Miami Dolphins extending Jakeem Grant now made a lot of sense

The Miami Dolphins like what they see in Jakeem Grant and they wanted to make sure they got him locked up now rather than later.

On Wednesday, the Miami Dolphins announced that they had extended Jakeem Grant with a four-year extension that will pay him upwards of $6 million a year. The deal could cap at $24 million.

Grant has been an electric player for the Dolphins despite his statistics not being all that impressive on the surface. Under Adam Gase, the former 6th round draft pick who was entering the final season of his rookie contract, Grant was used sparingly as Gase didn’t seem to have a good idea of how to use him. Brian Flores and Chad O’Shea fell differently.

In 2018, Grant’s season was cut short with a lower leg injury but he avoided the dreaded Achilles tear. He missed a big portion of the season but Gase was using him far more than he was the two years before.

Miami is rebuilding so keeping one of their own draft picks is another important step in the evolution of the team. Grant is well-liked in the locker room and is a positive teammate. Over the course of his three seasons thus far, Grant has seen his production rise.

In his 2016 rookie season, Grant was primarily used on the return teams. He was targeted only one time his rookie year according to his Pro-Football-Reference profile. In 2017 he was targeted only 22 times and caught 13 passes for 203 yards. Last year he saw his targets increase to 34 with 21 receptions. He has four touchdowns.

Flores and company see value in what he can bring to the Dolphins and the extension shows their commitment to getting him involved. It could be a great opportunity for the veteran receiver who will now go from making a little over $700,000 a year to $6 million.

Miami needs to find more players on the roster that they can build with and Grant is a good start.