So much for the Dolphins not spending money in free agency! The Dolphins were judicious with their first two reported agreements during the league’s “legal tampering period”, moving to bring in offensive guard Ereck Flowers and defensive end Shaq Lawson on reported deals that will average approximately $10M for each player per season. With nearly $100M in salary cap space at their disposal, the Dolphins have no shortage of cap space — and they’re reportedly putting it to good use to bolster their secondary.
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport has reported that the Dolphins latest agreement in the negotiation window will almost assuredly be their biggest fish in free agency — former Dallas Cowboys cornerback Byron Jones.
Source: The #Dolphins are getting #Cowboys FA CB Byron Jones. A massive deal for the now highest-paid corner.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 16, 2020
Jones’ reported deal would make him the highest paid cornerback in football — making Jones and fellow Dolphins cornerback Xavien Howard the most expensive cornerback duo in the NFL.
It’s an exciting proposition for the Dolphins, who were going to need to upgrade the secondary one way or another. Their decision to commit big money to Jones is a testament to just how committed coach Brian Flores is to making sure he’s got the athletes necessary to run his exotic defense. Between Howard and now Jones, the Dolphins will be able to run a plethora of pressure looks and feel comfortable with leaving both players on an island in coverage if need be.
The full terms of the deal are not yet clear — but expect the Dolphins to have manipulated the guaranteed dollars in this deal to keep it team friendly. And that, in likelihood, will ensure Jones is getting his guaranteed cash early on in his contract. Jones, who is 27 years old, has served as a starter in Dallas for each of his five seasons in the NFL. He’s a much better player than his interception totals would indicate — and putting him on the field across from Howard should give him more and more opportunities to contest the football and will make it harder for opposing offenses to avoid him.
Stay tuned for more details and for who else the Dolphins can strike a deal with throughout the next 48 hours before free agency formally opens on Wednesday afternoon.
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