Dion Sims - Pro Football Rumors

Fins Still Interested In Re-Signing Dion Sims

February 21st, 2017 at 7:30pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Although the Dolphins have agreed to acquire Julius Thomas from the Jaguars, Miami still has interest in re-signing fellow tight end Dion Sims, according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald.

Sims, 26, has never topped 30 receptions or 300 yards receiving during his four-year career, but Dolphins head coach Adam Gase has reportedly told Sims he views the former Michigan State Spartan as an integral part of the team going forward. Moreover, Miami believes Sims’ skill-set contrasts well with that of Thomas, per Jackson. Not only is Sims a solid blocker (whereas Thomas is not), he would provide the Dolphins with another tight end option in the event Thomas falls victim to injury, something he’s done multiple times during his NFL career.

Although he’s not expected to be a free agent priority like wide receiver Kenny Stills or defensive end Andre Branch, Sims is clearly in the Dolphins’ 2017 plans. Even if the Thomas trade goes through, Miami’s tight end depth would only consist of MarQueis Gray and Thomas Duarte, the latter of whom played all of two offensive snaps during his rookie campaign. Jordan Cameron, meanwhile, is an unrestricted free agent and is mulling retirement following a history of concussions.

Fins Prioritizing Kenny Stills, Andre Branch

January 26th, 2017 at 9:48am CST by Connor J. Byrne

Free agency is looming for wide receiver Kenny Stills and defensive end Andre Branch, but the Dolphins are going to work hard to lock the two up before March. The club will meet with the representatives for both players at the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala., this week in an attempt to set “a baseline starting point in negotiations,” according to Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald.

“We want to keep our own,” executive vice president Mike Tannenbaum said. “We’re never going to bat a thousand. The system just is not set up for it. We’ve been able to extend some players before I started — some like Mike Pouncey or Ryan Tannehill we were able to do — but candidly, you can’t keep them all. We understand that and acknowledge that.

Both Stills and Branch are coming off productive seasons, and each has professed a “love” for the Dolphins since the team’s season ended. In the first 16-start campaign of his four-year career, Stills, 24, averaged a club-high 17.3 yards per catch on 42 receptions and also led the Dolphins in touchdown grabs (nine). The 27-year-old Branch set a career high in starts (11) and posted 5.5 sacks – his second-best total since entering the NFL in 2012 – after inking a modest free agent deal to leave Jacksonville last March.

On Stills, who joined the Dolphins in a 2015 trade with the Saints, general manager Chris Grier stated: “It’s important for us to bring him back. We’d like to have him back. It’s his right to test the market and see what he can get, but we’d like to have him back.”

As with Stills and Branch, the Dolphins would like to re-sign soon-to-be free agent tight end Dion Sims, reports Salguero. Sims is less of a priority than Stills and Branch, however, and it’s unclear if his reps will meet with the Dolphins in Mobile. The 25-year-old logged personal bests in receptions (26) and TDs (four) during his 14-game 2016. He averaged under 10 yards per catch, though, leading to the possibility that the Dolphins could look for a better playmaking tight end this offseason.

In danger of losing each of Stills, Branch and Sims within the next couple months, the Dolphins aren’t yet focusing on extensions for wideout Jarvis Landry or safety Reshad Jones, per Salguero. Those two cornerstones are already under contract for next season, so there’s less urgency for Miami to determine their futures. While Salguero expects the Dolphins to ultimately ink Landry and Jones to new deals, talks haven’t yet begun. Indeed, Grier revealed Wednesday that “we’ll worry about the guys right now with the immediate free agents and then we’ll start working towards the guys that are still under contract.”

Dolphins Notes: Jordan, Stills, Branch, Sims

January 12th, 2017 at 5:21pm CST by Sam Robinson

Following the Dolphins‘ season-ending loss to Pittsburgh, Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald looks at potential changes to the squad. The writer believes that defensive end Dion Jordan has probably played his final game for the organization. The former No. 3 overall pick has been suspended twice and has undergone a pair of knee surgeries, and Salguero reports that “he’s having “issues” again that effectively will get him cut this offseason.”

Salguero doesn’t specify what kind of issues the oft-banned pass-rusher is having, but should this mark the end of Jordan’s tenure in Miami, it will conclude the tenure of one of the worst draft picks in team history. Jordan has not played in a game since 2014 and has just three career sacks. Waiving Jordan would save the Dolphins $3.225MM.

Here’s more from out of Miami.

Kenny Stills comprises part of the Dolphins’ UFA contingent, and the former Saints wideout unequivocally wants to return to Miami. Stills enjoyed a bounce-back year after a down first season in south Florida, hauling in 42 passes for 726 yards and a career-high nine touchdowns. ESPN.com’s James Walker notes Stills could be the team’s top free agent. “I want to be back here,” Stills said. “I love this team. I love these guys. We did something special, just starting 1-4. So we’re going to do whatever we can to try to make it happen.” The Dolphins don’t have a veteran wideout contract on their payroll but are lining up a Jarvis Landry extension, and Stills could be an attractive commodity on the market, being just 24.
Andre Branch wants to be back with the Dolphins as well but may be less enthralled than Stills about the certainty of a return. He could be a key part of this equation, with Cameron Wake set to turn 35 this month and Mario Williams almost certainly being a cap casualty. “I love this place,” the fifth-year defensive end said, via Walker. “They believed in me when not too many people did. I appreciate them for that. But we will see how it goes.”
When assessing the Fins’ priorities in terms of their UFA strategy, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald notes re-signing Stills will be high on the list, along with finding a replacement for right guard Jermon Bushrod. But a Dion Sims re-up will factor in as well. An impending UFA, Sims said Adam Gase views him as a starter going forward. Miami does not intend to re-sign Jordan Cameron, who wants to keep playing despite rampant injury struggles. More known for his blocking, Sims caught 24 passes for 256 yards and four TDs this season. Beyond Sims, Miami didn’t boast much at tight end this season.
When accounting for the $8.4MM in carryover from this year, the Dolphins figure to enter the offseason with approximately $36MM in cap space. The team moving on from Jordan, Williams and linebacker Koa Misi as expected should push that total up to $52MM, Jackson notes.
Earlier today, the Dolphins filled Vance Joseph‘s DC position by promoting linebackers coach Matt Burke.

