Dolphins Rumors: Tannehill, Misi, Taylor
As the May 3 deadline looms in the near future for the Dolphins to pick up Ryan Tannehill‘s fifth-year option, which they will do barring an unlikely extension in the next five weeks, the Miami Herald’s Armando Salguero doesn’t think a new contract is necessary for the improving quarterback.
The Dolphins’ most reliable 21st-century quarterback, Tannehill is due $16.1MM in 2016 once the Dolphins use that option. He’s also the 17th-highest paid player on the team, excluding dead-money anchors Mike Wallace and Dannell Ellerbe, that just signed Ndamukong Suh to a $114MM deal.
Using the Andy Dalton contract as an example of a premature splurge on a player who hadn’t yet warranted it, Salguero argues the Dolphins’ best course of action is to let Tannehill play under this deal ($4MM cap number in 2015) while he attempts to ascend further as a fourth-year player and take Miami to the playoffs for the first time since 2008.
Tannehill’s average salary on the rookie contract he signed in 2012 ($3.17MM per season) is 34th in the league, according to OverTheCap.
For some additional Dolphins notes …
- A debate is ongoing in the organization about what to do with the middle linebacker position, reports Adam H. Beasley. Koa Misi‘s future, in the minds of Joe Philbin and DC Kevin Coyle, remains at the middle spot he played last season, while new front office exec Mike Tannenbaum views the 28-year-old as a better fit on the outside where he played the previous four seasons. Misi’s graded positively on Pro Football Focus’ metrics the past three campaigns, topping out as the 12th-best inside backer last season (subscription required).The front office, per Beasley, eyes the younger Kelvin Sheppard to have a shot to start inside in the Fins’ 4-3 alignment.
- With the youngest wideout stable in the league at 23.3 years old, the Dolphins look to supplement the Jarvis Landry– and Kenny Stills-fronted corps with a high draft pick and veteran free agent. Beasley mentioned Greg Jennings or Michael Crabtree to potentially be added to balance out a unit that lost 2014 starters Wallace and Brian Hartline.
- Also from Beasley: despite the signing of Brice McCain, third-year player Jamar Taylor will probably have a chance to start across from Brent Grimes. The 2013 second-rounder started three games in two seasons.
Draft Notes: Mariota, Cowboys, Ravens, Giants
Some assorted draft notes on this Saturday morning…
- Marcus Mariota is scheduled to meet with the Chargers in mid-April, reports NFL.com’s Albert Breer (via Twitter). The writer notes that Washington is also trying to set up a visit with the prospect.
- The group over at CSNChicago.com analyzed the draft stock of prospect Gerod Hollimon, and the group concluded that the former Louisville safety would be a fit for the Bears. Despite the team’s addition of Antrel Rolle, the prospect’s “ballhawking” and “good coverage skills” are sorely need in Chicago.
- Cowboys representatives were on hand at TCU’s Pro Day on Friday to watch linebacker Paul Dawson workout, writes Rainer Sabin of the Dallas Morning News. Despite the player’s disappointing performance at the league’s scouting combine, scouts were much more impressed this time around, Sabin reports.
- Louisville wideout DeVante Parker is set to meet with the Ravens, according to Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun. The projected first-round pick is also scheduled to meet with the Titans and Dolphins. Despite missing seven games this past season, Parker still finished with 43 catches for 855 yards and five touchdowns.
- The Giants attended LSU’s Pro Day on Friday, according to Jordan Raanan of NJ.com. The writer points to offensive lineman La’el Collins as a realistic target for the G-Men, and he also includes cornerback Jalen Collins, linebacker Kwon Alexander and defensive end Danielle Hunter among the school’s top prospects. The Giants have selected numerous LSU alumni in recent years, including wideout Odell Beckham last season.
AFC Notes: Colts, Raiders, Bills, Dolphins
Despite the success they’ve achieved since joining the Colts in 2012, general manager Ryan Grigson and head coach Chuck Pagano are both lacking long-term security as they enter contract years. Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes how important it is for Grigson and Pagano to remain on the same page going forward. If they fail to stay united and the team disappoints next season, Florio opines that the pair could blame one another, thus setting the tone for the ouster of one or both. Should Pagano end up elsewhere after the 2015 season, he’ll join John Fox and Jim Harbaugh as the latest in a line of coaches whose teams parted ways with them after tenures that were good, but not quite good enough.
