With shrinking wiggle room under the salary cap and a trade on the brink of completion, the Miami Dolphins are going to let one of the league's best young pass rushers enter NFL free agency. But the team's decision to remove the transition tag from Olivier Vernon was motivated by more than just money.
When the NFL's new league year kicks off Wednesday afternoon, Vernon will undoubtedly be the top available free agent. With Malik Jackson, Bruce Irvin and Jason Pierre-Paul all but locked in to new contracts elsewhere, Vernon will be left as the clear-cut top prize for any team seeking a pass-rusher.
Even with the tag applied, Vernon was not guaranteed to stay and any team could submit offers for the 25-year-old defensive end. The transition tag would have allowed the Dolphins to match any offer Vernon received, whereas the franchise tag guarantees a player's salary for one year based on what the highest-paid players at the position are making.
But without the transition tag, the Dolphins will still be able to receive a compensatory draft pick from whatever teams signs Vernon. After recording 29 sacks in four seasons, managing to stay relatively healthy and entering the prime of his career, Vernon will likely warrant a return of a third-round selection.
Just before rescinding the transition tag from Vernon, the Dolphins came to terms on a two-year agreement with defensive end Mario Williams. The team also appears intent on keeping Cameron Wake around. With Williams and Wake out on the edge and Ndamukong Suh and his massive contract clogging up the midle, the Dolphins have their starting defensive line all but set before the offseason really even gets under way.
But money is going to be tight in Miami. Aside from Suh's contract eating up cap space, the Dolphins are entering the first year of quarterback Ryan Tannehill's lucrative four-year extension. As a result, Vernon is not the only budding superstar expected to be on his way out the door, as the Dolphins may also let running back Lamar Miller walk as well.
The Dolphins may not be avoiding large salary commitments, but instead seem to be avoiding lengthy contracts, which both Vernon and Miller will command.
