[Merged] Armando: MIA has ZERO chance of re-signing Soliai before FA

Given his past undisciplined history , Solai may be one of those players who is playing for a fat contract and who will be a shadow of himself after he gets it .

A one year wonder is not worthy of that IMO but someone may think otherwise and pay his price.

We can always go to plan B by moving Starks to NT .

 

I agree 100%. We spent 4 seasons developing him, and now when he is paying dividends it would be utterly foolish to not do everything possible to keep him, even if it meant the franchise tag.

 

Matt Roth

 

I agree 100% with everything you said!

 

One of the best?
He's not even one of the best in the afc east

Soliai had a bump in his production this past season
but did underachieve quite a bit his previous 3 seasons

39 tackles...2 sacks....

Wilfork from New England
57 tackles...2 sacks...
has been more consistent on a yearly basis

Sione Pouha took over for Kris Jenkins
and the Jets haven't looked back
59 tackles...2 sacks...

And maybe one of the most under rated nose tackles in
the NFL from Buffalo , Kyle Williams
77 tackles...5.5 sacks

Not sure if Soliai is even in the top 3 in the AFC east as far as nose tackles let alone the whole NFL

 

Stats for NT aren't a great indicator , it isn't the end all , be all.

 

I agree that NT is one of those positions were conventional stats (tackles, sacks, pressures) don't mean squat.

My worry is that if you franchise him, he just shows up to camp fat and unmotivated... which is how it has usually worked with Soliai. That would be devastating if the salary cap returns.

My feeling is if he doesn't want to be a Dolphin, then you don't trap the guy here. You can franchise him, but then you trade him for whatever you can get rather than move into camp with him.

Starks is serviceable, but we'd have to address the position through the draft.

 

Yup, especially since the job of a good 3-4 NT is to occupy multiple blockers.

 

The trouble with that is that the non 30% bonus money is for signing bonuses only. Given his past questions and production, the Dolphins would probably prefer that a good percentage of the bonus money be tied into option bonuses, which does count as salary in an extension.

 

Fat, unmotivated undearachiever for 3.5 seasons. Productive for .5 seasons.
The .5 being in a contract year.....

Man, I hope I'm not the only one that can do the math.

 

Peopl eare doing the math, you are only looking at the parts that suit your viewpoint.

 

Underrated? More like overrated by a long shot due to his sack numbers. Kyle Williams is a very poor run stopper. Stats are a very inaccurate measure of a NT.

Proof positive you haven't been watching Soliai grow as a player the past 2 years. He's been playing better and better, especially this year as he got his weight under control. As I said earlier, you put heavy workout/weight clauses in this guys contract and he's deserving of what other up and coming NT's have gotten.

Guys Aubrayo Franklin got the franchise tag last year and he's an 8 season NT with a grand total of 4 career sacks. Pickett got a four-year, $28 million deal with a reported $10 million guaranteed from the Packers (splits time at NT/DE) and he has a grand total of 3.5 sacks in his 5 years with Green Bay.

Letting Soliai go would be bad business especially for a team that doesn't have a good enough backup for that spot and you'll pay just as much if any other team is stupid enough to let a solid NT go. Soliai goes and we might as well abandon ANY 3-4 fronts because Starks isn't suitable for NT and it's very unlikely this team could find a replacement.

Ahtyba Rubin in Cleveland is a similar player. Didn't come on until his 3rd season (like a LOT of NT's) despite having his weight under control (and plays at 25lbs lighter then Soliai). We'd be daft to let a 350lb+ solid NT go.

I am pretty sure the only reason Miami can't get a proper deal done with Soliai is due to the 30% rule. The team wisely doesn't want to give him huge amounts of extra guaranteed money to make up for the 30% rule on yearly salary. It would not surprise me to see them use the franchise tag on him.

 

If Paul had been playing so 'solid' before last season then why did the FO and the coaching staff even try to move Starks to NT? It makes no sense.

Either the coaching staff blew it or people are painting a rosey picture of Paul's early career. I think it's a bit of both.

The man played well for one year. He couldn't beat out Big Ferg for a starting spot ( Ferg was VERY good ). He only got a shot when Ferg RETIRED. He never out played him. So I think there is a very plausible case that some are painting a rosey picture of Pual's early years.

 

VanDolPhan

Regardless of what you hear on these boards or what Mando says, there's no way this team is going to let him walk. It's taken 4 seasons but he has become a true impact player at the 3-4's most critical position. In reality, it has to be relieving for the FO knowing they don't have to upgrade the position - they just have to sign their budding star.

What has been neglected by all the reports is the presence of the Franchise Tag. The tag is going nowhere and if no agreement is reached, Soliai will be tagged. It's really not worthy of discussion.

 

MBMonk...it probably is a little of both. I'm willing to say the FO doesn't often know what they have. Just look at the OL.

 

I think I've already stated it. Weight issues. They benched him at least twice I do believe the prior season due to his weight. The team weren't convinced they could count on him for starting snaps because of his conditioning. However his play was solid that year despite it. NT's simply take a long time to develop mbmonk and generally go through a lot of adjustment period. Why else do you think teams generally try to convert long time veteran DT's into NT's, because it's far easier then to groom one from the draft.

I certainly don't want to see Soliai leave and become yet another Dolphin who has his best years with another team. Hell DT's and conditioning issues go hand in hand for a lot of teams. Heck even one of the best DT's in Miami's history in Tim Bowens had weight issues.

 

I would not object to franchise tagging PS. I have mighty doubt that he's got his act together,
but if he can put two seasons together, you sort of have to believe he's done it. One year
tagged would be overpaying, I think, but worth it to figgure out what we really have.

 

I have no problem with that idea either. Soliai is just like other NT's....you really have to be tough on them and keep their weight and conditioning under control year round. Soliai got that last year, now he just has to keep at it and this team needs to keep on him about it in his contract and on/off the field.

 

He's going to look good in a Jet uni.

Devito - Jenkins - Soliai - Pouha - RP

We also might re-sign Ellis. Our future looks bright.

 

More likely he can sit over on the bench with Gholston.

 

Gholston is done with the Jets. You guys can have him.

 

Sounds to me like he's got a good agent... I'd tell him the same thing. He should wait to make sure he gets the most he can get in FA. I think if I were Irish, I'd certainly let his agent know in uncertain terms that they are interested in re-signing him...

 

If only for that pesky thing NY will have trouble with called the 'salary cap'.