Some updates concerning other AFC teams:
- The Raiders had a two-day visit with tight end Jermaine Gresham early in free agency. Gresham then underwent back surgery and Oakland’s interest in the 26-year-old seemingly cooled. Not the case, however, according to Raiders general manager Reggie McKenzie. “He’s still on my board,” said McKenzie, per Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com. “We’ll see how he feels and how he rehabs and all that. Going forward, it will be more about how he wants to navigate through this.”
- The Bills made plenty of noise earlier this offseason in acquiring outside talent, but general manager Doug Whaley says their approach will change in the next year. The Bills’ focus between now and the 2016 offseason will be locking up their own players long term, Whaley told ESPN’s Mike Rodak (Twitter link). That means trying to re-sign defensive tackle Marcell Dareus, offensive tackle Cordy Glenn and linebacker Nigel Bradham, all of whom are scheduled for free agency next year, and cornerback Stephon Gilmore – who is under Buffalo’s control for just two more seasons.
- Dolphins general manager Dennis Hickey is hoping to add to his total of six draft picks this year, specifically in the form of mid-round selections, writes Omar Kelly of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. That could mean moving down from 14th overall, where Miami is currently slated to pick in the first round. “We’d like to be able to massage the board to acquire more picks to get more chances at players,” said Hickey. “It always takes two. I would trade down, but it has to present itself.”
Draft Notes: Gregory, Mariota, Flowers, Collins
News broke earlier this week that Nebraska defensive end Randy Gregory failed a drug test at last month’s combine, but there’s still no shortage of interest in the highly touted 22-year-old as the NFL draft approaches. According to Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.Net (Twitter link), almost a half-dozen new teams have scheduled visits with Gregory since finding out about his failed drug test. Pauline names the Chargers and Steelers as a couple of clubs that will meet with Gregory, whom draft experts regard as a first-round talent.
Here’s more on several draft prospects and the teams interested in their services:
- Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News writes that Jets brass will head to Oregon on Saturday to work out quarterback Marcus Mariota. Representing the Jets will be general manager Mike Maccagnan, head coach Todd Bowles, offensive coordinator Chan Gailey, quarterbacks coach Kevin Patullo, director of college scouting Rex Hogan and director of player personnel Brian Heimerdinger. The Jets have the sixth overall selection in the draft and are in need of a franchise quarterback, but it’s not expected that Mariota will fall to their pick.
- Miami’s Ereck Flowers, who might be the first offensive tackle taken in this year’s draft, will visit the Buccaneers and Panthers, per Charlie Campbell of WalterFootball.com. Campbell writes that “all four NFC South teams are showing significant interest” in Flowers, who will also powwow with the Browns, Colts and Chargers.
- Michael DiRocco of ESPN tweets that LSU cornerback Jalen Collins will meet with the Jaguars.
- The Dolphins will host Michigan linebacker Jake Ryan on April 2, according to ESPN’s James Walker.
- Former Missouri wide receiver Dorial Green-Beckham will visit the Titans sometime in April, Terry McCormick of TitansInsider.com reports.
- Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun tweets that the Browns will meet with Indiana center Collin Rahrig prior to his Pro Day workout.
La Canfora’s Latest: Mariota, AP, Dolphins
After spending four days at this week’s league meetings in Arizona, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com came away with some additional insight and information on a number of key storylines around the NFL, including Marcus Mariota‘s potential landing spot and the Adrian Peterson situation in Minnesota. Let’s round up some of the highlights from La Canfora’s latest column….
- After speaking to a number of team executives around the NFL, La Canfora gets the “strong sense” that Mariota won’t make it past the second overall pick. That doesn’t necessarily mean Mariota will be a Titan, but if a team wants to move up to snag him, a trade with Tennessee at No. 2 is more likely than a move to No. 5 or 6. “He’s going second overall,” said one GM who has an eye on the Mariota market. “I don’t know to which team, but he’s going second overall.”
- Ben Dogra, Peterson’s agent, was “ever-present” at this week’s meetings, and his mission to get his client off the Vikings‘ roster “remains at full throttle,” according to La Canfora. While head coach Mike Zimmer indicated yesterday that the team had no plans to trade its star running back, Dogra will continue to do whatever he can to accommodate an exodus from Minnesota for Peterson, and has told people he’s confident a deal can get done before the draft.
- As La Canfora notes, and as I alluded to yesterday in the wake of Zimmer’s comments, the Vikings aren’t budging, and they have no reason to — the team is unlikely to get a whole lot in return for a 30-year-old running back who sat out most of last year, won’t be reinstated until April 15 at the earliest, and has three years and $45MM left on his deal.
