While the Jonathan Martin/Richie Incognito text messages obtained by The Big Lead have produced the major Dolphins-related story of the last 24 hours, it’s unlikely that either player ever wears a Miami uniform again. Incognito is a free agent, but new GM Dennis Hickey will be tasked with making a move with Martin, who will almost certainly be either traded or waived before the 2014 season gets underway. Speaking of Hickey, his contract has been a key point of discussion amidst Tuesday’s other Dolphins updates, so let’s dive in and round up the latest….
- Citing multiple sources, ESPN.com’s James Walker reported today that Hickey’s deal with the Dolphins is for just two years. Assuming that’s true, it would expire at the same time as the contract for head coach Joe Philbin, after the 2015 season.
- According to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, however, the Dolphins are denying the ESPN report, saying that Hickey’s contract is for more than two years (Twitter link). The team didn’t specify the length of the deal, so I wonder if it’s a matter of semantics — perhaps there’s a third-year team option after the first two years, for instance.
- As Walker noted in his piece, most general managers receive deals for between three and five years. The length of Hickey’s deal would be telling, since it would signal whether the club is invested long-term in its new GM or is giving itself an out to potentially make another change in a year or two.
- In an interview with Finsiders.com, offensive lineman Bryant McKinnie expressed a desire to re-sign with the Dolphins this offseason. Said the 34-year-old free-agent-to-be: “I plan on playing for a couple more years and it would be great to just finish my career [in Miami] where I already have a home.”