Dolphins To Cut Lawrence Timmons, Julius Thomas
The Dolphins are planning to cut linebacker Lawrence Timmons and tight end Julius Thomas prior to the beginning of the new league year on March 14 to help relieve cap issues, per Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald. Salguero also speculates that the team may look to shed the fifth-year option for offensive tackle Ja’Wuan James, making him a free agent.
In total, the move would save the Dolphins $21MM and would open up around $11MM in cap space. As it stands without the cuts, the Dolphins are projected to be $7MM-$8MM over a projected $177MM salary cap, with 55 players under contract.
By cutting Thomas, the Dolphins would save $6.6MM in cap room and would save $5,5 MM by cutting Timmons. If they don’t pick up the option on James, that would save them $9.34MM. Salguero points out that $11MM in cap space may not be enough to make a major splash in free agency this offseason, considering what sources described to him as a shallow free agent pool that could lead to prices being driven up for top-level talent.
Timmons signed a two-year, $12MM with the Dolphins last offseason. He appeared in 14 games (13 starts) and recorded 58 tackles, his lowest total since 2009. Thomas ended his first season with the Dolphins on injured reserve. The two-time Pro Bowler was set to enter the second season of a two-year, $12MM deal. James made eight starts at right tackle last season and has made 47 starts through the first four years of his career.
The Dolphins may be in the market for an outside linebacker, with Koa Misi also due to hit free agency. Backup tight end Anthony Fasano is slated to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason as well.
Dolphins Plan To Keep Mike Pouncey
The Dolphins plan to keep Mike Pouncey. For now. 
Despite speculation that Miami could cut the center or ask him to take a pay cut, that’s not something the Dolphins are currently planning on, a league source tells Armando Salguero of The Miami Herald.
Pouncey appeared in all 16 of the Dolphins’ games last year, despite dealing with a hip injury may 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 the Dolphins apparently believe that he’ll hold up just fine in 2018.
Some would argue that Pouncey is no longer worth a $9MM cap hit, particularly since the Dolphins would be left with just $2MM in dead money by releasing him. Last year, Pro Football Focus graded Pouncey as the league’s No. 25 center, a sharp contract with his No. 11 ranking in 2015. Still, the snapper is a favorite of coach Adam Gase, so his spot looks to be secure.
Salguero cautions that Pouncey’s status with the team could change if his injury is re-aggravated, but all signs currently point to the center staying in place.
Dolphins Still Shopping WR Jarvis Landry?
When the Dolphins slapped Jarvis Landry with the franchise tag earlier this evening, it was assumed that the wideout would remain with the organization through at least the 2018 season. However, Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com says the receiver could be shipped out in a trade as early as this offseason.
A league source told Florio that the “quick tag” can be attributed to the team’s desire to trade Landry. A deal couldn’t be completed until Landry signs his tender, and Florio believes a trade would be unlikely unless the wideout agrees to a long-term contract with his new squad. Either way, a trade wouldn’t be completely unexpected, as there were whispers that the Dolphins were shopping Landry prior to last season’s trade deadline.
After the two sides failed to make any progress following months of negotiations, the Dolphins surprisingly franchised Landry earlier this evening. The one-year tender is estimated to be worth approximately $16.23MM, which should satisfy the wideout for the time being. Landry’s camp was previously seeking $30MM in guaranteed money and an average salary of $14MM, a pair of numbers that would rank in the top-five among receivers.
As our own Zach Links noted earlier tonight, league rules indicate that the Dolphins have until July 16 to agree on a long-term contract with Landry. If there is no compromise, Landry will play under the one-year deal, and the two sides cannot resume negotiations until after the season.
After two straight 1,000-yard campaigns, Landry finished the 2017 season with 987 receiving yards. The 25-year-old did compile a league-leading 112 receptions and a career-high nine receiving touchdowns, earning him his third-straight Pro Bowl nod.
Dolphins To Franchise Tag WR Jarvis Landry
The top wide receiver in this year’s free agent class is off of the table. The Dolphins will place the franchise tag on Jarvis Landry, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). The official numbers are not out yet, but it is believed that the one-year tender will be worth approximately $16.23MM. The Dolphins have since confirmed the transaction via press release.
It’s a surprising turn of events considering the lack of fruitful negotiations between the two sides. For months, all indications have been that the Dolphins would not tag Landry, preferring instead to negotiate with him up until March and potentially allow him to explore the open market.
