*** DOLPHINS NEWS ***
Feb 03, 1997: -- Free Agent News --
DOLPHINS NEWS:
According to a report in today's Miami Herald, the DOlphins
will begin cutting some of their players today in an effort to trim
their payroll before the official free agent period begins on February
15th. Chris Singleton, JB Brown, Steve Emtman and Charles Jordan are
all on the hotseat, according to the Herald.
The NFL salary cap for the 1997 season is currently estimated
to be about $41 million. The Dolphins are currently about $2.8
million under the cap, at $38.2 million, but would like to be even
more under the cap.
As a result, the Dolphins will likely waive Chris Singleton
and JB Brown early this week. Neither player is a free agent this
year, but Brown would be in the last year of his contract in 1997.
According to the Herald, the Dolphins have been attempting to trade
Brown, but without much success.
Singleton was asked to take a pay cut to stay with the team,
but he refused, apparently believing that he can do better elsewhere.
He was scheduled to make about $945,000 next season. Together with
Brown's estimated $865,000 salary, cutting the two of them could yield
about $1.81 million in savings.
Steve Emtman is scheduled to make $2.5 million next season and
must obviously accept a pay cut or be waived. And Charles Jordan, who
is scheduled to make $700,000 in 1997, has been asked to take a pay
cut to $300,000, but he has also apparently refused and will likely be
waived. However, in his case, waiving Jordan accelerates his signing
bonus against the cap, so cutting him won't result in much savings.
As for free agents, the NFL has published the following list
of Dolphins free agents for this spring:
Unrestricted free agents (10)
Randal Hill, WR
Dwight Hollier, LB
Tim Jacobs, CB
Bernie Kosar, QB
Louis Oliver, S
Bernie Parmalee, RB
Michael Stewart, S
Danny Stubbs, DE
Lamar Thomas, WR
Frank Wainwright, TE
Restricted free agents (2)
Brett Carolan, TE
Irving Spikes, RB
Exclusive rights free agents (1)
O.J. Brigance, LB
It should be noted that the official free agent list won't be
published until February 15th, when the free agent period begins. The
above list is only preliminary, but will probably not change.
Of this list, the Herald says that the Dolphins want to
re-sign Randal Hill, Dwight Hollier, Louis Oliver, Bernie Parmalee,
Lamar Thomas and Danny Stubbs. I have also heard that the Dolphins
would like to keep Tim Jacobs if the price is right for his special
teams play.
Of the listed players above, the Dolphins will probably let
Michael Stewart and Brett Carolan go and keep Frank Wainwright because
he's their long snapper. They'll also try to re-sign Spikes, but may
trade him if the deal is good.
Oliver has said that he didn't want to play in Miami any more
after his demotion from starter last season, but he may change his
mind if he doesn't get any decent offers once the free agent period
starts on February 15th.
Even though Randal Hill is an unrestricted free agent, the
Dolphins have right of first refusal on him, so they can match any
offer he gets if they want to.
Hollier and Stubbs both think they might be able to get more
money elsewhere and will also test the free agent market before
committing to the Dolphins again. Stubbs was paid $365,000 last year,
but thinks that his 9 sacks are good enough to justify a salary of
around $1 million.
My Comments:
I don't see any players on either the waiver list or the free
agent list that are essential to the Dolphins future plans. I would
like to see the Dolphins re-sign Stubbs, Hollier, Randal Hill,
Parmalee, Irving Spikes and Frank Wainwright, but no one else listed
in this article even catches my attention.
The news on Trace Armstrong is that he has resolved his
differences with Coach Jimmy Johnson and based on his performance at
the end of the season - he had 6 sacks in the last 3 games of 1996 -
he will not be asked to take a pay cut. His future with the Dolphins
will probably be as a third down pass-rushing specialist.
Related Info:
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Curt Fennell,
curt@phins.com, DOLFAN in New England
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