Dolphins Re-Sign Walt Aikens
Walt Aikens is re-signing with the Dolphins on a two-year deal, a league source tells Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald (on Twitter). The defensive back is now under contract with Miami through the 2019 season.
Aikens played in all 16 games last season in a backup role and tallied a forced fumble and two tackles without an interception. Aikens was the only member of the Dolphins’ cornerbacks group that was set to become an unrestricted free agent. The 26-year-old still has the likes of Cordrea Tankersley, Reshad Jones, Bobby McCain and Trae Elston in front of him on the depth chart and under contract for next season.
The Dolphins took Aikens in the fourth round of the 2014 draft out of Liberty and he’s missed just two games over his four-year career while making five starts — all coming in 2016. Miami still has a need to address at safety as Nate Allen is due to become a free agent this offseason.
While the Dolphins’ secondary looks like it will remain intact for the most part, the same can’t be said for the team’s front seven. That starts with defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, who was released Monday, and linebacker Lawrence Timmons, who’s expected to be cut before the new league year begins Wednesday. Middle linebacker Koa Misi is also set to become an unrestricted free agent.
Dolphins To Sign WR Albert Wilson
The Dolphins will sign wide receiver Albert Wilson to a three-year, $24MM deal, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link).
Miami still has a relatively deep wide receiver group even after trading the franchise-tagged Jarvis Landry to the Browns last week. Currently, the club’s depth chart is headlined by DeVante Parker and Kenny Stills, while Leonte Carroo, Jakeem Grant, and Rashawn Scott are among the other pass-catchers in South Beach. Wilson, though, will give the Dolphins another experienced option for Ryan Tannehill, or whomever Miami deploys at quarterback in 2017.
2017 marked the best overall campaign for Wilson, who entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent in 2014. Last season, Wilson posted a career-high in receptions (42), yards (554), and touchdowns (three). Among receivers with fewer than 50 receptions, Wilson ranked eighth in Football Outsiders‘ DVOA, meaning he was extremely effective on a per-play basis despite his lack of volume.
The Dolphins aren’t the only club that expressed interest in Wilson, as the Bears — who now employ Wilson’s former Kansas City coordinator Matt Nagy as head coach — had also been linked to the free agent wideout. PFR ranked Wilson as the No. 13 available wideout heading into free agency.
The Chiefs have already made a move to replace Wilson by agreeing to a three-year, $48MM deal with fellow pass-catcher Sammy Watkins.
Dolphins Favorites For WR Albert Wilson
The Dolphins are now considered the favorites to land free agent wide receiver Albert Wilson, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link).
Miami still has a relatively deep wide receiver group even after trading the franchise-tagged Jarvis Landry to the Browns last week. Currently, the club’s depth chart is headlined by DeVante Parker and Kenny Stills, while Leonte Carroo, Jakeem Grant, and Rashawn Scott are among the other pass-catchers in South Beach. Wilson, though, would give the Dolphins another experienced option for Ryan Tannehill, or whomever Miami deploys at quarterback in 2017.
2017 marked the best overall campaign for Wilson, who entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent in 2014. Last season, Wilson posted a career-high in receptions (42), yards (554), and touchdowns (three). Among receivers with fewer than 50 receptions, Wilson ranked eighth in Football Outsiders‘ DVOA, meaning he was extremely effective on a per-play basis despite his lack of volume.
The Dolphins aren’t the only club that has expressed interest in Wilson, as the Bears — who now employ Wilson’s former Kansas City coordinator Matt Nagy as head coach — have also been linked to the free agent wideout. PFR ranked Wilson as the No. 13 available wideout heading into free agency.
Dolphins, Ja’Wuan James Discussing Deal
The Dolphins are discussing a new deal with offensive tackle Ja’Wuan James, who is currently scheduled to play the 2018 campaign under his fifth-year option at a cost of $9.341MM, according to Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald.
Miami clearly isn’t interested in retaining James at his current price, as the former first-round pick has been mentioned as both a a trade and release candidate this offseason. Instead, the Dolphins are offering a James a new deal — whether it’s an extension or just a pay cut is unclear — that would reduce his cap charge in 2018. If James doesn’t accept the proposal, he’s expected to be released, per Salguero.
Hitting the open market wouldn’t necessarily be the worst outcome for James, who was selected in the first round of the 2014 draft. The 2018 free agent tackle class is extremely weak, with Nate Solder and Justin Pugh appearing to be the only clear-cut starters. Thus, James must weigh the Dolphins’ offer against any prospective contracts he thinks he could land as an unrestricted free agent.
James, 25, graded as the league’s No. 17 offensive tackle last season, per Pro Football Focus, which assigned James the highest marks of his career. However, James only appeared in eight games in 2017 thanks to a groin injury, the second campaign of his career in which he played in eight contests or fewer.
Dolphins Release Lawrence Timmons
The Dolphins have released Lawrence Timmons, a source tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). It was first reported back in February that Miami would be moving on from the veteran linebacker.
By cutting Timmons, the Dolphins will save $5.5MM against the cap. Thomas joined the team on a two-year, $12MM deal last offseason, but leaves after appearing in 14 games (13 starts) and recording 58 tackles. His 58 tackles were his lowest total in any season since 2009.
This move became much easier to make after the Dolphins suspended Timmons in September of last year. That voided some of the linebacker’s future guarantees. Had that not occurred, Timmons probably wouldn’t be an easy cap casualty.
The longtime Steelers starter defected to the Dolphins last March on a two-year, $12MM deal with $11MM guaranteed. He finished 2017 with a middling Pro Football Focus grade, mostly due to porous run defense, and will head back to the market.
