Re: Thread for Dolphins Free Agent signings (formerly the Aaron Brewer thread...)

[finskev]

Berrios resigned for 1 year. Have our Returner back. 3 million.

[JMP]

I just want to thank Merc for getting me to come for my senses. I was almost convinced to be optimistic for a minute there

It's now painfully obvious to me that small, weak interior O-linemen are actually what McDaniel WANTS, which is beyond disturbing, and it also means he's learned nothing from last year's showing VS playoff teams. One man being constantly overrun on offense will bring this entire team to its knees. I never thought I'd actually root for JPJ to be drafted but here we are (although I still prefer Van Pran).

McD wants strong athletic linemen - with "athletic" being the key. Brewer is 295 and plenty big and strong enough, but his explosiveness and athleticism are why he's a Dolphin.

[JMP]

I doubt JPJ lasts until #21 but who knows.

I am starting to like Frazier over Van Pran, even though I identified Van Pran as perfect for the Phins back during the college season.

If Fautanu is there at #21, Grier has to go that way though. Unless.... Unless.. somebody better has dropped.....

And I keep coming back to the idea that the real VALUE in this draft is going to be in the late 2nd thru 4th rounds IMO. A few picks in that range by trading down could really pay off too.

I like Frazier a lot as well. If he can also play guard, I'd be interested.

Completely agree on round 2-4 in this class. I definitely think that's the "meat" of this draft.

[DolFan 316]

I like Frazier a lot as well.  If he can also play guard, I'd be interested.

Sadly, Frazier won't even be considered by this team because he's not athletic enough to fit their system. It's why I never took him in any of my mocks.

I do think Grier can trade down and still get one of the top interior O-linemen, and this WR class is supposed to be super deep.

[JMP]

The Phins restructured Chubb and Jeff Wilson, freeing up another $12.5 million in cap space.

[DolFan 316]

The Phins restructured Chubb and Jeff Wilson, freeing up another $12.5 million in cap space.

HA!!! Take THAT, Barfalo!!! And five other teams!!! Who's got more cap room NOW, huh?!?! (Whispers.) Who's got more cap room now...

https://overthecap.com/salary-cap-space

[JMP]

The Phins restructured Chubb and Jeff Wilson, freeing up another $12.5 million in cap space.

HA!!! Take THAT, Barfalo!!! And five other teams!!! Who's got more cap room NOW, huh?!?! (Whispers.) Who's got more cap room now...

https://overthecap.com/salary-cap-space

Looking at that list, how the hell are the Giants so close to the cap?? That roster is not exactly full of star players...who the hell are they paying besides Daniel Jones???

[white1]

Looking at that list, how the hell are the Giants so close to the cap?? That roster is not exactly full of star players...who the hell are they paying besides Daniel Jones???

Guessing there's a lot of dead money.  When Gettlemen "left" he left the team in just terrible cap space.  They're still cleaning it up.  

They did just trade for Burns, and he's expensive.  I think they signed Andrew Thomas long term at LT.  Also Dexter Lawrence is a mega-paid DT.

EDIT

Just looked up their cap readout. Okereke and Waller are highly paid also. Okereke is a really good LB. The players at the top who aren't delivering are Jones and Waller. The rest are actually good.

[DolFan 316]

Looking at that list, how the hell are the Giants so close to the cap??  That roster is not exactly full of star players...who the hell are they paying besides Daniel Jones???

Looking at each team's cap as much as I have lately, it's actually not the amount of players making $10-20 mil or more that cripples the cap, since every team has roughly 4-5 players like that. It's the number of guys making between $4 and $10 mil that does it. The Giants have seven, which is really high (then again, the Fins have TEN). Also, they're still giving Darren Waller way too much and traded for Burns to go with Dexter Lawrence. Their dead money's actually not *that* much compared to other teams.

https://overthecap.com/salary-cap/new-york-giants

[JMP]

Interesting: the Phins met with guard Phil Haynes yesterday. He's appeared in 31 games for the Seahawks over his 5 year career. He was a starter last season before ending up on IR. Big, strong and is considered surprisingly athletic for his size - 6'4", 322 pounds.

