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The Miami Dolphins moved aggressively this past week to secure several key upgrades to their roster — all in the name of formulating a team that better fits the vision of head coach Brian Flores and general manager Chris Grier. Some of the Dolphins’ new additions were easy to peg — like the addition of linebacker Kyle Van Noy as a former Patriot who enjoyed a career year under Flores in 2018.
But other additions weren’t necessarily tabbed as home run propositions — mainly because the player price tags can get a little crazy on the open market. That didn’t seem to phase the Dolphins in an abrupt about-face from 2019. The Dolphins locked down cornerback Byron Jones from Dallas, defensive end Shaq Lawson from Buffalo, Van Noy and offensive guard Ereck Flowers from Washington on deals that all pay at least $10M annually.
Are any of these signings considered overkill? Did the Dolphins overpay for anyone thus far in free agency?
Flowers’ deal will pay him $30M in three seasons, marking him as the 13th highest paid OG in the NFL. Flowers’ annual average salary is equivalent to what the Pittsburgh Steelers pay David DeCastro and is higher than the likes of Joel Bitonio, Larry Warford and Shaq Lawson. Is this a little rich? Perhaps. But that’s the natural of free agency. Give this deal two years and Flowers will likely sit somewhere around 20th in the NFL among guards, an appropriate value.
Van Noy’s $12.75M per season places him as the 6th highest ILB in football — but this number comes with an asterisk. Van Noy’s versatility will put him in more pass rush reps than your typical linebacker, so the Dolphins are paying for his productivity not just on the second level but for what he can also bring as a pass rusher.
Lawson’s $10M per season makes him the 40th highest paid “EDGE” defender in football. Among 4-3 defensive ends, Lawson’s pay is 24th highest in the league. For a player who brings more value than what you can see in the stat sheet as a pass rusher, Lawson might actually go down as a bargain when it is all said and done.
And then there’s Byron Jones.
Jones, at the time of his agreement with Miami, became the highest paid cornerback in football with an annual average salary of $16.5M per season. He held that title for all of two days — the Eagles traded for Darius Slay later in the week and agreed to a record setting contract to bump Jones off the top spot. An overpay in the short-term? Perhaps. But again, the Dolphins are shoveling tons of guaranteed money his way in the first two years and in 3 seasons time, Jones will probably sit as the 6th to 10th highest paid corner in football. That’s appropriate for his value in press man.
So if the Dolphins did overpay for any of their talent, it’s only because the deals are being looked at through the short-term point of view. Miami found players to match their price points and acted swiftly — for that they deserve credit.