Brent Grimes – Pay That Man!
Sep 22, 2013; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Miami Dolphins cornerback Brent Grimes (21) talks with line judge Gary Arthur during the second half against the Atlanta Falcons at Sun Life Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports
Brent Grimes was signed to a 1 year, $5.5M contract this offseason by the Miami Dolphins following his early exit in 2012 with a torn achilles. Many teams viewed Grimes as a risk in the offseason. He was a player turning 30 and coming off a significant injury, one that can be devastating for cornerbacks. Listed at 5’10” and 190 lbs, he appears downright tiny on the field. I mean, he makes the referees seem tall on many occasions. Fortunately for the Dolphins, someone neglected to tell Grimes that he was old, slow, tiny, unlikely to regain his previous form and that the injury would be devastating to his career. Anyone who questions his ability or his recovery should watch the Dolphins on Sunday, and see how often he is targeted. It’s not often, and it’s rapidly becoming very apparent that the 1 year courting period is over and it’s time to get a more long term approach in place.
Anyone who questions his athletic ability, while it was a negative play for the Dolphins, should watch Jimmy Graham’s first touchdown this past Monday night. Lost amidst the amazing catch by Graham, you can see Grimes fly across the screen, airborne and in control, above the head of the 6’7″ Graham. Grimes is nearly always in perfect position, using every inch of his sub-5’10” frame to shield defenders from the ball and be in position to win. Through four games, Grimes is not only appearing to be back and healthy, but is making a case to be potentially be one of the best corners that we’ve seen come through in Aqua and Orange.
Even when Dmitri Patterson, Nolan Carroll, Jamar Taylor or any other corner who has lined up across from him is playing well, teams have begun shying away from Grimes. The times when he covered Jimmy Graham – the aforementioned Tight End who is making everyone look silly, and whom Grimes gives nearly a foot in height and 75 pounds on – he made Graham disappear when he covered him, which no one has been able to do this season. There was the game saving interception against Indianapolis that served as a turning point for the Dolphins. In a very limited timeframe, Grimes has proven that he is a force to be reckoned with on the field.
Through the first three weeks of the season, Grimes was ranked as the highest ranked Dolphin by ProFootballFocus. That’s ranked against every player on the Dolphins, and he was nearly a full point higher than second place (Ryan Tannehill). That is staggering, and Miami needs to lock him up for years to come. Brent is consistent on every play, and Miami needs to lock him up before he proves anything further. We’ve found a Dolphin for life in him, and we want to see him swatting balls and having his receiver ignored by quarterbacks for years to come.
Jeff Ireland, I was a proponent of bringing Grimes in before free agency began, and I’m imploring you now, don’t let him slip away. Don’t wait til the offseason and allow him to flirt with other teams. When you have one that’s special, you let them know, and it’s time to let Brent know you love him. Sign the man before it’s too late, and keep him in a Dolphins uniform for all our sakes. I want to see his wife entertaining our fans for years to come with her twitter account, which is also one of the best follows in all of twitter, and see their family happily live the south Florida lifestyle while Brent dominates opposing receivers on Sundays. The man leaves his heart and soul on the field on every play, so let’s get this deal done before someone else does.
Fins up!