- Several people told La Canfora this week that Mike Tannenbaum is “clearly calling the shots” for the Dolphins, with GM Dennis Hickey playing a reduced role.
- Many people in the know believe that the Saints will ultimately end up with Tom Benson‘s wife Gayle rather than his grandchildren, as a legal battle for the franchise continues to play out.
Dolphins Re-Sign Derrick Shelby
Dolphins defensive end Derrick Shelby, one of several restricted free agents to receive a second-round RFA tender from his team, has signed that contract offer, and will officially return to Miami for the 2015 season, the team announced today (via Twitter).
By placing the second-round tender on Shelby, the Dolphins ensured that any other team hoping to sign the 26-year-old to an offer sheet would have to give up a second-round pick to land him. That decision essentially guaranteed that Shelby would return to the Fins. The one-year contract he signed today is worth $2.356MM, and will expire at season’s end, making him eligible for unrestricted free agency next March.
Shelby, a former undrafted free agent out of Utah, had 26 tackles, three sacks, a fumble recovery, and an interception in part-time action for the Dolphins last season. Miami’s depth chart at defensive end features Cameron Wake, Olivier Vernon, and Dion Jordan, so Shelby likely won’t become a full-time contributor anytime soon, but managed to see nearly 400 defensive snaps last year.
Back in October, Shelby was arrested for trespassing and resisting arrest, prompting the Dolphins to suspend him. However, the team reinstated him just a week later, and Shelby presented a much different account of the night’s events than authorities did.
North Notes: Steelers, Cutler, Patterson
The NFL has informed the Steelers that the seventh-round compensatory pick the team received will actually be a sixth-rounder (Twitter link). The league initially miscommunicated the pick, which will now be the 212nd selection rather than the 252nd (Twitter link). Conversely, the Broncos‘ sixth-round compensatory pick (No. 208) will be bumped down to a seventh-rounder (No. 250), according to Mike Klis of the Denver Post (via Twitter). We’ll update our list of draft picks by round and by team this afternoon to reflect the change.
Let’s check in on a few more items from around the NFL’s two North divisions….
- According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (all Twitter links), Bears decision-makers, including new head coach John Fox and GM Ryan Pace, discussed Jay Cutler‘s contract as the guarantee date for more of the QB’s salary neared earlier this offseason. After meeting with Cutler, the Bears’ brass left convinced that he’s their guy going forward.
- If there was any doubt about the Vikings‘ commitment to wide receiver Cordarrelle Patterson, head coach Mike Zimmer cleared things up on Tuesday, as Chris Wesseling of NFL.com details. According to Zimmer, there’s “no chance whatsoever” that the team will trade Patterson this year.
- Florida State cornerback P.J. Williams will visit the Ravens prior to next month’s draft, league sources tell Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.
- The Lions aren’t pursuing tampering charges against the Dolphins in regard to Miami’s pursuit of Ndamukong Suh prior to the start of this month’s free agent period, writes Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. Of course, just because Detroit isn’t pushing for it, that doesn’t mean the league isn’t looking into a potential violation by the Dolphins and other teams who reportedly reached agreements with free agents prior to March 10.
AFC East Notes: J. Graham, Dolphins, Bills, Jets
Before the Dolphins signed Jordan Cameron to a two-year deal to replace the departed Charles Clay, Miami had a different target at tight end — former Saint, and current Seahawk, Jimmy Graham, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link), who says that the Fins came in second in the Graham sweepstakes. Clearly, Miami wanted to upgrade the TE position this offseason, but this news makes it fair to wonder if the Dolphins assumed all along they would lose Clay to free agency (even though they had designated him as their transition player).
Here’s more from the AFC East…
- Bills general manager Doug Whaley made it clear to reporters, including Vic Carucci of the Buffalo News, that he was displeased that his club didn’t make more additions along the offensive line during the offseason. Buffalo did sign guard Richie Incognito, but Carucci writes that the team also made a bid for Packers right tackle Bryan Bulaga, and attempted to trade for Saints guard Jahri Evans.
- Another AFC East club — the Jets — might not be done making moves, as GM Mike Maccagnan told reporters, including Rich Cimini of ESPN.com (via Twitter), that New York is still targeting players in free agency, and pointed to running back as a position that could use an upgrade (Twitter link).
