Miami has made moves on day one of the legal tampering period of free agency that basically means these deals cannot become official until Wednesday March 18th at 4 p.m. ET. The deals made have been fast and furious and with two big fish signed as of this report. I will give a little comment and also grade on the moves made so let’s get started!
OG/OT Ereck Flowers (26 years old) was the first name to come up once the reports started coming out and according to reports he signed a 3 year $30,000,000 with $19,950,000 guaranteed an average of 10,000,000 per year.
What to like about the deal is the very things I have been talking about and hoped the Dolphins would do, sign young veteran players who still have a ceiling to reach but brings instant competition and that is exactly what Miami has done here. It also addresses a major need on the offensive side of the ball the OG position as Miami’s offensive line from last year was not very good but did have some young players that with added competition just might raise their level of play.
Grade B+
DE Shaq Lawson (26 years old) was the next name to come up as Miami reaching a deal with and he also signed a 3 year $30,000,000 with $21,000,000 guaranteed an average of 10,000,000 per year. He was a player on my wish list and once again addresses another need on the Defensive side of the ball and much like the Eric Flowers deal, it will instantly add competition and raise the bar for the current DE’s on the roster.
This is another deal I like for the exact same reasons I mentioned above about Eric Flowers, his arrow is trending up and he joins former college teammates Christian Wilkins and Cordrea Tankersley the only other Clemson products in Miami for now.
Grade B+
S Clayton Fejedelem (27 years old) was the next name to come up in the order of signings being reported and I do not know much about him other than he has been a very good special teams player and has played fairly well when given some playing time, he signed a 3 year $8,550,000 contract with an average of $2,850,000 and $3,000,000 guaranteed. This could mean the end of URFA Walt Aikens time in Miami?
Grade Incomplete: I need to do some research on this one before I come up with a grade.
CB Byron Jones (27 years old) was the next name to pop up and this was a big fish deal as Miami got into a bidding war with 3 or 4 teams that also coveted Jones so the Dolphins must really wanted this one as they won the war and Byron Jones cashed in and received a 5 year $82,500,000 contract with an average of $16,500,000 and $57,000,000 guaranteed
He now is the highest paid CB in the NFL and on the team surpassing Xavien Howard. If the Dolphins have no plans to trade Howard they will be the best CB tandem in the league as well as the Dolphins are paying a lot of money at that position.
I am not as big a fan of this deal for one reason it’s a 5 year deal for a 27 year old CB making him 32 years old at the end of his contract. I would have preferred he too got the 3 year deals Miami gave the other new additions.
But just like with every deal done this day it was a serious position of need and Jones is truly one of the best at his position and will raise the competition for the position on the roster.
Grade B
ILB Kyle Van Noy (29 years old) was another large fish the Dolphins reeled in according to reports and he also will be helpful in the middle of the line as he is very good in coverage and also on the line and he is rejoined with his former defensive coach Brian Flores now head coach of the Dolphins. It is a reported 4 year $51,000,000 deal with and average of $12,750,000 and $30,000,000 guaranteed.
Much like the Byron Jones deal I have issues with the age of Kyle Van Noy who is 29 years old and will be 33 years old at the end of the deal. Hopefully Miami’s plan is to draft young replacements for the older FA’s they just signed and or are looking for some young players currently on the roster to rise to the competition they just added to the roster.
Grade B –
DE Emmanuel Ogbah (26 years old) was a day two of the legal tampering signing that Miami reportedly made and similar to the first two signings of day one, this is another player who is both young and has not reached his ceiling and full of potential another solid foundation peace to build a top defense from.
This is another deal more to my liking and what for the most part the Dolphins have followed he will raise the competition and with just a two year deal it seems like a show us deal and if he turns out to meet or exceed expectations he will get an extension.
Grade B+
OLB Kamu Grugier-Hill (26 years old) is another name mentioned as coming to an agreement with the Dolphins and once again fits the type of player I had hope the Dolphins would target in free agency. His reported contract details are currently unknown other than it’s a one year deal and if the other signings are any indication he will have somewhere between 7-10 million dollars as soon as I get the details I will post them.
Again another signing to my liking as he is young and full of potential and have not reached his ceiling.
Grade B+
RB Jordan Howard (25 years old) this was a disappointment for me because I wanted Melvin Gordon but this was truly a needed position to fill as Miami’s run game was very bad last year so no surprise that Miami signed a veteran RB and despite not signing my wish RB this was a very solid signing. The contract details are as follows 2 year 10,000,000 deal with 5,000,000 guaranteed and apparently no guaranteed money, this deal shows that Miami will most likely draft a RB in the upcoming draft.
Grade B
This is another very solid meat & potato deal that can produce a huge return to our roster, Miami has addressed their needs quickly and responsibly and deserves a lot of credit for all the work they have put in.
FS Adrian Colbert (26 years old) Colbert was signed off the Seahawks practice squad in November 2019 and was not tendered, thus becoming a restricted free agent, they wanted him back at a better price. His contract a 1 year $1,775,000 deal and he will obviously play special teams but he must have intrigued Brian Flores enough to have him on the roster and compete for playing time.
Grade C+
LB/FB Elandon Roberts (25 years old) This was another signing that fit the mode of what the Dolphins have targeted in free agency he is the 3 former Patriot to jump to Miami and he was well loved by the team as a unselfish player who was voted a defensive captain he’s a Swiss Army knife athlete that even coach Belichick said, “his whole career from Morgan State to Houston to here, he wasn’t a highly recognized player when we drafted him. But he’s one of the most unselfish players we have on our team,”
(contract undisclosed*)
Grade B
C Ted Karras (27 years old) this is another need signing and it follows in the guidelines of what I feel is a good FA pickup because the offensive line was in great need of an upgrade and to add another young offensive lineman who can play center and guard is exactly what the Dolphins need. The contract details are 1 year 4,000,000 and it’s basically a show me deal that if he lives up to expectations the Dolphins have already proved they have no problem extending contracts to reward players who deliver.
Grade B+
Fins Up!
The Dolphin Seer 