I don't know if the Phins will sign him, or not, but this at least shows that they are not done with the OL.

[JMP]

Looking at that list, how the hell are the Giants so close to the cap?? That roster is not exactly full of star players...who the hell are they paying besides Daniel Jones???

Guessing there's a lot of dead money.  When Gettlemen "left" he left the team in just terrible cap space.  They're still cleaning it up.  

They did just trade for Burns, and he's expensive.  I think they signed Andrew Thomas long term at LT.  Also Dexter Lawrence is a mega-paid DT.

EDIT

Just looked up their cap readout.  Okereke and Waller are highly paid also.  Okereke is a really good LB.  The players at the top who aren't delivering are Jones and Waller.  The rest are actually good.

Okereke was an excellent signing! Definitely a building block for them.

I forgot about the Burns trade. His salary is absurd, but they definitely needed pass rush help.

[DolFan 316]

I'd love for Okereke to be on THIS team making what Baker was, he'd actually be worth it. (Sighs.)

I wonder if me posting this on a message board would qualify as tampering?

[Umix10]

I think we just need to get the cap situation under control. By all accounts, its the cap situation that puts us in a spot that we cant really go the FA route with big acquisitions. Signing Fuller really makes me think that they are in a window so to speak.

It just depends on the game you playing. IMHO, these are the moves that screams, competitive in the short term "on the field". Off the field, it says what is it gonna take long term.

To me the answer is in the long term. Signing these short deals gives them flexibility when the money comes due to pay Holland, Waddle, and Phillips. The key to me is Weaver. His defensive scheme and his philosophy for an aggressive defense. Signing Brooks to a 3 year deal tells me that they are looking to a 3 year window to get the defensive side of the ball in line.

I see them going WR in the draft. If and only if they take a reciever at 21 tells you they are looking at dumping Hill next off season making Waddle the 100 reception 1800 yd receiver. If they dont see Hill's replacement at 21, I see them trading out of the first and looking to pepper those picks with defensive starters repalcing the short term contracts reserving the money for Phillips and Holland.

[Umix10]

Tyreek Hill is the key. If the Dolphins start out sloppy, I think Hill becomes part of the trade talks at the deadline. His trade value has gone way up since he has proven that he can make any QB look good. I suspect that he could still command a 1st and a 2nd for some teams. Which makes the only issue for the Dolphins is dead money

[DolFan 316]

Commenting now before my internet inexplicably goes down again for who knows how long

At first I couldn't understand why Tyreek would be the one to get traded/dumped, but then I looked into it and the dead money if it happens after this season is...actually not as catastrophic as I thought If he's traded this season it's even MORE manageable believe it or not.

https://overthecap.com/player/tyreek-hill/4878

I'd still rather Waddle be the WR they let go, if it comes to that. For one thing there's certainly no guarantee he'll be staying anyway regardless of what happens with Tyreek. Grier already let Wilkins and Hunt walk away without much of a fight, who's to say he won't do the same with Waddle? Imagine Tua getting extended and making over $50 mil a year with BOTH of them gone

[Umix10]

Commenting now before my internet inexplicably goes down again for who knows how long

At first I couldn't understand why Tyreek would be the one to get traded/dumped, but then I looked into it and the dead money if it happens after this season is...actually not as catastrophic as I thought If he's traded this season it's even MORE manageable believe it or not.

https://overthecap.com/player/tyreek-hill/4878

I'd still rather Waddle be the WR they let go, if it comes to that. For one thing there's certainly no guarantee he'll be staying anyway regardless of what happens with Tyreek. Grier already let Wilkins and Hunt walk away without much of a fight, who's to say he won't do the same with Waddle? Imagine Tua getting extended and making over $50 mil a year with BOTH of them gone      

Which makes it even more important for the dolphins to draft the right reciever to replace him. Dont get me wrong if the money was player/team friendly this wouldn't even be a thought. But the inevitable eventuality is that he commands way too much money for the overall sustainability of a dynasty that we all hope for.

[DolFan 316]

Which makes it even more important for the dolphins to draft the right reciever to replace him.  Dont get me wrong if the money was player/team friendly this wouldn't even be a thought.  But the inevitable eventuality is that he commands way too much money for the overall sustainability of a dynasty that we all hope for.

