Dolphins spend on Byron Jones and more in bold (and expensive) free-agency moves

DAVIE, Fla. — Miami wasted no time making moves in free agency Monday, the first day teams were allowed to talk to players. In the opening eight hours of the free-agent negotiating period the Dolphins acquired four veterans, highlighted by Dallas cornerback Byron Jones, perhaps the best on the market. The Dolphins will reportedly give Jones a five-year, $82.5 million contract making him the highest-paid cornerback in the league, with $57 million guaranteed.

Miami also acquired ex-New England defensive end Kyle Van Noy, ex-Washington left guard Ereck Flowers and ex-Buffalo defensive end Shaq Lawson. Miami is giving Flowers and Lawson each a three-year, $30 million deal in moves that should help solidify the offensive and defensive lines. Van Noy is reportedly getting a four-year, $51 million deal. Lawson seemed happy with the addition, tweeting, “Oh yea got dawg on the other side of me.”

On a lesser note, agent Mike McCartney tweeted ex-Cincinnati safety Clay Fejedelem, a special teams standout, has agreed to a three-year deal with Miami. Fejedelem, a 2016 seventh-round pick by Cincinnati out of Illinois, has played in all 64 career games with six starts. Last year, he totaled 15 tackles.

But the Jones deal is the eye-opener. It seemed a certainty that Miami, which entered free agency with about $94 million but talked publicly about being prudent, would make an offer on a high-priced veteran. And for a while it seemed it might be Jacksonville defensive end Yannick Ngakoue. But the Jaguars placed a franchise tag on their young pass rusher.

Regardless, Miami opted for Jones, who will team with All-Pro cornerback Xavien Howard, who got a five-year, $75 million deal last year, to give the Dolphins the league’s highest-paid set of cornerbacks and one of the best cornerback tandems.

Miami hopes it’s a duo that makes everyone reflect back to the days of cornerbacks Sam Madison and Patrick Surtain, who had great success in the early 2000s.

Beyond that, Jones, a 2015 first-round pick by Dallas out of Connecticut, offers Miami a strong insurance policy in case Howard’s knees decline. Howard, whose 2019 season was cut short by a knee ailment, has battled knee issues in three of his four seasons.

Jones, who can also play safety, isn’t a big interception guy. He has just two in his career. But he’s an outstanding cover corner to the point he’s what some might consider a so-called “shutdown corner.” He has had double-digit pass deflections twice, highlighted by a career-best 14 in 2018.

Having Jones and Howard in the secondary is not only an effective pass defense tool, but it could aid the Dolphins still-evolving pass rush because they could give defenders more time to get to the quarterback.

Acquiring Jones came after Miami made the noteworthy Flowers and Lawson acquisitions.

By adding Flowers, it appears building the offensive line is a priority this offseason. It’s doubtful they’d make a singular move such as Flowers, who will get $19.95 million guaranteed according to ESPN, and stop construction.

It’s also obvious the Dolphins are serious about adding pass-rushing help with the Lawson deal. Lawson, who had a career-best 6.5 sacks last season, will become Miami’s best run-defending defensive end and will likely be part of a pass-rushing rotation as opposed to being the No. 1 pass rusher.

Monday’s moves indicate Miami had a clear plan for free agency, which officially opens at 4 p.m. Wednesday.

As for Flowers, guards are the smallest part of the equation when you’re building up front. Miami still needs a left tackle and a center, the two most important pieces of the line. So expect the Dolphins to pursue both positions aggressively, left tackle and center, or the Flowers acquisition makes little sense.

Regardless, Flowers seems fired up about the move, tweeting, “Thankful” would be a understatement! Want to thank the Redskins organization and all my brothers on the team! Want to thank the fans for all the love and support! God makes no mistakes and it’s been a crazy MF ride so far!! Looking forward to winning a lot of games in my city!!”

Right now the Dolphins’ offensive line, under the direction of new offensive line coach Steve Marshall and new offensive coordinator Chan Gailey, has mainstays among left guard Michael Deiter, Flowers and right tackle Jesse Davis.

What’s unclear is what happens at left guard, and what general manager Chris Grier and coach Brian Flores want to happen at left guard.

It was thought Miami had interest in New England left guard Joe Thuney but the Patriots kept him with the franchise tag, giving him around $14.7 million.

Flowers’ acquisition probably means Davis, who is better at right guard, stays put at his position for now.

Miami’s signing of free-agent guard Ereck Flowers (77) creates some questions on the Dolphins offensive line. (Jeremy Brevard / USA Today)

Flowers, a local kid who played at the University of Miami and Miami Norland High School, played well at left guard for Washington after floundering at left tackle for the New York Giants, who made him the ninth pick of the 2015 draft, and Jacksonville Jaguars. So you’d think Flowers, ranked 30th last year by Pro Football Focus, is here to play left guard.Deiter was a third-round pick from Wisconsin last season while undrafted rookie Shaq Calhoun ended the season as the starting right guard. It’s unclear whether Deiter, an emergency left tackle last season, can move to right guard or center.

Deiter played a little center in college (he mainly payed left guard and played a little left tackle) and has said he could possibly play right guard in the NFL.

Acquiring Flowers, you would think, means Miami will definitely draft a left tackle in the first or second rounds. After all, left tackles are way too expensive to acquire in free agency.

Perhaps Miami takes a step back at center, meaning it doesn’t go all-out to acquire one this year, or perhaps it shifts Deiter to center.

Either way, Miami, which averaged a NFL-worst 72.3 yards rushing last season and while allowing 58 sacks, tied for worst in the league, still needs big help on its offensive line.

Shaq Lawson, who has 16.5 career sacks in four seasons in Buffalo, is viewed as part of the answer for a struggling pass rush. But his true strength is against the run. (Wesley Hitt / Getty Images)

On the other side of the ball, Lawson adds a strong one-on-one dimension to a pass rush that totaled just 23 sacks, fewest in the league.Lawson, who has 16.5 career sacks in four seasons, is viewed as part of the answer for a struggling pass rush. Lawson played for Dolphins defensive line coach Marion Hobby at Clemson and Lawson, whose true strength is against the run, will be counted on to boost a pass rushing unit that primarily includes Charles Harris and Taco Charlton.

But Lawson likely won’t be the Dolphins’ biggest offseason acquisition at pass rusher. Miami still has three first-round picks — Nos. 5, 18 and 26 — as well as two second-round picks.

Adding Van Noy is also part of the pass rushing/defensive end additions but also not a final move. Van Noy, who had a career-best 6.5 sacks last season for the Patriots, has long been a favorite of Flores’. In fact, Flores instructed linebacker Jerome Baker to study Van Noy’s film last season shortly after he met Baker. Van Noy adds another veteran presence as well as someone who knows the defense very well.

In the bigger picture you wonder whether the Jones, Van Noy, Flowers and Lawson deals indicate Miami is willing to go all-in on a quarterback during Year Two of the rebuild, and exactly what that would mean.

But that’s for later. For now, Dolphins fans will be happy the organization is making bold moves.

(Top photo of Byron Jones: Patrick Smith / Getty Images)