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According to Barry Jackson of the Sun Sentinel, the Miami Dolphins have reached a one-year deal with defensive end Andre Branch.
Per league sources, Dolphins have reached a one-year deal with Andre Branch. So they now have a capable third DE to accompany Wake,Mario W.
— Barry Jackson (@flasportsbuzz) March 16, 2016
Branch, 26, was drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the second round of the 2012 NFL draft. In 2015, Branch started ten games for the Jaguars, recording 24 tackles, four sacks and two forced fumbles. Throughout his four-year career, Branch combined for 55 tackles, 14 sacks and 5 forced fumbles.
After losing Derrick Shelby and Olivier Vernon to free agency, the Dolphins were in need of depth at the defensive end position. Miami now has a third defensive end to add to the rotation of Mario Williams and Cameron Wake. With the addition of Branch, the Dolphins get some much needed youth at the position.
Our friends over at Big Cat Country did a nice write-up on Branch prior to the start of free agency. Below is an insert from that article.
What he does well: Branch is a bit of a weird case in that if you look at him physically, he looks like an NFL pass rusher. He appears like he has that athletic ability to come off the edge and put pressure on the quarterback in the backfield, but he doesn’t. He’s a bit of an odd cast in that he’s actually very good at holding the point of attack against the run and plays like a strongside end in a weakside end’s body. It’s one of the reason Branch has seen so much action in the LEO rotation despite his struggles to rush the passer, he’s very good holding up against the run.
Concerns: Branch is a pass rusher who is not good at rushing the passer. Branch is a classic "clean up" pass rusher, in that someone else does the creating and he ends up picking up the prize. He just does not have that natural ability to turn the corner rushing the passer from the end position and will often get run wide over and over during a game by any good offensive tackles. He can sometimes win with a bull rush/inside move, but for the most part you’ll see Branch looping inside on a stunt or running a few yards behind the quarterback with the lineman shadowing him. There are two types of pass rushers, creators and cleaners, and Branch is a cleaner.
According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, the Dolphins deal with Andre Branch is for 1-year, $3-million.
For the #Dolphins and DE Andre Branch, it's a 1-year contract for $3M fully guaranteed, source said.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 16, 2016