In December, Landry’s agent Damarius Bilbo asked the Dolphins for a contract worth roughly $14MM per year with $30MM in guarantees. It’s expected that he’ll enter the coming round of negotiations with a similar ask. The Dolphins, who are looking to preserve what limited cap space they have, will push back and potentially open up talks with Kenny Britt‘s four-year, $32MM deal from last offseason as a starting point.
At one point, the Dolphins were wary of giving Landry a bloated multi-year deal because they wanted to preserve room for locking up DeVante Parker down the line. After a so-so injury-ladened season from the former first-round pick, they’re probably less concerned on that front. The Dolphins have Parker under contract through the 2018 season at a reasonable $3.46MM charge. If he breaks out in 2018, they can use the fifth-year option to control him through 2019.
Landry has topped 1,100 yards in two of his NFL seasons and nearly reached 1,000 yards in 2017. He also scored a career-high nine touchdowns and broke his own franchise record with 112 receptions. However, his yards per catch average dipped to a career low 8.8 per contest. At the end of the day, Landry presents a difficult conundrum for the Dolphins. There’s no denying that he is a lethal slot receiver, but is a slot receiver worth a potentially market shifting contract?
A $14MM/year deal would put Landry in line with Demaryius Thomas and Dez Bryant, putting him just outside of the league’s top five wide receivers in terms of average annual value. The request of $30MM in full guarantees would give him the fifth-highest total among WRs, behind only DeAndre Hopkins, Julio Jones, Thomas, and Bryant (If you’re wondering where Antonio Brown is in all of this – he has the highest AAV at $17MM, but trails the aforementioned players in those other categories).
Per league rules, the Dolphins have until July 16 to hammer out a long-term contract with Landry. Otherwise, Landry will play under the one-year deal and the two sides cannot resume negotiations until after the season.
With Landry off the board, Allen Robinson and Sammy Watkins are now positioned to be the best available wide receivers in free agency. Of course, the Jaguars and Rams could change that by also using the franchise tag on them. If Robinson and Watkins don’t reach the open market, then there will be a serious dearth of quality wide receivers available. In that scenario, Marqise Lee of the Jaguars could wind up as the belle of the ball.
2018 NFL Franchise Tag Candidates
Starting today, NFL teams will be able to place franchise and transition tags on potential free agents for the first time. While the window for franchise tags is open, most clubs won’t actually tag any players right away.
As our list of important dates for the 2018 offseason shows, the deadline for teams to assign those tags doesn’t come until Tuesday, March 6. Usually, when it comes to NFL contract discussions, deadlines spur action, so teams will wait until that deadline approaches to officially use franchise tags, once it becomes clear that they won’t be able to strike a longer-term deal yet with their respective free-agents-to-be.
Even though the action might not heat up for a couple more weeks, it’s worth taking a closer look at what to expect during 2018’s franchise tag period. The NFL hasn’t officially announced the salary cap figure for 2017, but OverTheCap.com recently projected the 2018 franchise tag salaries based on a presumed $178MM cap. Here are the expected non-exclusive franchise tag amounts:
- Quarterback: $23.09MM
- Running back: $11.72MM
- Wide receiver: $16.23MM
- Tight end: $10.36MM
- Offensive line: $14.54MM
- Defensive end: $17.52MM
- Defensive tackle: $14.53MM
- Linebacker: $15.47MM
- Cornerback: $14.88MM
- Safety: $11.08MM
- Punter/kicker: $5.06MM
(For a refresher on the characteristics of the exclusive and non-exclusive franchise tags, as well as the transition tag, be sure to check out PFR’s glossary entry on the subject.)
Here’s our look at the most likely candidates to be tagged, along with several more outside possibilities:
Virtual Locks:
- Le’Veon Bell, RB, Steelers: Last offseason, things got pretty weird between the Steelers and Bell. Just before the deadline to extend franchise tagged players, the Steelers believed that they had agreed on a five-year offer worth roughly $60MM. Ultimately, Bell backed out because he did not find the guarantees and cash flow to be to his liking. Soon after, friend and former teammate Ike Taylor said that Bell wanted a contract that reflects his performance as both a No. 1 back and a No. 2 receiver – something in the neighborhood of $15MM per year.
