Dolphins Sign Nate Allen
The Dolphins have signed free agent safety Nate Allen, reports Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald (Twitter link).
The 29-year-old Allen figures to help fill the void of fellow safety Isa Abdul-Quddus, whom the Dolphins cut earlier this week. Allen, like Abdul-Quddus, has endured injury troubles recently, having missed 11 games in 2015 on account of a torn MCL. He bounced back last year to appear in 14 games and make four starts as a member of the Raiders, with whom he totaled 26 tackles and two interceptions.
Before landing in Oakland in 2015, Allen spent the first five years of his career with the Eagles, who selected him in the second round of the 2010 draft. Allen has since totaled 93 appearances, 76 starts and 13 picks. He’ll join star Reshad Jones, Walt Aikens and A.J. Hendy as the Dolphins’ current safeties.
Dolphins Sign Lawrence Timmons
The Dolphins have signed linebacker Lawrence Timmons to a two-year, $12MM deal ($11MM guaranteed), reports ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter). The 10-year veteran met with the organization earlier today.
Timmons had only played for the Steelers since being selected in the first round of the 2007 draft, but we heard rumblings earlier this offseason that the veteran was likely to test free agency. Despite his age (31 in May), we ranked Timmons as the fifth-best available linebacker behind Dont’a Hightower, Zach Brown, Kevin Minter, and Perry Riley, so there was good reason for the player to secure another payday.
The 2014 second-team All-Pro had another solid season this year, compiling 114 tackles, 2.5 sacks, and two interceptions. The veteran had started every regular season game for the Steelers since 2011, and he hasn’t missed a game since 2009.
Timmons will be joining a Dolphins team that is only rostering four linebackers in Koa Misi, Mike Hull, Neville Hewitt, and Trevor Reilly.
RFA/ERFA Tender Decisions: 3/10/17
Rounding up some of this week’s tender decisions:
RFAs:
Tendered:
- Chiefs: WR Albert Wilson (via Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk)
Non-Tendered:
- 49ers: CB Chris Davis (via Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com)
- Buccaneers: LS Andrew DePaola (via Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times)
- Dolphins: TE Dominique Jones (via Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald)
- Saints: DE Kasim Edebali (via Herbie Teope of the Times-Picayune)
- Vikings: WR Charles Johnson (via Ben Goessling of ESPN.com)
ERFAs:
Tendered:
- Chargers: WR Isaiah Burse, TE Asante Cleveland, WR Geremy Davis, TE Sean McGrath, S Adrian Phillips (via Jack Wang of Los Angeles Daily News)
Dolphins Acquire William Hayes From Rams
Trades, apparently, are all the rage in the NFL now. Early Friday morning, the Rams and Dolphins agreed on a trade that will send defensive end William Hayes and a seventh-round pick (No. 223 overall) to Miami. In exchange, the Dolphins will send back their sixth-round selection (No. 206). 
[RELATED: Rams Cut Eugene Sims, Lance Kendricks]
“Will has been an integral member of our defense since he became a Ram in 2012,” said Rams GM Les Snead in a statement. “His passion set the tone for our defense and served as an example for his teammates. Off the field, he showed compassion as he was a major contributor to the St. Louis and Los Angeles communities, working to improve the plight of the homeless. We wish Will and his family the best of luck in all of his future endeavors.”
The move clears a bit of room for the Rams but it’s likely that this was driven by football reasons. Hayes’ three year, $17.5MM contract signed last year is looking extremely reasonable as lesser pass rushers get showered with money this offseason. Ultimately, the team probably felt that Hayes wasn’t a good fit as they transition from a 4-3 to a 3-4 defense under new coordinator Wade Phillips.
Hayes’ deal called for him collect on a $2MM roster bonus on Saturday while $1MM of his $3.5MM base salary also becomes guaranteed, Tom Pelissero of USA Today tweets. The Dolphins are happy to pay out that salary as they add a tremendous defensive end to back up starters Cameron Wake and Andre Branch. The Dolphins run a 4-3 scheme and Hayes should thrive under new DC Matt Burke.
Hayes, 32 this spring, appeared in 14 games (all starts) for the Rams last season and racked up five sacks and 43 total tackles. Since joining the Rams in 2012, he has never had less than four sacks per season and has averaged five sacks per campaign. Pro Football Focus has always been fond of his work in St. Louis/Los Angeles and last year he received a 83.4 overall score. That placed him as the No. 17 edge defender in the NFL (thanks largely to his favorable run defense grade) and put him ahead of big names like Nick Perry (who just signed a monster deal with the Packers), Bruce Irvin, Ryan Kerrigan, and Tamba Hali.
Dolphins To Meet With Nate Allen
The Dolphins are preparing to cut Isa Abdul-Quddus following a failed physical, and the team is already looking at alternative defensive backs. Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reports that the team will be meeting with free agent safety Nate Allen tomorrow.
