Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Stills staying home
WR’s deal in place, as is one for Branch
On the eve of free agency, the Miami Dolphins focused on re-signing their own players, reaching deals with receiver Kenny Stills and pass rusher Andre Branch before they would have hit the open market today at 4 p.m.
Stills agreed to a four-year, $32 million deal with $20 million guaranteed, according to a source. Branch agreed to a three-year deal worth a reported $27 million.
Branch wrote on Twitter: “We’re just getting started. The new Miami.” He also posted a photo of him smiling after his agent told him he was staying with the Dolphins.
Stills posted “New Miami” on his Instagram page, along with a photo of him in a Dolphins huddle.
Meanwhile, the Dolphins are also working to re-sign tight end Dion Sims.
And they’re set to host veteran linebacker Lawrence Timmons on a visit after free agency opens, according to a source.
The dialogue between the two sides hints that the Dolphins — who desperately need to upgrade their linebacker unit — may be the highest bidder for Timmons, a one-time Pro Bowler who has been a starter for eight of his 10 seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The Dolphins on Wednesday also resigned linebacker Mike Hull, offensive lineman Anthony Steen, tight end Thomas Duarte and cornerback Lafayette Pitts to
one-year deals as exclusive rights free agents.
Stills, who had 42 receptions for 726 yards and a team-best nine touchdowns last season, is the deep threat who complements fellow wide receivers Jarvis Landry and DeVante Parker. The four-year veteran, who turns 25 next month, averaged 17.3 yards per reception last season, which ranked third in the NFL.
The Dolphins are also expected to add Jacksonville tight end Julius Thomas in a trade that can be finalized today, and that figures to give quarterback Ryan Tannehill the best arsenal of receivers he’s had in his career.
Locking up Branch helps solidify a defense that management has acknowledged needs reinforcements.
Branch, 27, had 49 tackles, 5.5 sacks and two forced fumbles in the 11 starts he made for the Dolphins last season. The free agent defensive end pool wasn’t impressive, especially after Chandler Jones, Melvin Ingram and Jason Pierre-Paul were given the franchise tag by their teams, so that enhanced Branch’s market.
Last year Branch accepted a one-year, $2.75 million deal from the Dolphins after spending four disappointing seasons with the Jacksonville Jaguars. He was signed to serve as a pass-rushing specialist, but Miami’s struggles in the first five games led to his promotion to a larger role opposite Pro Bowler Cameron Wake.
Branch was an effective pass rusher, but his run defense struggled at times. The Dolphins ranked 30th in the league against the run last season.
That’s an area where Timmons could help.
The former Florida State standout, who turns 31 in May, had 114 tackles, 2.5 sacks, two interceptions and one forced fumble in 16 games as an inside linebacker last season.
Despite his age, the 6-foot-1, 234-pound Timmons has a reputation for being physical and durable, which are two things the Dolphins lacked in their linebacker unit the past few seasons. Timmons has played in every regular season game over the past seven seasons, and last year Pittsburgh ranked 13th against the run.
Timmons has averaged 98 tackles per season through his career. He has also tallied 35.5 sacks and 12 interceptions, but he’s only played in a 3-4 scheme as a pro and would be making a transition to a 4-3 defense, which is what he played in at FSU.
If the Dolphins sign Timmons, they would likely be moving Kiko Alonso from the middle to the weakside linebacker spot, which would allow their leading tackler from 2016 to serve as that unit’s pass coverage specialist.
The Dolphins must first sign Alonso to either a multi-year extension, or give him an original-round tender worth $1.8 million by Thursday’s 4 p.m. deadline. That tender would require any team interested in signing Alonso to an offer sheet to send the Dolphins a second-round pick if Miami doesn’t match the offer to retain him.
Safety Michael Thomas, tailback Damien Williams, defensive end Nick Williams and tight end Dominique Jones can also become unrestricted free agents if the Dolphins don’t place a tender worth $1.8 million on them for the 2017 season by 4 p.m.
Even with Julius Thomas coming in, retaining Sims still appears to be a priority for the Dolphins.
Sims, 26, caught 26 passes for 256 yards and four touchdowns last season and is viewed as an ideal complement to Thomas.
Sims is best known for his blocking — though his pass catching made strides in 2016 — and Thomas gives the Dolphins a proven target in the seam and in the red zone. Coach Adam Gase has incorporated heavy use of the tight end position throughout his career as a playcaller.
Expect the Dolphins to offer Sims a contract that pays him $3-4 million a season, which would be just shy of the three-year, $15 million contract tight end Vernon Davis signed to return to Washington, and the three-year, $19 million deal Jack Doyle signed with Indianapolis. This year’s free agent tight ends aren’t expected to garner huge contracts, in part because it is a strong position in the 2017 draft class.