was not to DRC’s liking. Or, perhaps no offer was made.
Before he was released by the Giants, DRC reportedly agreed to play safety in 2018. That could be a solution for him if his market continues to stall.
Here’s more from around the NFL:
- As teams try to hold onto their own players, two to watch: The Redskins are working to keep outside linebacker Junior Galette and the Seahawks are doing the same with cornerback Byron Maxwell, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). We had Galette ranked as a top-12 edge rusher heading into free agency. Maxwell did not make the top 15 at his position due to his decline in performance and the depth of this year’s CB crop.
- Linebacker Demario Davis says the Jets didn’t make him an offer before he signed with the Saints. “The shocking thing was the Jets didn’t make me an offer, so that made my decision easy because all I had to do was look at the contenders,” Davis said (via Rod Walker of The Advocate). “It would have been something to weigh. The hardest decision isn’t where to go, but deciding if you want to go or stay. So I didn’t have to make that decision so that was the peaceful thing about it. I was able to just weight my options objectively.” Things worked out just fine for Davis as he signed a three-year, $24MM deal with New Orleans.
- The Dolphins have been talking with agent Drew Rosenhaus about re-signing offensive tackle Sam Young, Armando Salguero of The Miami Herald tweets. If retained, Young would return as Miami’s third offensive tackle.
Dolphins Re-Sign QB David Fales
The Dolphins have re-signed quarterback David Fales to a one-year contract, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
Miami opted not to tender Fales as a restricted free agent before the 2018 league year began on Wednesday. Instead, they’ll bring him back on a one-year deal that will presumably be worth less than than original round tender of $1.907MM. That tender would have been fully non-guaranteed, while Fales’ new pact could conceivably contain some guaranteed money.
It’s unclear if the Dolphins trust Fales to be their No. 2 quarterback behind current starter Ryan Tannehill, but Brandon Doughty is the only other signal-caller on the roster at the moment. Fales, 27, has a history with Miami head coach Adam Gase, but had only attempted six career passes before getting a game’s worth of work in the 2017 season finale.
49ers Trade C Daniel Kilgore To Dolphins
The 49ers announced they’ve traded center Daniel Kilgore to the Dolphins. Kilgore will take the place of Mike Pouncey, who will be released. 
In the swap, the Niners will send a seventh-round pick to Miami and receive a seventh-round pick in return, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. In the deal, Miami will assume both Kilgore’s contract and bonus.
Kilgore inked an extension with San Francisco just one month ago, but the signing of Weston Richburg has displaced him. There was some thought to Richburg playing guard for the Niners, but we now know that he’ll be lining up at his native position.
Kilgore will cost the Dolphins $5.3MM in 2018, including a $2.3MM roster bonus that comes due on Thursday. After that, he has cap hits of $2.7MM in 2019 and $3.6MM in 2020. Those numbers are significantly cheaper than the contract of Pouncey, who would have carried cap hits of $9MM, $8.2MM, and $9MM over the next three seasons.
Last summer, Kilgore projected as a reserve for San Francisco. However, after the Niners waived Jeremy Zuttah, he beat out free agent pickup Tim Barnes for the starting job. The advanced metrics weren’t keen on him, but the Niners felt he had considerable value. That is, until Richburg became available this week.
[RELATED: Dolphins Depth Chart]
Dolphins To Sign Josh Sitton
The Dolphins have agreed to a two-year deal with free agent guard Josh Sitton, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Miami hosted Sitton on a visit on Wednesday.
Sitton’s contract will be worth $15MM in base value, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets, adding that it could max out at $18MM. The veteran guard will receive $8MM in guarantees.
Guard has long been a problem in South Beach, but the Dolphins have now landed a former All-Pro in Sitton. The 31-year-old Sitton has experience at both left and right guard, and could conceivably slide into either spot for Miami. Whatever position he lands at, Sitton will be playing next to new Dolphins center, as the club released veteran Mike Pouncey earlier today.
Sitton originally joined the Bears in 2016 after surprisingly being released by the division rival Packers. Although minor health issues have been a concern, Sitton has been outstanding in the Windy City. Just last season, Sitton ranked as the the fifth-best guard in the league, per Pro Football Focus, and his marks have remained steady throughout the duration of his career. Despite that production, Chicago opted to decline Sitton’s $8MM option for 2018.
With Sitton off the market, the best free agent guards remaining include Jack Mewhort, Alex Boone, Matt Slauson, D.J. Fluker, and Joe Berger.
