The Miami Dolphins do enjoy the offseason. It's when they shine.
Two years ago the Dolphins signed a big free-agent class that included tackle Branden Albert and cornerback Brent Grimes. Last year was the massive Ndamukong Suh deal. This year, the Dolphins beat a few other suitors for defensive end Mario Williams.
Miami hasn't won a playoff game since Dec. 30, 2000, but who cares about that when you can win the offseason?
Williams is coming off a poor season in which he didn't fit in the Buffalo Bills' new defensive scheme and didn't endear himself to teammates, one who anonymously told the Buffalo News that Williams "totally checked out." Williams' salary was $12.1 million last season. The Bills cut him this offseason.
So now the Dolphins will roll the dice that Williams will check back in and earn his paycheck, which will be for about $8 million per year over two seasons, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. Miami has taken plenty of risks in recent years, so another shouldn't hurt too much.
The next likely domino to fall is that the Dolphins will rescind the transition tag for end Olivier Vernon. It seems impossible the Dolphins could pay Williams, Suh, Vernon and Cam Wake on their defensive line. Not that the transition tag — which gives the Dolphins the right to match any offer sheet, and that's it — was going to affect Vernon much, but he'd become completely unrestricted if the transition tag is taken off.
The Dolphins covet big names and Williams, who long ago was the first overall pick of the draft, is the latest. Whether this big-name signing gets them over the hump in the AFC East remains to be seen.
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