This year, Bell topped his 75 catch total with 85 grabs, so one has to imagine that his position hasn’t changed. Despite some retirement threats in January, Bell has indicated that talks are going better this time around. Here’s where things get interesting – the Steelers say that today (Feb. 20) is the “deadline” for a long-term deal to get signed. If not, they’ll go ahead and franchise tag him for a second consecutive season, leaving Bell with a one-year, $14.5MM pact when factoring in the 20% increase. Will Bell buckle and sign a deal that isn’t quite to his satisfaction? In theory, the running back could abstain from offseason activities and even reboot retirement talk in an effort to get the Steelers to cave and abide by the real extension deadline on July 16. - Demarcus Lawrence, DE, Cowboys: It has already been reported that the Cowboys will go ahead and tag Lawrence to prevent him from reaching free agency. Once that happens, you can expect the cash-strapped Cowboys to get to work on an extension that will smooth out the $17.5MM cap hit for defensive ends. There won’t be much drama as to whether the Cowboys will or won’t tag Lawrence, but the subsequent multi-year negotiations will be interesting to watch. Lawrence had a rocky first three seasons in the NFL, but he stepped up big in his contract year with 14.5 sacks. The Cowboys must be willing to pay Lawrence like a top DE, but they may insist on protections like an easy escape hatch or heavy roster bonuses in the event that he is injured or suspended.
Strong Candidates:
- Sammy Watkins, WR, Rams: As our own Micah Powell explained on Sunday, Watkins is a candidate for the tag with mutual interest on both sides in continuing their union. Committing major dollars to Watkins is dicey, however, given his injury history and his somewhat disappointing stat line in 2017. If the Rams let Watkins hit the open market, they’ll risk losing him to other teams with more wiggle room under the salary cap. In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king. And in a weak crop of free agent wide receivers, Watkins could clean up and leave the Rams without an obvious replacement.
- Allen Robinson, WR, Jaguars: Tagging Watkins will be a tough call for the Rams and the Jaguars have a similarly difficult decision to make when it comes to Robinson. Robinson played only three snaps in 2017 before going down with a torn ACL and he didn’t set the world on fire in 2016. However, his 2015 performance – 80 catches, 1,400 yards, and a league-leading 14 touchdowns – makes it hard for Jacksonville to let him walk. In theory, the Jaguars could re-sign fellow free agent Marqise Lee and let Robinson go, but Robinson is clearly the more talented of the two and one could argue that Lee’s late-season emergence was fueled by advantageous matchups. It’ll be pricey, but the Jaguars are suddenly in position to win and they can’t afford to let one of their best weapons bolt.
Toss Up:
- Kyle Fuller, CB, Bears: Frankly, I’m conflicted on this one. I’m sure Bears GM Ryan Pace can relate. Fuller turned in a strong rookie campaign and an excellent contract year, but he was a victim of the sophomore jinx and an unfortunate knee injury which cost him his entire season as an NFL junior. Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com hears that Fuller will not be with the Bears this year. But, considering that Fuller graded out as Pro Football Focus’ No. 22 ranked cornerback and the position is already a major area of need for the team, the Bears have to at least think about tagging him for $14.88MM.
- Ezekiel Ansah, DE, Lions: Ansah has performed pretty well over the last two seasons, despite playing through some serious pain. The Lions probably aren’t thrilled about extending a one-year, $17.5MM tender to Ansah, but pressure generating edge rushers like him are at a premium. Consider this: Ansah tallied 12 sacks last year despite knee, ankle, and back ailments. Only seven players topped that total: Chandler Jones, Calais Campbell, DeMarcus Lawrence, Everson Griffen, Cam Jordan, Ryan Kerrigan, and Joey Bosa.
- Case Keenum, QB, Vikings: Is one year as an elite quarterback enough to justify the franchise tag? Maybe, but the Vikings have options at their disposal, including two other pending free agents already on the roster. If the Vikings can’t retain Keenum or Bradford or Bridgewater with a reasonable multi-year deal between now and free agency, they can use their mountain of cap space to get involved in the Cousins sweepstakes.
- Sheldon Richardson, DT, Seahawks: The Jets had both Richardson and Muhammad Wilkerson under contract, but they could only afford to pay one of the two defensive linemen. Clearly, they chose wrong. For all of the headaches that Richardson gave the team, the five-year, $86MM deal given to Wilkerson wound up being a monumental mistake and will continue to be an albatross for the Jets even after they cut him this offseason. The Seahawks gave up a second-round choice and wide receiver Jermaine Kearse to get Richardson – will they make the same mistake and let him get away? Perhaps not, but it would also be a major gamble to tag him at $14.5MM with limited cap space and other holes to address. The best course of action here may be to try and work out a fresh deal without the franchise tag as a floor for Richardson’s camp. If that fails and the two sides can’t come to terms, the Seahawks can at least collect a 2019 compensatory pick.