I just hate that Grier would have to spend yet another first/first round pick to patch yet another hole he created to begin with

[Umix10]

Which makes it even more important for the dolphins to draft the right reciever to replace him.  Dont get me wrong if the money was player/team friendly this wouldn't even be a thought.  But the inevitable eventuality is that he commands way too much money for the overall sustainability of a dynasty that we all hope for.

I just hate that Grier would have to spend yet another first/first round pick to patch yet another hole he created to begin with

I agree!!! 1000%......but I for one questioned some of the moves he's made thus far. Optically, it seems like he is doing an "admirable" job for the situations he created but.......in the end the determining factor is the product he puts on the field.

So far, they haven't! Say what you want about injuries but in the end, every team has the same issues. Some more than others. Miami seems to hit the trifecta every single season.

[finfanatic]

Hmm? Trading Hill.

Only if one of these conditions is met... or more likely BOTH are met...

ONE - They do draft Hill's replacement in this draft and he has shown enough to suspect only greater things are to come

TWO - The Phins are not going to make the playoffs.

After hearing a few So. Fla. rumors, I am starting to wonder if maybe the plan is to trade Tua and try and get up there to draft a QB or more probably bring in a bridge QB... who that would be, drafted or acquired, is the big question mark???

Another thing about Hill... He seems to be a first class knucklehead of the highest caliber to me. He got lots of money and seems to FIND himself getting in problems that EVENTUALLY are going to warrant suspensions IMO.

[JMP]

I think there's zero chance that Hill gets traded. But Waddle is a possibility, depending on our record at the trade deadline and what we do in the draft, due to his pending ginormous new salary.

[finfanatic]

The Phins have officially signed OL Jack Driscoll.

Another Olineman who can play OT or OG.

Grier may not draft any Olinemen in this draft either!!!

[JMP]

Love hearing this from Shaq Barrett, about why he chose to sign with the Dolphins:

“The team that they have here, the potential to get the job done, to go on a run and be hoisting the trophy at the end of the year,” Barrett told members of the South Florida media in his introductory availability. “And then the group of guys that they’ve got in the outside linebacker room is a great group of guys. I would love to be a part of that and I know they’re hurting and nursing injuries right now, so my role may be just to hold it down until they come back and then become a well-oiled machine when everyone gets back. I’m just ready for whatever my role is and just to help take this team and defense to the next level.”

https://dolphinswire.usatoday.com/2024/03/21/why-shaq-barrett-signed-with-dolphins/

[Umix10]

Can anyone confirm we signed Wynn for another year?

[mercury22nathan]

Grier may not draft any Olinemen in this draft either!!!  

i wouldn't get too worried about that just yet.  i still think Miami has to (should - but will they is another matter) draft another starting caliber OLinemen and sign/draft a couple more with starting potential.  i am not convince either of the two new signings are penciled in as starters just yet and the Dolphins don't even know which position either one will play.

Driscoll said he prides himself on his athleticism and being able to play multiple spots along the offensive line.

Driscoll said the Dolphins haven’t specified to him where they want him to play in Miami.

https://www.miamiherald.com/sports/nfl/miami-dolphins/article286830930.html

Despite starting every game last season at center for the Tennessee Titans, new Dolphins offensive lineman Aaron Brewer said he wasn’t given a promise of sticking at that position in Miami.

“I believe that’s to be determined,” Brewer said Friday during an introductory news conference.

https://www.miamiherald.com/sports/nfl/miami-dolphins/article286714870.html

if things go really well, i could see either or both being backups (or perhaps not even making the final active roster).  McDaniel is currently just collecting guys with athletic traits and will let the oline figure itself out in training camp.  i've even seen it suggested that Driscoll could make the switch (ala Eich and Williams) and compete to start at center.

i think (hope) the oline is far, far from a finished product and the eventual starters on the interior might not even be on the team yet.

[JMP]

Yep, signing Driscoll and Wynn really has no bearing on the Phins drafting OL, IMO. All it does is take away the desperation of having to draft OL early. Like all the FA signings so far, Wynn and Driscoll give the Phins more draft flexibility and don't lock them into any one position.

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