HEADLINES

Derrick Shelby

Cameron Wake, Dolphins Discussing Extension

February 19th, 2016 at 10:17am CST by Luke Adams

FRIDAY, 10:17am: According to Albert Breer of the NFL Network (via Twitter), Wake and the Dolphins are hoping for resolution on his contract situation next week, which would give the team time to turn its attention to Vernon before the franchise-tag deadline.

THURSDAY, 8:23am: The Dolphins have engaged in contract talks with veteran defensive end Cameron Wake about a possible extension, reports Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). According to Rapoport, Miami is exploring the possibility of getting something done with Wake before the new league year begins, which could give the team increased flexibility to retain defensive end Olivier Vernon.Cameron Wake

Wake, who turned 34 last month, was his usual productive self during the first half of the 2015 season, racking up seven sacks in seven games for the Dolphins, and forcing four fumbles. However, a torn Achilles, sustained in late October, sidelined him for the rest of the year, and has him on the mend as the ’16 league year approaches.

Wake is currently due a base salary of $8.275MM, plus a workout bonus of $125K, in 2016, the final year of his contract. If the Dolphins were to cut him, they could clear that $8.4MM from their books, leaving just $1.4MM in dead money on the cap. Since Miami seems to want to keep Wake on its roster, and a new deal would give him some guaranteed money up front, there’s motivation for both sides to work something out.

If the Dolphins do agree to an extension with Wake, it likely wouldn’t add more than a couple new years to his deal, given his age. It would also almost certainly reduce his $9.8MM cap number for 2016, which would free up some space for the club as it tackles other offseason business. Frankly though, if the Dolphins hope to use their franchise tag on Vernon or spend big on another player, releasing Wake and restructuring Ndamukong Suh‘s contract would make the most sense — those two moves would create upwards of $25MM in cap savings for the club.

If the Dolphins do extend Wake, it may signal the end of Derrick Shelby‘s time in Miami. Re-signing both Vernon and Shelby would be most plausible for the Dolphins if they move on from Wake, but as long as the veteran still in the mix, it might make sense for the club to focus on re-signing one of its two free agent defensive ends. Miami will have until March 1st to use its franchise tag, and until March 9th to work out extensions to avoid having its free agents reach the open market.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Dolphins Re-Sign Derrick Shelby

March 26th, 2015 at 11:29am CST by Luke Adams

Dolphins defensive end Derrick Shelby, one of several restricted free agents to receive a second-round RFA tender from his team, has signed that contract offer, and will officially return to Miami for the 2015 season, the team announced today (via Twitter).

By placing the second-round tender on Shelby, the Dolphins ensured that any other team hoping to sign the 26-year-old to an offer sheet would have to give up a second-round pick to land him. That decision essentially guaranteed that Shelby would return to the Fins. The one-year contract he signed today is worth $2.356MM, and will expire at season’s end, making him eligible for unrestricted free agency next March.

Shelby, a former undrafted free agent out of Utah, had 26 tackles, three sacks, a fumble recovery, and an interception in part-time action for the Dolphins last season. Miami’s depth chart at defensive end features Cameron Wake, Olivier Vernon, and Dion Jordan, so Shelby likely won’t become a full-time contributor anytime soon, but managed to see nearly 400 defensive snaps last year.

Back in October, Shelby was arrested for trespassing and resisting arrest, prompting the Dolphins to suspend him. However, the team reinstated him just a week later, and Shelby presented a much different account of the night’s events than authorities did.

Tender Updates: Tuesday

March 10th, 2015 at 4:46pm CST by Zachary Links

Today’s tender decisions:

  • The Buccaneers have signed running back Bobby Rainey to a one-year tender worth $1.54MM, according to Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times. The Bucs will now have right of first refusal if another club offers Rainey a deal.
  • The Falcons chose not to tender an offer to restricted free agent Drew Davis, Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com reported. The wide receiver will now become an unrestricted free agent.
  • The Packers elected not to tender new contracts to wide receiver Jarrett Boykin or running back DuJuan Harris, according to Rob Demovsky of ESPN (via Twitter).
  • Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun reports that the Ravens didn’t tender an offer to cornerback Anthony Levine, who already has other teams interested in his services. He still might end up back in Baltimore, per Wilson.
  • Ben Volin of the Boston Globe tweets that the Patriots declined to make a qualifying offer to receiver Brian Tyms. He’s now a free agent. Further, according to Mike Reiss of ESPN.com, the Pats also didn’t make an offer to Tyms’ fellow wideout Greg Orton.
  • In other Pats news, Volin reports that the team made qualifying offers to fullback James Develin, defensive tackle Sealver Siliga and linebacker James Morris. All three will return to New England.
  • The Texans tendered a contract to quarterback Case Keenum, according to the Houston Chronicle’s John McClain.
  • The Vikings have opted to let go a pair of exclusive rights free agents, linebacker Dom DeCicco and offensive lineman Josh Samuda, per Matt Vensel of the Minneapolis Star Tribune.
  • Safety Michael Thomas will return to the Dolphins after signing his ERFA tender, tweets James Walker of ESPN.com.
  • Green Bay issued an exclusive rights free agent tender to safety Chris Banjo, his agent tells Tom Silverstein of the Journal Sentinel (on Twitter).
  • The Packers have issued an exclusive rights free agent tender to safety Chris Banjo, his agent tells Tom Silverstein of the Journal Sentinel (on Twitter).
  • James Develin is returning to the Patriots after signing his exclusive rights tender, a source tells Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald tweets.
  • The Colts announced that exclusive rights free agent outside linebacker Cam Johnson has signed his tender. Johnson was first acquired by the Colts in a trade with the 49ers in September of 2013.
  • The Packers tendered RFA offensive lineman Don Barclay at the lowest level ($1.542MM), per agent Joe Linta (Twitter link via Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com).
  • The Vikings tendered a contract offer to restricted free agent offensive tackle Mike Harris, but their other RFA-eligible player, linebacker Dom DeCicco, didn’t get a tender, tweets Mark Craig of the Star Tribune.

Earlier updates:

  • The Jaguars re-signed exclusive rights free agent tackle Austin Pasztor, tendering him a contract, tweets John Oehser of Jaguars.com.
  • The Dolphins tendered defensive end Derrick Shelby with the second-round tender of $2.35MM, Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald tweets. Shelby, 26, appeared in 15 games last season, recording 26 tackles and 3.0 sacks.
  • The Bengals (on Twitter) extended a tender offer to cornerback Chris Lewis-Harris. Lewis-Harris, an ERFA, has appeared in 12 games for Cincy over the last three years.
  • The Bengals will not extend a tender offer to defensive tackle Devon Still, Paul Dehner Jr. of The Cincinnati Enquirer tweets. However, the Bengals have offered Still a one-year deal and he’s mulling that over while also taking matters involving his family into account, Coley Harvey of ESPN.com tweets.
  • The Packers have tendered safety Sean Richardson at the ROFR (right of first refusal rate) of one-year, $1.542MM, according to Tom Silverstein of the Journal Sentinel (on Twitter). That’s a sizable committment to Richardson, he adds.

Tender Updates: Saturday

March 7th, 2015 at 9:01am CST by Ben Levine

As teams prepare for free agency, they have to figure out a plan for their restricted free agents. Teams will often slap these players with a mid-round tender, at least assuring some kind of compensation should they sign elsewhere. The second-round tender is popular, and this year’s value is worth $2.356MM. The value of a minimum-level tender is worth $1.542MM.

With that said, we’ll pass along any tender updates throughout the day, with the most recent updates added to the top of the list…

  • Defensive end Ryan Davis has signed his exclusive rights free agent tender with the Jaguars, reports Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter).
  • The Chiefs have tendered outside linebacker Josh Martin to a one-year deal, reports Terez Paylor of the Kansas City Star (via Twitter). Martin is an exclusive-rights free agent. The team has also tendered tight end Demetrius Harris (via Twitter).
  • The Dolphins have re-signed A.J. Sanders and Jordan Kovacs to their tenders, reports Omar Kelly of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel (via Twitter). He notes that the team has not yet been able to re-sign Derrick Shelby or Michael Thomas.
  • The Broncos notified linebacker/special teams ace Steven Johnson that he would not be tendered, making him an unrestricted free agent, reports Mike Klis of The Denver Post. The 26-year-old started seven games for the Broncos last season, compiling a career-high in tackles (32). Klis notes that the organization could bring Johnson back on a cheaper contract, but their unwillingness to offer the one-year, $1.542MM contract indicates they won’t overspend.
  • Washington tendered kicker Kai Forbath, tweets ESPN’s John Keim. Citing Mike Jones of The Washington Post, Keim says the two sides haven’t discussed a longterm deal. The 27-year-old finished 2014 with career-highs in field goals made (24) and total points (103), while his 88.9 field goal percentage ranked in the top-10 in the NFL.
  • ESPN’s Field Yates passes along a pair of second-round tenders (via Twitter): Raiders wideout Rod Streater and Eagles defensive tackle Cedric Thornton. Streater didn’t have the best 2014 season, finishing with career-lows across the board. However, his performance in 2013 (60 catches, 888 yards, four touchdowns) showed that he can contribute in the NFL. Meanwhile, Thornton has continued improving during his three years in the league, and he finished last season with 52 tackles.
  • Streater’s teammate, receiver Andre Holmes, received the low tender from the Raiders, tweets Fox Sports’ Mike Garafolo. The former undrafted free agent followed an impressive 2013 season with a better 2014, compiling 47 catches for 693 yards and four touchdowns.