- One such free agent could be tight end Kellen Davis, who had a visit with the Jets today, tweets Rapoport. The 29-year-old Davis spent last season in Detroit, appearing in six games.
- The Dolphins aren’t opposed to retaining free agent running back Knowshon Moreno, Miami GM Dennis Hickey tells Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald (via Twitter). The 27-year-old Moreno tore his ACL last October, but Hickey says the RB’s rehab is “going great.”
- Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap examines the contract structure employed by the Bills to ensure that the Dolphins wouldn’t match their offer to Clay.
Contract Details: Clay, Cromartie, Webb, Britt
Here are some specific details on a number of contracts agreed to and/or signed recently. One-year minimum salary benefit deals aren’t included.
AFC deals:
- Charles Clay, TE (Bills): Five years, $38MM base value. $24.5MM fully guaranteed. $10MM signing bonus. $10MM roster bonus in 2016. No-trade clause for first three years (three Twitter links via Mike Rodak of ESPN.com and Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun).
- Antonio Cromartie, CB (Jets): Four years, $32MM base value. $7MM guaranteed. $2MM roster bonus. No signing bonus (link via Brian Costello of the New York Post).
- Lardarius Webb, CB (Ravens): Restructured contract. Three years, $18MM base value. $5.25MM guaranteed. $3MM roster bonus in 2015 (link via Wilson).
- Nate Irving, LB (Colts): Three years, $7.25MM base value. $1.5MM guaranteed. $750K signing bonus. Escalators in 2016, 2017 (Twitter link via Wilson).
- Karl Klug, DL (Titans): Two years, $3.75MM base value. $1MM signing bonus. $200K roster bonus in 2016. Up to $625K in annual incentives (Twitter link via Wilson).
- James Harrison, OLB (Steelers): Two years, $2.75MM base value. $500K signing bonus (Twitter link via Wilson).
- Byron Stingily, T (Titans): Two years, $2.5MM base value. $250K signing bonus. $800K playing-time escalator (Twitter link via Wilson).
- Louis Delmas, S (Dolphins): One year, $2.25MM base value. Up to $1.25MM in incentives (Twitter link via Wilson).
- Mitch Unrein, DT (Chargers): Two years, $1.9MM base value. $250K signing bonus (Twitter link via Wilson).
NFC deals:
- Kenny Britt, WR (Rams): Two years, $9.15MM base value. $4.05MM guaranteed. $1.5MM roster bonus in 2015. Potential void in 2016 based on 2015 escalator (link via Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch).
- Jacob Tamme, TE (Falcons): Two years, $3.2MM base value. $400K signing bonus. $250K roster bonus in 2016. $1MM escalator based on performance, playing time (Twitter links via Wilson).
- Clint Gresham, LS (Seahawks): Three years, $2.705MM base value. $300K signing bonus (Twitter link via Wilson).
- Ahtyba Rubin, DL (Seahawks): One year, $2.5MM base value. $1MM signing bonus. Up to $500K in playing-time incentives (Twitter link via Wilson).
- Kenrick Ellis, DT (Giants): One year, $1.475MM base value. $500K guaranteed. $300K signing bonus (Twitter link via Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com).
- George Selvie, DE (Giants): One year, $1.2MM base value. $200K signing bonus. Up to $200K in incentives (Twitter link via Wilson).
Michael Crabtree In No Rush To Sign
Two weeks into 2015’s free agent period, wide receiver Michael Crabtree is perhaps the most notable player still without a contract, but the former 10th overall pick is in no rush to put pen to paper, reports Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com. According to Maiocco, Crabtree is willing to wait however long it takes to find the right situation for the 2015 season.
Crabtree, 27, has only made one free agent visit so far, having met with the Dolphins. The 49ers also maintain some interest in re-signing the six-year veteran, but a league source tells Maiocco that Crabtree would rather sign with a team that places a greater emphasis on the passing game.
Coming off a 2014 season in which he stayed healthy but was relatively unproductive, Crabtree may be prioritizing teams with solid quarterback situations where he could improve upon last year’s 698-yard showing. As PFR’s Rory Parks noted when he examined Crabtree’s stock over the weekend, the Texas Tech product may have to take a one-year, prove-it deal in the hopes of rebuilding his value and scoring a bigger payday in free agency in 2016.
If that’s Crabtree’s plan, it makes sense that he’d carefully weigh all his options before deciding on an ideal fit. Maiocco points out that the veteran receiver is no stranger to waiting on a contract, having held out for the first four weeks of the regular season during his rookie year.