Free Agency Day 1:

We officially got Wallace! With Hartline ($30 million) and Wallace ($60 million) each signing 5-year deals, I think it’s safe to say we don’t have to worry about Miami’s receivers for a while. Miami also signed LB Dannell Ellerbe to a 5-year $35 million, and LB Phillip Wheeler to a 5-year $26 million deal. After releasing Dansby and Burnett, Miami basically swapped linebackers. Dansby and Burnett were better in pass coverage, but Ellerbe and Wheeler are better blitzers, younger, and cheaper. Ellerbe also has great range, and when he is on the field, it’s hard for fast quarterbacks to run around the field. Cutting Dansby saved almost $4 million but cost $4.6 million in dead money. Cutting Burnett saved $3.2 million but costs $2.5 million in dead money. Wheeler costs $2.4 million against the cap this season, and Ellerbe cost around $4 million against the cap this season. But Miami saves the big money next year when Dansby and Burnett were due a combined $18 million.however the only need Miami addressed shofar was WR.

Miami still has 4 big needs TE, OT, DE, and CB. Miami has around $20 million in cap space left, minus 5 for the draft, and another 5 for practice squad and in-season space. That’s $10 million, but it is a little bit of an exaggeration. So Miami has over $10 million in cap space left. Miami can get 3 solid players with that money.

Players Still on the Market:

TE – Keller, Davis, Myers

T – Long, Vollmer, Smith, Winston, McKinnie

DE – Bennett, Freeny, Abraham, Umenyiora

RB – Wells, Bradshaw

CB – Smith, Lewis, Hall, Winfield, Williams, Asomugha, Munnerlyn, Pacman

My Plan:

Miami can save $4.6 million by cutting Patterson, and save $3.4 million by cutting Marshall. Miami can do what they did with the linebackers and swap players. So Miami cuts Patterson and Marshall, and re-signs Smith, and sign Asomugha. Miami is now back to $20 million, and Smith and Asomugha count $8 million against the cap this season, so Miami is now back to a little over $10 million. With the rest of that money, Miami signs Keller, Winston, McDaniel, and Garner. None of these players will cost more than $3 million against the cap this season.

After free agency Miami’s team looks like this

QB – Tannehill, Moore, Devlin

HB – Miller, Thomas, Thigpen, Gray

FB – Lane

WR – Wallace, Hartline, Bess, Binns, Matthews

TE – Keller, Clay, Egnew

T – Martin, Jerry, Yeatman

G – Incognito, Garner

C – Pouncey, Samuda

DE – Wake, Vernon, Shelby

DT – Soliai, Starks, Odrick, McDaniel, Randall

OLB – Wheeler, Misi, Trusnik, Kaddu

MLB – Ellerbe, Spitler

CB – Smith, Asomugha, Carroll, Stanford

S – Jones,Clemons, Wilson

Draft:

1 – Xavier Rhodes CB FSU

2a – Alex Okafor DE Texas

2b – Jonathan Cyprien FS Florida International

3a – Gavin Escobar TE San Diego State

3b – David Quessenberry G/T San Jose State

4a – Kenny Stills WR Oklahoma

4b (Compensatory Pick) – Omeregie Uzzi G/T Georgia Tech

5 – RB

7a – DT

7b – LB

Rhodes, Smith, and Asomugha are all excellent press corners. Rhodes would be the long term solution, after Asomugha, 32 leaves. Okafor makes a great pair across from Wake, and can switch off with Odrick, Vernon, and Misi (Nickel and Dime) at DE while he develops. Cyprien is the long term solution since Miami clearly doesn’t want Clemons to be, after only signing him to a 1-year deal. Escobar makes a solid tandem with Keller. Quessenberry and Uzzi, both perfect fits for the zone-blocking scheme will develop and could be the future guards of this team. Stills would make an excellent 4th receiver, or slot receiver if Bess is cut or signs elsewhere next year.

After the draft Miami’s team can look like this

WR – Wallace, Hartline, Bess, Stills, Binns, Matthews

TE – Keller, Escobar, Clay, Egnew

T – Martin, Winston, Jerry, Yeatman

G – Incognito, Garner, Quessenberry, Uzzi

DE – Wake, Okafor, Vernon, Shelby

CB – Smith, Asomugha, Rhodes, Carroll, Stanford

S – Jones, Cyprien, Clemons, Wilson

I think this team is good enough to dethrone the Patriots, and eventually develop into Super Bowl contenders, as long as Tannehill becomes a top-10 or 15 QB.