Ben Levine contributed to this report

AFC East Notes: Rex, Taylor, Stills, Williams

December 11th, 2016 at 6:39pm CST by Sam Robinson

After a resurgence in October and November, the Bills again are dealing with turmoil. A report earlier today placed Rex Ryan‘s job in jeopardy, with CBSSports.com’s Jason La Canfora saying the second-year Buffalo coach could be fired as soon as Monday if the Steelers easily handled the Bills.

Today’s 27-20 home defeat probably doesn’t quite qualify as such — Le’Veon Bell‘s 238 rushing yards that doubled as the most ever ceded by a Bills team notwithstanding — but Ryan fielded plenty of questions about his job status postgame. Predictably, the embattled coach said he hasn’t had any conversations with ownership about his job status and that he remains unaware of potential tenuous nature of his position, Mike Rodak of ESPN.com notes. Ryan also said the narrow defeat to the Steelers should allow him to remain in his current position, Aditi Kinkhabwala of NFL.com reports (on Twitter).

Also addressing the issue of a potential schism between he and GM Doug Whaley, Ryan insists the two are indeed on the same page and committed to winning in western New York, per Rodak. The Bills dropped to 6-7 and are likely set to miss the playoffs for the 17th straight season, which remains the NFL’s longest postseason drought.

Here’s more from Buffalo and other locales in the AFC East.

Tyrod Taylor‘s stock is also plummeting after Whaley did not commit to him as the team’s surefire quarterback next season. Ryan told media “we’ll see” if Taylor will remain the starter in the Bills’ final three games, per Rodak. The organization is also not pressuring Ryan to play rookie Cardale Jones, via Rodak. Taylor sees the organization as still being behind him. By sticking with Taylor — who entered the day commanding the worst pass offense in the league — next season, the Bills would kickstart an $80MM+ contract that still stands as a wait-and-see-type deal as of this season.
The Dolphins managed to move to 8-5 and stand in reasonable position to qualify for the playoffs for the first time since 2008, although Ryan Tannehill‘s possible ACL tear obviously throws cold water on this, and the team wants to retain multiple members of its core. Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald notes the team would like to extend Kiko Alonso, tight end Dion Sims, and potentially Kenny Stills after the season. Stills is the only member of the Dolphins’ receiving corps who is not under contract after the season. He caught six passes for 97 yards and a touchdown against the Cardinals today to bring his season total to over 600. Proving to be a solid fit for Adam Gase‘s offense, Stills unlikely to match the 931 yards he amassed in 2014 with the Saints but could approach it and command a nice payday. Miami also wants to extend Jarvis Landry, whose contract is up after the ’17 season.
Jackson estimates the Fins will possess more than $50MM in cap space if they cut Mario Williams and Koa Misi, as he expects them to. Cutting Williams would save the team $8.5MM, with a Misi release adding $4.2MM to that figure. These moves would cost less than $3MM in terms of dead money.
Now on the heels of leading the Jets to their fourth victory this season, Todd Bowles’ job is likely safe.

2016 Proven Performance Escalators

February 12th, 2016 at 5:53pm CST by Dallas Robinson

According to the NFL’s contractual bargaining agreement, players drafted in rounds three though seven are entitled to raises during the fourth year of their respective rookie contracts. The pay bumps are tied to playing time — a player must have played in 35% of his team’s offensive or defensive snaps in two of his first three seasons, or averaged 35% playing time cumulatively during that period.

If one of these thresholds is met, the player’s salary is elevated to the level of that year’s lowest restricted free agent tender — that figure is projected to be $1.696MM in 2016. Players selected in the first or second round, undrafted free agents, and kickers/punters are ineligible for the proven performance escalator.

Here are the players who will see their salary rise in 2016 courtesy of the proven performance escalator:

49ers: Gerald Hodges, LB

Bears: Marquess Wilson, WR

Buccaneers: William Gholston, DE; Mike Glennon, QB; Akeem Spence, DT

Cardinals: Andre Ellington, RB; Tyrann Mathieu, CB/S; Alex Okafor, LB

Chargers: Keenan Allen, WR

Colts: Sio Moore, LB; Hugh Thornton, G

Cowboys: J.J. Wilcox, S; Terrance Williams, WR

Dolphins: Jelani Jenkins, LB; Dallas Thomas, T; Dion Sims, TE; Kenny Stills, WR

Eagles: Bennie Logan, DT

Falcons: Kemal Ishmael, S; Levine Toilolo, TE

Jaguars: Josh Evans, S; Dwayne Gratz, CB

Jets: Brian Winters, G

Lions: Larry Warford, G

Packers: David Bakhtiari, T; Micah Hyde, S

Patriots: Duron Harmon, S; Chris Jones, DT; Logan Ryan, CB

Raiders: Mychal Rivera, TE

Rams: T.J. McDonald, S

Ravens: Ricky Wagner, T; Brandon Williams, DT

Saints: Terron Armstead, T; John Jenkins, DT

Seahawks: Luke Willson, TE

Steelers: Markus Wheaton, WR

Titans: Brian Schwenke, C

Washington: Jordan Reed, TE