The Miami Dolphins come into the offseason with the chance to be an active team in free agency, as players like Ndamukong Suh and CJ Spiller have been linked to the team and they also could look at a Mike Wallace trade and if that happens, players like Jeremy Maclin, Cecil Shorts and Harry Douglas could be potential options.
The Dolphins have not made the playoffs in a few years and the team has only made one appearance in a decade and that could spark some spending from owner Stephen Ross. According to Pro Football Talk, the Dolphins are the "frontrunners" for Suh, as Ross could look at trying to land a top free agent after previously missing on big moves for Peyton Manning and Jim Harbaugh. The Lions are working to sign back Suh, but he is demanding a massive contract and could price out of Detroit.
According to ESPN.com, Suh is looking for a $100 million contract with at least $50 million guaranteed and if he follows through on that, only certain teams can afford it. Suh wants to be one of the highest paid players in football and PFT writes that one thing that could sway the defensive lineman is the fact that Florida has no state income taxes. Suh is considered to be the top player on the free agent market and he is on his way there after the Lions opted not to use the franchise tag on him.
The tag for Suh would be up around $25 million and that was simply too much for the Lions and now they could risk losing him. The Dolphins have some other areas where they could look apart from Suh, including at running back and wide receiver. The team released Brian Hartline and Brandon Gibson last week and Pro Football Talk reports that the Dolphins could consider a trade with Mike Wallace. Trying to sign Suh likely means a trade for Wallace, as he is set to count for nearly $9 million and still has years on his deal.
The team could look at Jeremy Maclin on the free agent market, as offensive coordinator Bill Lazor previously worked with him in Philly. According to Jason La Canfora on Twitter, Suh could command up to $17 million per season in salary and he also could get more guaranteed money than JJ Watt did. Suh is an All-Pro player and is coming off of a strong season and he helped the Lions rank first in rushing yards allowed per game.
The Dolphins were one of the worst rushing teams in the league last season and with Knowshon Moreno and Daniel Thomas hitting the market, they could look at running backs. CJ Spiller has been linked to the team, while Mark Ingram, DeAngelo Williams, Darren McFadden, Shane Vereen and Stevan Ridley are other players that are available. Spiller is coming off of a shoulder injury and is not expected back with the Bills after the team traded for LeSean McCoy.