[RELATED: Dolphins Depth Chart]
Minor NFL Transactions: 3/15/18
We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:
Arizona Cardinals
- Re-signed: OL Vinston Painter
Houston Texans
- Re-signed: DL Angelo Blackson
- Re-signed: LB Brian Peters
Los Angeles Rams
- Re-signed: OLB Garrett Sickels
Miami Dolphins
- Re-signed: LS John Denney
New York Giants
- Re-signed: DT Robert Thomas (ERFA)
- Signed: CB Curtis Riley
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Re-signed: RB Fitzgerald Toussaint
Chiefs Interested In Chad Henne, Matt Moore
The Chiefs will meet with Chad Henne on Thursday night, according to ESPN.com’s Jeff Darlington (on Twitter). The Chiefs also have interest in Dolphins free agent signal caller Matt Moore, Darlington adds. 
The Titans and Dolphins are also showing interest in Henne, who has spent the last six seasons with the Jaguars. Henne has appeared in only six games since 2014, but NFL teams believe that he profiles as a solid backup option. In KC, he’d be the No. 2 QB behind Patrick Mahomes, giving them an experienced Plan B. The last time Henne, 33 in July, saw consistent playing time was 2013, when he completed 60.6% of his passes for 3,241 yards, 13 touchdowns, and 14 interceptions.
Moore, another free agent QB from a Florida team, will turn 34 in August. Last year, it was reported that he felt slighted by Miami’s signing of Jay Cutler, so he could be looking to move on this offseason.
Dolphins To Release C Mike Pouncey
Dolphins center Mike Pouncey has been released, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). While Schefter reports Pouncey requested his release, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (Twitter link) says Miami asked Pouncey to accept a 50% pay reduction, which he declined.
Pouncey now joins Ryan Jensen as one of the top available centers in free agency. Jensen is coming off of a tremendous year in which he was ranked as the No. 6 center in the NFL by Pro Football Focus. Pouncey, for all of his name value and past accolades, comes with question marks.
Pouncey did not look like his usual self last year. Although he appeared in all 16 of the Dolphins’ games his hip injury slowed him down. In the past, we’ve heard that he may eventually require replacement surgery at some point. One doctor went so far as to tell Pouncey that he would have to retire as a result of the malady, but Pouncey, for now, is bucking medical advice.
By releasing Pouncey, the Dolphins will get out from under his $9MM cap hit with just $2MM in dead money.
Last year, PFF ranked Pouncey as the league’s No. 25 center, a sharp contract with his No. 11 ranking in 2015.
William Hayes Re-Signs With Dolphins
William Hayes is headed back to Miami. Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports (via Twitter) that the defensive end is signing a one-year deal with the Dolphins.
The veteran lineman was traded to Miami last offseason following five seasons with the Rams organization. The 32-year-old proceeded to play in 10 games for the Dolphins, compiling 19 tackles and a single sack. This was a far cry from his performance with the Rams, as Hayes collected at least four sacks each season between 2012 and 2016.
Despite the underwhelming numbers, Pro Football Focus was fond of his performance in 2017. Hayes played only 271 snaps, so he wasn’t eligible for the site’s ranking. However, his grade would have earned him a spot among the top-20 edge defenders. The site had also ranked Hayes favorably in each of the five previous seasons. The veteran was ranked second among edge defenders in our free agent positional rankings.
With the lineman back in the picture, the Dolphins seem to be set at defensive end. Hayes will likely compete with Andre Branch for snaps behind Robert Quinn and Cameron Wake.
Titans, Dolphins Interested In QB Chad Henne
Quarterback Chad Henne is set to meet with the Titans, reports ESPN’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter). The Dolphins have also expressed interest in the veteran signal-caller, according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald (via Twitter).
Signing with Miami would be a bit of a homecoming for the 32-year-old, who spent the first four seasons of his career with the Dolphins. Henne has spent the past six years with the Jaguars, where he’s started 22 games. The veteran hasn’t seen the field much recently, as he’s only appeared in six games since 2014. The last time Henne saw consistent playing time was 2013, when he completed 60.6% of his passes for 3,241 yards, 13 touchdowns, and 14 interceptions.
Both the Titans and Dolphins would presumably be eyeing Henne for a backup role. Tennessee is currently rolling with Tyler Ferguson as the backup to Marcus Mariota, while Miami is rostering Brandon Doughty behind Ryan Tannehill.