The Miami Dolphins will have a decision to make with Jevon Holland this offseason, but a recent transaction in the NFL could put a cap on his potential earnings as a free agent.
According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, Arizona Cardinals safety Budda Baker signed an extension worth $54 million over three years, with $30 million guaranteed. That's a good contract for a player who deserves it. Holland will not get that much money on the open market.
Baker is an All-Pro, but Holland hasn't made a Pro Bowl. Baker is a game-changing safety who impacts plays by just being on the field. Holland struggles to tackle consistently. If Holland is hoping for a big payday, he might want to start rethinking the numbers.
With Baker hitting $30 million in guarantees, Holland should come in well under that, maybe as little as $20 million. The high end of the contract should also come in well below the $54 million of Baker's. That could put him in the mid-40s.
Budda Baker's new deal could be a blueprint to get Jevon Holland a Dolphins extension
Dolphins GM Chris Grier has said little about potentially giving Holland a new deal. If he was waiting to see what Holland did in a contract year, he has to be at least a little thrilled that he did nothing to increase his value. Holland has a lot of potential, but so far, it has all been unrealized.
Grier could feed off this season and offer a lower number that Holland may find disrespectful, but it has become much harder to jockey for a big contract after what Baker was able to get. The blueprint, so to speak, has set any negotiations with an absolute cap that neither party should expect to come remotely close to. Grier will most likely turn his attention to replacing Holland.
If Holland is looking for a big payday, he isn't going to get close to Baker's. The Dolphins, as well as the rest of the NFL, know that. They can thank the Cardinals for that.