Dolphins Interested In C.J. Anderson?
- The Dolphins would be interested in bringing in C.J. Anderson if the Broncos cut him, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald writes. Miami attempted to sign Anderson following the 2016 season but the Broncos matched their offer. The Dolphins recently hired former Broncos running backs coach Eric Studesville for the same position. Anderson was very critical of the team’s decision to let Studesville go.
- Dolphins DL coach Craig Kuligowski left the team to pursue other opportunities, Matt Baker of the Tampa Bay Times reports (Twitter link). That other opportunity is expected to be as the new Alabama DL coach, Fox Sports’ Bruce Feldman reports (Twitter link).
Dolphins May Still Seek To Tag Landry?
ESPN.com’s NFL Nation reporters took a crack at predicting how each team may use its franchise tag this offseason. Of note, Jeff Dickerson predicts the Bears will use their tag to retain free agent-to-be Kyle Fuller, despite a report he would not be returning to Chicago. The franchise tag for cornerbacks last season was $14.21MM. Other notable predictions included the Seahawks tagging Sheldon Richardson, the Dolphins placing their top tag on Jarvis Landry and the Giants keeping a key offensive line piece in Justin Pugh. All are among the top players at their respective positions set to hit unrestricted free agency. Miami tagging Landry would make for an interesting situation considering the fifth-year receiver and the Dolphins have been at an impasse about an extension for several months. This led to a report that Landry doesn’t believe he’ll be back in Miami. Landry’s also believed to want a deal in the $14MM-AAV range. With the wide receiver tag is expected to be worth approximately $16.2MM, Landry could be a candidate to sign a franchise tender early in the event the Dolphins proceed this way.
Former S Renaldo Hill Joins Fins' Staff
- Former Dolphins safety Renaldo Hill will now work with the team as a coach, being hired as Miami’s assistant defensive backs coach. The team notes this is the 10th former Dolphins player to serve as a Fins coach. Hill, who played 10 NFL seasons and spent three seasons (2006-08) in Miami, has coached at Wyoming and the University of Pittsburgh since 2012. This will be his first NFL coaching gig.
- Detroit continued to configure its defensive staff on Thursday, hiring Bo Davis to instruct its defensive linemen, the team announced. Davis will join the Lions after spending most of the past two decades on Nick Saban‘s staffs at LSU, the Dolphins and Alabama. However, Davis’ Crimson Tide tenure — one that included coaching current Lions lineman A’Shawn Robinson, ended in 2016 when he resigned from Alabama due to NCAA violations. Davis, however, resurfaced at Texas-San Antonio last season and coached first-round defensive end hopeful Marcus Davenport.
- Former Dolphins safety Renaldo Hill will now work with the team as a coach, being hired as Miami’s assistant defensive backs coach. The team notes this is the 10th former Dolphins player to serve as a Fins coach. Hill, who played 10 NFL seasons and spent three seasons (2006-08) in Miami, has coached at Wyoming and the University of Pittsburgh since 2012. This will be his first NFL coaching gig.
Top 3 Offseason Needs: Miami Dolphins
In advance of March 14, the start of free agency in the NFL, Pro Football Rumors will detail each team’s three most glaring roster issues. We’ll continue this year’s series with the Miami Dolphins, who missed the playoffs with a disappointing 6-10 record.