Dolphins Reinstate Derrick Shelby

October 13th, 2014 at 8:02pm CST by Dallas Robinson

A week after being suspended indefinitely, defensive end Derrick Shelby has been reinstated by the Dolphins, a league source tells Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk. Shelby was arrested in Fort Lauderdale, Florida on October 4 for trespassing and resisting arrest, charges which his agent argued were unwarranted.

As Smith notes, personal conduct policy is under the purview of the league, not teams, so it’s possible that the NFLPA leaned on the Dolphins to allow Shelby to return to action. Given the numerous off-the-field incidents that have occurred around the NFL during the year, it’s not surprising that Miami acted swiftly in responding to this incident. However, Shelby’s take on what happened is quite different from the story put forth by authorities, so it would be tough for the Dolphins to continue to discipline him until the situation is resolved.

Shelby, 25, saw 127 snaps over three games before his suspension. The 25-year-old Utah product joined the Dolphins as an undrafted free agent in 2012. He’ll return as a reserve on a defensive line that features Cameron Wake, Randy Starks, and Earl Mitchell.

Miami will need to make a roster move to clear a spot for Shelby as its roster currently sits at 53.

Extra Points: Smith, McClain, Prater, Saints

October 6th, 2014 at 9:42pm CST by Luke Adams

Time is running out to determine if Geno Smith is the answer for the Jets, writes Mark Cannizzaro of the New York Post. It’s starting to feel as if the Smith era is in the process of mirroring the Mark Sanchez era, but the key difference is that Sanchez got the Jets to back-to-back AFC Championship games. Sanchez got four years before the Jets finally pulled the plug, and the Jets don’t have that kind of time. More from around the NFL..

  • Rolando McClain is having a career renaissance in Dallas and Cowboys COO Stephen Jones says he’d like to keep the linebacker beyond this season, writes Jon Machota of The Dallas Morning News. In four games, the starting middle linebacker has 23 tackles, a sack, a forced fumble and an interception. McClain is a former top ten pick and Jones feels that he’s finally starting to realize that potential.
  • While the move saves money, Broncos GM John Elway is taking a risk with his release of Matt Prater, who is arguably the best kicker in the game, writes Peter King of The MMQB. Even though Brandon McManus has a great leg, he hasn’t really been tested on field goals in 2014.
  • Former Packers tight end Tom Crabtree has a workout scheduled with the Saints, according to Tyler Dunne of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel (on Twitter).
  • Patriots coach Bill Belichick says that recent acquisition Tim Wright still has “a long way to go” to learn the Pats offense, but he is impressed with his work ethic and intelligence, writes Phil A. Perry of CSNNE.com.
  • If there’s a hot seat for Rex Ryan, there needs to be one for Jets GM John Idzik as well, writes Steve Serby of the New York Post. So who should take over? Bill Polian, who built Super Bowl teams in Buffalo and Indianapolis, is Serby’s suggestion.
  • Agent David Canter (via Twitter) issued a statement regarding the suspension of Dolphins defensive end Derrick Shelby.

Dolphins Suspend Derrick Shelby Indefinitely

October 6th, 2014 at 9:35am CST by Zachary Links

The Dolphins announced that defensive end Derrick Shelby has been suspended indefinitely by the team for detrimental conduct, according to James Walker of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Shelby was arrested Saturday in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

At the time of the incident, agent Daniel Rosenberg defended his client in the face of reports that he resisted arrest. “Derrick maintains his innocence,” said Rosenberg. “There’s a lot of conflicting information about his arrest.” In today’s statement, coach Joe Philbin said that he is “disappointed” in Shelby and discipline for him will be determined after the club has completed the “necessary diligence” (Twitter links).

Shelby, 25, had two sacks, six tackles, and a fumble recovery in four games for Miami this season. Over his two years and change with the Dolphins, the 6’3″, 248 pound Shelby has appeared in 36 games, recording 4.5 sacks and 48 tackles over that span.

AFC East Links: Bills, Dolphins, Jets

October 5th, 2014 at 11:31am CST by Ben Levine

Earlier this morning, we looked at some rumblings out of New England. Let’s now take a look at what is happening with the other three AFC East teams…