Dolphins Re-Sign Andre Branch

The Dolphins are re-signing pass-rusher Andre Branch on a long-term deal, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Terms of the deal are not yet known. It’s a three-year contract worth $27MM in total, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Cashes in after a resurgence

One report recently assessed Branch’s value at somewhere between $7MM-9MM per year. That sounded a tad high, but it turns out that was right on the money. The $9MM average annual salary will rival the $8MM earned by teammate Cameron Wake. The yearly salary would rank just outside the top-10 among NFL defensive ends.Andre Branch (vertical)

The defensive end appeared in all 16 games last season – his first perfect attendance record since 2013 – and turned in a strong year. He compiled 49 total tackles and 5.5 sacks and made eleven starts. Prior to signing, Branch was listed as our tenth-best edge defender on the open market, ahead of Julius Peppers, Charles Johnson, Datone Jones, Mario Addison, and Dwight Freeney.

Despite the expected interest, Branch was said to be a priority for Miami. Today, the Dolphins got it done. For what it’s worth, there weren’t a whole lot of teams connected to the lineman over the past few days.

Branch would have been sorely missed if he departed for another team. The Dolphins currently have a pair of defensive ends under contract in Wake and Terrence Fede.

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