The Steelers have announced Ryan Shazier will not play in 2018, so they now have a vacancy at inside linebacker and could possibly be amendable to a Timmons deal at a cheaper rate. But with Timmons going into his age-32 season, it’s also possible (if not likely) the AFC North champions go after a younger player to fill in for Shazier.
Dolphins Intersted In Avery Williamson
Linebacker Avery Williamson is drawing interest from the Jets and Dolphins after turning down a four-year, $12MM deal to return to the Titans, according to ESPN’s Dianna Russini (on Twitter). It was reported Sunday by ESPN’s Cameron Wolfe that there was mutual interest in Williamson returning to the Titans.
The Jets currently hold the most cap space of any team in the NFL at over $92MM, topping the Browns after their flurry of weekend moves. Jets inside linebackers Demario Davis, Bruce Carter and Julian Stanford are set to become unrestricted free agents. The Dolphins alleviated some cap issues Monday morning with the reported new that they’ll be cutting Ndamukong Suh. The team is also expected to part ways with linebacker Lawrence Timmons and Koa Misi is due to become a free agent this offseason.
Dolphins Shopping Ja'Wuan James?
The Dolphins may be trying to see if they can unload Ja’Wuan James prior to his fifth-year option becoming guaranteed. A cut candidate, James is set to make $9.34MM on an as-of-now guaranteed-against-injury fifth-year option — which becomes fully guaranteed at 3pm CT Wednesday. Omar Kelly of the Orlando Sentinel reports the Dolphins are shopping the fifth-year right tackle, with the goal appearing to be moving him before free agency and the option vesting. While that is a high salary for a player who hasn’t been especially consistent, and has been injury-prone, plenty of teams are in need of tackle help. Additionally, the Dolphins are planning to re-sign swing tackle Sam Young, Kelly reports. Young, who will turn 31 in June, started six games for Miami last season. He’s a much cheaper option than James, albeit one with a lower ceiling.
Dolphins Still “Strongly” Considering Moving On From Ndamukong Suh
Ndamukong Suh‘s future in Miami is still up in the air. CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora tweets that the Dolphins “continue to strongly consider moving on” from the defensive tackle. Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com notes (via Twitter) that the Dolphins would presumably either keep or trade Suh, as there’s little incentive to cutting him.
With Suh set to count towards $26.1MM of the Dolphins’ cap in 2018, there were already reports that the organization could cut the defensive lineman. Releasing the former second-overall pick as a post-June 1st cut could save the team $17MM, but our own Sam Robinson noted that the organization would be unable use this money until that date. Cutting Suh would also leave Miami with $13.MM worth of dead cap.
Suh joined the Dolphins back in 2015 on a then-record six-year, $114MM deal. The 31-year-old earned a Pro Bowl birth in 2016, but he appeared to take a step back in 2017. In 16 games, the defensive tackle finished with 48 tackles (his lowest total since 2012) and 4.5 sacks (his lowest total since 2011). Despite the declining numbers, Pro Football Focus still ranked Suh fifth among 122 interior defenders.
If the Dolphins were to move on from Suh, they could be eyeing some reinforcement at defensive tackle. Besides the veteran, Miami is currently rostering Davon Godchaux, Jordan Phillips, Vincent Taylor, and Gabe Martin.
Dolphins Trade WR Jarvis Landry To Browns
The Browns have acquired wide receiver Jarvis Landry from the Dolphins, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). Miami will receive a fourth-round pick in 2018 (No. 123) and a seventh-round pick in 2019, the MMQB’s Albert Breer tweets.
The Dolphins used the franchise tag on Landry in February with the sole intent of trading him instead of losing him for nothing. The Dolphins did not want to give Landry a contract that would put him near the top of the wide receiver market, but the Browns apparently do not have reservations about giving him a monster deal.
For the time being, the Browns will assume Landry at the cost of his one-year placeholder, worth nearly $16MM. Presumably, terms of a long-term pact have already been hammered out between the two sides, and that deal should come with an average annual value of no less than $13MM per season. Landry, 25, was rumored to be seeking a $14MM annual salary and $30MM in guarantees during his talks with the ‘Fins.
The Bears and Ravens were also linked to Landry, but the Browns – who count wide receiver amongst their many positional needs this offseason – have stepped up to acquire the dangerous slot target. As of this writing, Landry is the highest-paid player on the roster for 2018.
Over the last four years, Landry has hauled in 400 passes for 4,038 yards and 22 touchdowns for Miami. Landry finished the 2017 season with 987 receiving yards, though his yards per catch average dipped to a career low 8.8 per catch. The Browns still have to figure out their quarterback situation, but they have a lethal 1-2 at wide receiver in Landry and Josh Gordon. Former first round pick Corey Coleman is also in the mix and the Browns are hoping that he can take a step forward with a more talented QB throwing to him.
[RELATED: Browns Depth Chart]
Dolphins Considering Ndamukong Suh Cut
Entering the fourth year of his mega-contract, Ndamukong Suh is slated to take up $26.1MM of the Dolphins’ cap. And the franchise is considering shedding that massive number.
The Dolphins have not made a final decision but are discussing a release of Suh, Diana Russini of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter).
Miami has reportedly been exploring this possibility for a while, although the team denied a November report it was doing so. It now seems to be escalating to the point that there will be a real chance the one-time superstar free agent winds up back on the market three years after he signed a then-record six-year, $114MM deal.
After a disappointing 2015 season, Suh has resurfaced as high-end contributor. Despite not being named to the Pro Bowl like he was in 2016, Suh graded as Pro Football Focus’ No. 5 interior defender last season. Although he turned 31 in January, the former Lions dynamo would have a big market if he again becomes a free agent.
By designating Suh as a post-June 1 cut, the Dolphins could save $17MM. But they’d be unable to use the created funds until that date. Doing this would place a $13.1MM dead cap number on the Dolphins’ 2019 payroll.