After being selected by the Eagles in the second-round of the 2010 draft, Allen has spent the past two seasons in Oakland. The safety tore his MCL during his first season with the Raiders, limiting him to only five games (three starts). He rebounded in 2016, collecting 33 tackles, three passes defended, and two interceptions in 14 games (four starts). The 29-year-old also has extensive special teams experience.
The Dolphins has a hole in their starting lineup as they look for a safety to pair with Reshad Jones. Walt Aikens is currently slotted in as the starting free safety, while A.J. Hendy is the lone reserve safety on the roster.
Latest On LB Zach Brown
It sounds like Zach Brown‘s time with the Bills has come to an end. The linebacker indicated on Twitter tonight that he won’t be returning to Buffalo next season. Meanwhile, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald tweets that the Dolphins are attempting to secure a meeting with the 27-year-old. The reporter notes that nothing is “set in stone,” but the organization is “hopeful.”
The former second-round pick joined the Bills last offseason following four seasons with the Titans. The linebacker ended up setting career-highs in tackles (149) and forced fumbles (two), and he added another four sacks and four passes defended. Pro Football Focus graded Brown as the 17th-best linebacker last season.
Thanks to his 2016 performance, PFR named Brown as the second-best free agent linebacker, while Zach Links predicted he’d earn the 25th-largest contract this offseason.
The Dolphins could use some depth at the position, as the team is currently rostering Koa Misi, Mike Hull, Neville Hewitt, and Trevor Reilly.
Dolphins Re-Sign John Denney
The Dolphins have re-signed long snapper John Denney, reports agent Ian Greengross (via Twitter). The 38-year-old is now set to play his 13th-straight seasons with the organization.
Denney joined the Dolphins as an undrafted free agent in 2005, and he’s proceeded to play in every single one of the team’s games since that time. The former Brigham Young University defensive end has compiled 41 tackles during his NFL career along with one forced fumble and three fumble recoveries. The long snapper was named a team captain during the 2016 season.
The player’s older brother, Ryan Denney, was a long-time defensive end for the Bills.
Dolphins To Sign Ted Larsen
A busy day continues for the Dolphins: The team is set to sign free agent guard Ted Larsen to a three-year deal, according to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune (Twitter link).
With 2016 starter Jermon Bushrod now on the market, the Dolphins entered Thursday in search of help along the interior O-line. Larsen could help the Dolphins’ cause, then. The soon-to-be 30-year-old will certainly provide versatility to Miami, having lined up at each guard spot and center during his seven-season career.
As a member of the Bears in 2016, Larsen appeared in 15 games, made eight starts and ranked 44th in performance among Pro Football Focus’ 72 qualified guards. He previously combined for 86 appearances and 57 starts with the Buccaneers and Cardinals from 2010-15.
AFC Rumors: Browns, Jets, Chiefs, Dolphins
NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport has provided some more insight on the Browns‘ quarterback plans following their acquisition of Brock Osweiler earlier today (Twitter link). The reporter notes that the team is likely to release Robert Griffin III, and they’ll continue shopping Osweiler as they search for a proper deal. Rapoport also expects the organization to select a signal-caller in the draft.
Let’s take a look at some other AFC notes on a busy day around the NFL…
- Rams free agent running back Benny Cunningham is set to visit the Jets, reports Jason La Canfora (via Twitter). The former undrafted free agent has spent his entire four-year career with the Rams. He finished last season with 101 rushing yards and 16 receptions while serving primarily as a third-down back.
- Linebacker Gerald Hodges will visit the Chiefs, according to ProFootballTalk (via Twitter). The former 49ers defender had a career-season in 2016, finishing with 83 tackles, three sacks, two interceptions, and one forced fumble.
- The Dolphins have restructured defensive end Nick Williams‘ contract, reports Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald (via Twitter). The 27-year-old played in 10 games between the Chiefs and Dolphins last season, finishing with eight tackles.
- Lawrence Timmons will be visiting the Dolphins on Friday, tweets ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter. The veteran linebacker spent his entire 10-year career with the Steelers, and he finished last season with 114 tackles, 2.5 sacks, and two interceptions.
Jabaal Sheard To Visit Dolphins
The Dolphins will host Jabaal Sheard on a free agency visit, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Sheard spent two seasons with the Patriots and saw his role fluctuate often.
Sheard has drawn interest from the Colts as well during his second stint as a UFA, but the Dolphins will gauge his value on this upcoming visit.
The former Browns edge player was slightly better for the 2015 Patriots than the defending Super Bowl champions. Last year’s Pats at one point made him a healthy scratch, and although he started in eight games compared to one in 2015, Sheard registered five sacks compared to his eight in ’15. Nevertheless, Pro Football Focus liked his work, ranking Sheard as its No. 36 edge defender last season after giving him high marks in 2015 as well.
Miami re-signed Andre Branch this week and extended Cameron Wake earlier this offseason. Sheard is three years younger than Mario Williams, whom the team gambled on last year and eventually released after one season.