Dolphins negotiating with Stills
Miami working to extend Alonso’s deal, expects Tannehill for offseason program
INDIANAPOLIS — Dolphins general manager Chris Grier said the team is still negotiating with wide receiver Kenny Stills, a potential free agent who could command $10-$12 million a year on his next contract. Meanwhile coach Adam Gase revealed, perhaps only half jokingly, that the Stills situation is one reason he hates free agency.
“One day I feel good about it, one day I feel like crap about it,” Gase said at the NFL scouting combine regarding the chances of Stills returning to the Dolphins next season. “I hate free agency.
“You just want to get your guys back. Kenny and I have a very close relationship. The worst thing about the NFL is sometimes that doesn’t matter. Sometimes the money is what guys are looking for. Kenny, obviously, he’d love to stay here, but he’s going to stay for the right price and what’s comfortable for him and I don’t think anybody would blame him for that.”
Grier confirmed that quarterback Ryan Tannehill, recovering from two sprained ligaments in his left knee, is expected to be ready for the entire offseason program that begins in April. He also said the team isn’t sure whether starting safety Isa AbdulQuddus (shoulder) will be ready to play next season, and that the Dolphins are working to extend linebacker Kiko Alonso’s contract.
The Dolphins didn’t say Stills is their top priority in free agency, but he seems to be high on their list.
“With Kenny, we’re still talking to him,” Grier said of the speedy wide receiver who finished with 42 receptions for 726 yards (17.3 yards per reception) and nine touchdowns last season.
“He earned the right to be a free agent. Kenny’s very important part for us. We all feel he contributed greatly to our success last year. Hopefully we’ll get something done here. Like I said, all these guys, you can’t be mad at them. He’s earned the right to reach free agency and hopefully we’ll get something with him done.”
Grier said the Dolphins and Stills, 24, are still in the negotiating stage.
“We’ve been talking back and forth,” he said. “I don’t think there’s any real numbers. We’ve talked back and forth. We kind of know what the agent wants, and what we think.
“With any negotiation, they’re going to ask for the moon and the team is going to come in and try to lowball. But it’s just the bartering back and forth.”
As for Tannehill, who had a career-best 93.5 passer rating last season, Grier said things are going well.
“Ryan has done a tremendous job working,” he said. “He’ll be there in April when they start with his teammates. He’s fine, he’s good. I saw him the other day and he’s working out, he’s doing a great [ job]. So he’ll be healthy, he’s ready to go and I know he’ll be excited for next year.”
Regarding Alonso, the Dolphins are hoping to extend his contract soon.
“For us he’s an important piece,” Grier said. “For the community, as you can see if you follow him on Twitter, he’s on Telemundo and everything, doing great. He’s an important piece, and we’ll start talking him to him and his agent soon about trying to extend him for the future.”
The outlook isn’t as solid for fellow linebacker Koa Misi, who is recovering from neck surgery.
“Koa right now is coming off significant neck surgery, so we’ve just got to see where it is,” Grier said. “But right now he’s in our plans. We’ll see. He’s got a checkup again in May, so it’ll be probably the first time we’ll really know where he’ll stand in terms of his football career going forward.”
It was a similar outlook for Abdul-Quddus, who is coming off serious shoulder surgery. Grier wouldn’t go as far as to say the injury is career-threatening, but the team seems very concerned.
“Right now they’re still trying to work through it because it was a significant shoulder injury,” Grier said. “Right now we’re just still dealing with the doctors working through it.”
The team isn’t sure whether starting safety Isa Abdul-Quddus (shoulder) will be ready to play next season.