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Reshad Jones, after skipping Monday's conditioning session, was present for the team's practice on Tuesday. Jones initially opted not to report because he was frustrated with the lack of progress of his contract discussions with the Dolphins. He changed his mind, according to The Miami Herald, after his agent and Miami general manager Jeff Ireland spoke Monday evening.
Now, what everyone is wondering is how this situation will unfold in the next couple of months.
Ireland spent upwards of $200 million in maximum contract value this offseason on outside free agents. Now he has two tenured Dolphins, Jones and defensive tackle Randy Starks, unhappy with their current contract situations after seeing their team open the checkbook for seemingly any player they set their eyes on.
Jones is in the final year of his rookie deal which, as a former fifth-round pick, will pay him just $1.3 million this season. Beyond just getting a long term deal, Jones will be seeking a significant raise that fits his value to the team. Jones' counterpart in the defensive backfield, Chris Clemons, just re-signed with the team for one-year and $2.75 million.
It's still, at this point, very unclear where the two sides stand on the negotiations and too early to speculate how things will develop, but Jones was a cornerstone of the Dolphins' defensive unit a year ago and presumably will be again this season. His status will have on-the-field repercussions, if unresolved.
Jones' emergence as one of the better safeties in the league was one of the Dolphins most positive takeaways from the 2012 season. After beginning the year with a precarious hold on the starting safety job, he established himself as a valuable building block for a young and developing Miami defense.
Now, he wants his next contract to reflect that.