Dolphins can still get draft picks for Landry
WR can sign with other team if trade agreed to
DAVIE One of the things the Miami Dolphins will likely do at the NFL scouting combine, which begins today in Indianapolis, is gauge wide receiver Jarvis Landry’s trade value. And although the rules say the Dolphins would be owed two first-round picks in a trade for Landry, they could get significantly less.
Miami has placed the non-exclusive franchise tag on Landry. That means Landry is free to negotiate with other teams and sign an offer sheet. The Dolphins have the right to match the offer.
It’s important to note the Dolphins can’t trade Landry until he sheet.
It’s also important to note the team that signs Landry to an offer sheet could work out any trade compensation with Miami the two teams find workable.
In other words, the Dolphins won’t necessarily receive two first-round picks if they trade Landry.
So, in a way any potential Landry trade could be viewed as two separate transactions:
A negotiation between Landry and the new team on a contract, one that would presumably lower the $16 million franchisetag salary;
A negotiation between the new team and the Dolphins for trade compensation for Landry because it’s assumed no team would want to give Miami two first-round picks.
Two trades are evidence of teams that worked out signs their offer their own compensation for a franchise-tagged player involved in a trade — quarterback Matt Cassel and defensive end Jared Allen.
New England placed a franchise tag on Cassel in 2009 and then traded him and linebacker Mike Vrabel to Kansas City in exchange for a second-round pick (No. 34) in the 2009 draft.
Kansas City placed a franchise tag on Allen in 2007 and then traded him to Minnesota in exchange for a first-round pick and two third-round picks in the 2008 draft.
If Landry signs Miami’s offer sheet he’d be guaranteed a salary of about $16 million for 2018. The official figure won’t be known until the salary cap is set next month.
Both Landry and the Dolphins would prefer to work out a multi-year contract — the Dolphins want to lower Landry’s salary-cap number, and Landry wants longterm security. Representatives from both sides could further their contract discussions at the combine.
It’s assumed one reason the Dolphins placed the franchise tag on Landry instead of the transition tag is so they could be certain to get something in return if Landry departs.
Using the franchise tag, the Dolphins could work out trade parameters.
Under the transition tag, by rule, the Dolphins aren’t assured of compensation if Landry departs. Miami got compensation in the way of a compensatory draft pick after it rescinded the transition tag on defensive end Olivier Vernon in 2016, but there’s no guarantee of getting a compensatory pick.
What could the Dolphins get for Landry in a trade?
That’s likely one of the questions they’ll try to get answered this week in Indianapolis. chperkins@sunsentinel.com or Twitter @Chrisperk