Depth Chart (via Roster Resource)
Pending Free Agents:
- Walt Aikens, CB
- Nate Allen, S
- Lamin Barrow, LB
- Jake Brendel, C (ERFA)
- Jermon Bushrod, G
- Jay Cutler, QB
- John Denney, LS
- David Fales, QB (RFA)
- Terrence Fede, DE
- Anthony Fasano, TE
- William Hayes, DE
- Neville Hewitt, LB (RFA)
- Mike Hull, LB (ERFA)
- Jarvis Landry, WR
- Jordan Lucas, CB (ERFA)
- Koa Misi, LB
- Matt Moore, QB
- Cody Parkey, K
- Rashawn Scott, WR (ERFA)
- De’Veon Smith, RB (ERFA)
- Anthony Steen, OL (ERFA)
- Michael Thomas, S
- Alterraun Verner, CB
- Damien Williams, RB
- Gabe Wright, DT (RFA)
- Sam Young, T
Top 10 Cap Hits for 2018:
- Ndamukong Suh, DT: $26,100,000
- Ryan Tannehill, QB: $19,800,000
- Reshad Jones, S: $11,575,000
- Andre Branch, DE: $10,000,000
- Kenny Stills, WR: $9,750,000
- Kiko Alonso, LB: $9,637,500
- Ja’Wuan James, T: $9,341,000
- Mike Pouncey, C: $9,000,000
- Cameron Wake, DE: $8,625,000
- Lawrence Timmons, LB: $8,225,000
Other:
- Projected cap space (via Over the Cap): $14,227,046
- 11th pick in draft
- Must exercise or decline 2019 fifth-year option for WR DeVante Parker
- Must exercise or decline 2019 fifth-year option for LB Stephone Anthony
Three Needs:
1. Offensive guard. This was a rough year for the Dolphins offensive line between injuries and the midseason scandal that resulted in OL coach Chris Foerster‘s resignation. The Dolphins finished the year 30th in run blocking according to Football Outsiders‘ adjusted line yards metric and that’s bad news since the team clearly needs to establish the run game going forward. 
Miami placed dead last in the league with 360 rushing attempts in 2017. For reference, the franchise record for fewest rushing attempts in a season is 326, back in 1967 when the regular season was only 14 games long. On a per game basis, Miami averaged just 22.5 carries per game this past season versus 23.9 in ’67. Much of that has to do with the Dolphins often playing from behind last year, but the Dolphins must keep defenses honest with a balanced offensive attack next year.
“There are some times where you just go, ‘Man, we’re getting it,’” former offensive coordinator Clyde Christensen said of the team’s run blocking back in December (via Chris Perkins of the Sun Sentinel). “And then there are times where you go, ‘How does that happen? How did we set him free?’”
The Dolphins’ starting guards – Jermon Bushrod and Ted Larsen – are both due for free agency. Given that they both graded out as the No. 62 and No. 67 ranked guards in the league, per Pro Football Focus, and battled injuries, they are unlikely to return as first shift interior linemen. Jesse Davis (ranked 63rd by PFF) and 2017 fifth-round choice Issac Asiata remain under contract, but neither player is in line for a promotion. In theory, Laremy Tunsil could be moved from tackle to guard, but the team has said that he will remain on the outside.
Whether it’s through free agency, the draft, or trades, the Dolphins need to add at least two guards this offseason.
Updated 2018 NFL Draft Order
With the Super Bowl in the books, we now know the draft order for the entire first round of the 2018 draft. Here’s the rundown:
1. Cleveland Browns (0-16)
2. New York Giants (3-13)
3. Indianapolis Colts (4-12)
4. Cleveland Browns (via the 4-12 Houston Texans)
5. Denver Broncos (5-11)
6. New York Jets (5-11)
7. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5-11)
8. Chicago Bears (5-11)
T-9. Oakland Raiders (6-10)
T-9. San Francisco 49ers (6-10) (Note: The Raiders and 49ers have identical records and the same strength of schedule. The tie will be broken by a coin flip with the winner getting pick No. 9 and the other club receiving the No. 10 pick.)
11. Miami Dolphins (6-10)
12. Cincinnati Bengals (7-9)
13. Washington Redskins (7-9)
14. Green Bay Packers (7-9)
15. Arizona Cardinals (8-8)
16. Baltimore Ravens (9-7)
17. Los Angeles Chargers (9-7)
18. Seattle Seahawks (9-7)
19. Dallas Cowboys (9-7)
20. Detroit Lions (9-7)
21. Buffalo Bills (9-7)
22. Buffalo Bills (via the 10-6 Kansas City Chiefs)
23. Los Angeles Rams (11-5)
24. Carolina Panthers (11-5)
25. Tennessee Titans (9-7)
26. Atlanta Falcons (10-6)
27. New Orleans Saints (11-5)
28. Pittsburgh Steelers (13-3)
29. Jacksonville Jaguars (10-6)
30. Minnesota Vikings (13-3)
31. New England Patriots (13-3)
32. Philadelphia Eagles (13-3)