Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
‘Everything will work out’
James reassures Tunsil regarding free agency
DAVIE — If Laremy Tunsil had a choice, he would prefer to not play without his best friend Ja’Wuan James.
Tunsil, the Miami Dolphins’ starting left tackle, is advocating for the team to re-sign James, who is an unrestricted free agent.
“Don’t leave me @wuan #baldheadisland,” Tunsil wrote in an Instagram story post from his account to James on Tuesday.
James’ response from his Instagram account?
“Everything will work out bro! #baldheadgang,” James said.
James, who was the highestpaid player at his position last season at $9.3 million, could demand top dollar in a relatively weak class of free-agent right tackles this offseason.
Dolphins general manager Chris Grier is expected to engage in negotiation talks with James, who was Miami’s first-round pick in 2014, as the new league year begins on March 13.
“We drafted him here, and he’s a good, young player,” Grier said of James during the NFL combine last week in Indianapolis. “We’d like to have him here. And we’ll see what the market [is] and what he’s looking for as well.”
Tampa Bay Buccaneers left tackle Donovan Smith may have set the market after agreeing Tuesday to a three-year, $41.25 million deal with $27 million guaranteed in the first two years of the new deal, according to ESPN.
Smith’s deal factors to $13.75 million annually, but left tackles are typically paid higher than right tackles to protect the blind side of right-handed quarterbacks.
James could possibly command at least $9-10 million in the freeagent market. Philadelphia’s Lane Johnson ($11.2 million), Detroit’s Ricky Wagner ($9.5 million) and Los Angeles Rams’ Rob Havenstein ($8.13 million) are the three highest-paid right tackles in the NFL.
“We’ll see what happens,” James said of his contract talks shortly before signing and swapping game jerseys with Tunsil after the Dolphins’ season ended against the Buffalo Bills on Dec. 30.
“He’s a brother for life,” James later said of Tunsil. “No matter what happens, whether I’m here or not, he’s always going to be a brother.”