TUESDAY, 10:33am: Yates has the details on Satele’s one-year contract with the Dolphins, which has a base salary of $1.25MM, with $250K guaranteed (Twitter link). The deal also features up to $750K in per-game active roster bonuses, meaning the center could earn up to $2MM.
SATURDAY, 6:30pm: The Dolphins have signed offensive lineman Samson Satele, reports ESPN’s Field Yates (via Twitter). The center was released by the Colts in March after spending two seasons with the club. The 29-year-old was originally drafted by the Dolphins in the second-round of the 2007 draft. He spent his first two seasons in Miami before being shipped to the Raiders in 2009.
We had heard last week that the Dolphins were keeping an eye on the seven-year veteran, but it sounded like the team was going to rely on younger players to replace injured Pro-Bowler Mike Pouncey. The team apparently wasn’t completely satisfied with the options (including Sam Brenner, Shelley Smith and Nate Garner) and decided to add the former second-rounder.
Satale has been relatively durable since he entered the league. He’s started 98 of 102 career games, including 13 starts for last year’s Colts team. While he has the ability to stay on the field, he hasn’t provided much production. According to Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics (subscription required), he has been a below-average lineman for much of his career (excluding a solid 2011 campaign).