It wasn't all that long ago that Andrew Abramson of the Palm Beach Post reported that the Dolphins' No. 1 offseason priority was bringing back defensive end/pass rusher Olivier Vernon. And while that may well remain the case now, it sure sounds like the new-look Dolphins are giving consideration to just about every eventual outcome. In fact, word out of the NFL rookie scouting combine - from Tony Pauline of Draft Insider - is that the Dolphins remain "50/50" on whether or not to franchise Vernon.
The struggle for Miami begins and ends with their tight cap situation - per OverTheCap.com, they have just $8.6 million in space. Restructuring Ndamukong Suh will help, as will jettisoning some other veterans, but recently-installed head coach Adam Gase and de facto GM Mike Tannenbaum have some tough decisions to make on soon-to-be free agents like Vernon and running back Lamar Miller. And while Miller is a guy the team would apparently like back, it makes sense that ultimately, Vernon, who exploded for 7.5 sacks, 30 quarterback hits and 81 pressures and revealed to the Dolphins and the NFL that when on his game (or chasing a contract) he can be one of the best pass-rushers in the game, would be their top offseason priority.
The trouble is, the 25-year-old former third-round pick may have blossomed in 2015 or he may have peaked. It's always questionable when a player seems to put forth their best effort during a contract year, but only the coaches in Miami really know whether Vernon will rest on his laurels after getting paid. Yes, he's notched 11.5 sacks in a season in the past, so it wasn't like his 2015 production came out of left field, but he certainly took his game to another level at an interesting time in his professional career.
In that sense, franchising him may not be the worst decision in the world. Yes, the tag number for defensive ends is high - the tag will be about $15.5 million - and it will take some serious maneuvering on Tannenbaum's part to make it work, but Vernon's play last season won't be easily replicated. If the Dolphins aren't sold, franchise tagging him could be the smart play.
That being said, Tannenbaum would almost assuredly prefer to lock Vernon up to a long-term deal, loaded with incentives that allows the cap-strapped Dolphins to lower his hit for 2015. But that assumes Vernon's willingness to play ball on a deal like that.
And considering his production last year and the high price of sacks around the NFL, Vernon may very well be asking for the sun, moon and stars in negotiations. In the end, if the Dolphins want to keep him in the fold for 2016 it won't be easy because in all reality, Vernon's holding most of the cards.
