Miami Dolphins Attacking Free Agency With Aggressive Mentality

The Jeff Ireland led Miami Dolphins front office has been busy at work assessing and evaluating the market.

And their preemptive strikes re-signing WR Brian Hartline and Backup QB Matt Moore, as well as Franchising DT Randy Starks, ensuring a team strength remains so; are indications of the temperament they aim to take.

With the goal of helping Franchise QB Ryan Tannehill along in his development and surrounding him with playmakers, they ensured his Quarterback room remained intact and his primary big play weapon from the season before remained in the fold.

With their eyes firmly set on adding Pittsburg’s Mike Wallace or Green Bay’s Greg Jennings, I think its safe to say that their eyes won’t be focused on selecting a WR in the 1rst round, unless they whiff out on their top targets.

Early reports say the Dolphins are going to be more proactive this offseason than opposed to the reactive disposition they assumed last offseason.

So I expect Dolphins Brass to come out guns blazing with their money where their mouth is, much akin to the full court press they executed in re-signing their primary UFA’s they deemed most important.

Jake Long, Reggie Bush, and Chris Clemons will be allowed to test the market to see where their true values lies, and hopefully be re-signed for a number that is mutually beneficial for both sides.

You have to appreciate the strategy taking place in the front office, deciphering that Hartline and Moore would have commanded more on the open market, as where Long, Bush, and Clemons would see theirs set at lower figures due to the saturation of talent at their respective positions on the market.

Of the three, I see Clemons as the only one with a realistic opportunity to return because he would re-sign for a good number where his value as a starter against his cap value will be a steal.

Now Bush and Long may sign elsewhere for deals that would be affordable for the Dolphins but with second year pros Lamar Miller and Johnathan Martin in the wings at substantially less figures, their main objective seems to be to develop them and fill the holes with depth.

I expect the money that would have gone to re-signing Long and Bush will go to finding a starting Right Tackle and a complimentary addition to the Pass Rush instead.

At Cornerback the Miami Dolphins are setting them selves up for Sean Smith’s departure and expect them to restructure or release Richard Marshall and Dimitri Patterson, while doubling down at the Corner position in the draft much like they did years ago when they drafted Smith and Vontae Davis.

Now I appreciate how Ireland has closed down the building to limit the amount of leakage in information during this limbo period before Tuesday’s true start of Free Agency.

Dolphins brass isn’t fooling anyone with their strategy but at least they’re playing it close to the vest and coming correct when they want someone to sign a dotted line in promise of checks.

Hopefully the feverish close to the re-signing period of their players is a direct sign to how they’ll open Free Agency, with an aggressive mindset with offers to match that set the standard for other teams to match if they want to beat the Dolphins out.

Winning starts in the Off Season and winning a few bidding wars now could go a long way towards checks in the win column on their schedule this fall.