The Dolphins are discussing a new deal with offensive tackle Ja’Wuan James, who is currently scheduled to play the 2018 campaign under his fifth-year option at a cost of $9.341MM, according to Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald.
Miami clearly isn’t interested in retaining James at his current price, as the former first-round pick has been mentioned as both a a trade and release candidate this offseason. Instead, the Dolphins are offering a James a new deal — whether it’s an extension or just a pay cut is unclear — that would reduce his cap charge in 2018. If James doesn’t accept the proposal, he’s expected to be released, per Salguero.
Hitting the open market wouldn’t necessarily be the worst outcome for James, who was selected in the first round of the 2014 draft. The 2018 free agent tackle class is extremely weak, with Nate Solder and Justin Pugh appearing to be the only clear-cut starters. Thus, James must weigh the Dolphins’ offer against any prospective contracts he thinks he could land as an unrestricted free agent.
James, 25, graded as the league’s No. 17 offensive tackle last season, per Pro Football Focus, which assigned James the highest marks of his career. However, James only appeared in eight games in 2017 thanks to a groin injury, the second campaign of his career in which he played in eight contests or fewer.