Seems like we all say that this time of year about everybody on the team... I know I am talking about if he makes it to FA.... Of course the guaranteed money would be more because of the length but would it be more than other team's offers if he were to make it to FA? At the least he can shop it around.
This was my thought as well. They are negotiating over garunteed money and the tag is being used as leverage to get the deal done.
He may not be interested in shopping around. Forcing Miami to tag him may just be his agents way of leveraging the team to get a long term deal done with him. He cant hit FA but they are also obligated to pay him 8 million for 1 year.
Well one domino has fallen. They're keeping Randy Starks to the tune of $8.4 million of that $44.5 million or whatever the hell it is nowadays that the Dolphins have under the salary cap.
Might not have been an issue getting paid if Starks didn't tail off the last half of the year. His run plugging wasn't what it usually is. Started off with 3.5 sacks in the first 5 games and then 1 the rest of the season. Either way the Dolphins now have the leverage with him. Unless he wants to try getting a big deal at 30 next offseason. Teams get weary at that 30 number ;p
Well, he did have some major family issues the second half of the year. He's been so good for the overall time he's been here I'm willing to overlook his slump.
I think the issue with Starks is that he's dominant in streaks. He'll have like a third to a half a season where he's awesome and then the rest he's pedestrian. This year it was more noticeable given his play dropped off more, but outside of his breakout year he hasn't been consistently elite.
He also missed a lot of practice time this year after his mother died. That was a huge blow for him and I'm sure it affected his game.
I think if he wanted to really be here, he would have got a deal done for 3-4 years and finished it, obviously they were too far apart and he was going to test the market.....Ireland feeling that the deal wasn't going to be completed in the next few days where they can exclusively negotiate with him, reacting in tagging him...
I think it is a no-brainer you keep Starks. If Odrick doesn't work out at DE, or there is any major question about that, you draft a DE.
Well, I was told right at the beginning of the combine from my guy that Miami was going to end the combine with Starks still a Dolphin and I suppose technically he was right.
Randy Starks has been franchised Per official Dolphins twitter account. https://mobile.twitter.com/MiamiDolphins/status/308686734676348928
Of all the free agents on the Dolphins, Starks was the only free agent who was worth the money he is going to be paid. Long, Hartline, Smith, and all the other free agents weren't worth what it would have cost to franchise them. I just don't see Long, Hartline, or Smith being members of the Dolphins in 2013. All of them are asking for salaries which I don't see the Dolphins being willing to pay them. Another NFL team will step up and pay Long and Smith what they are asking and Hartline will probably get a better offer from another team then he will from the Dolphins. The only other free agent I think which might return in 2013 is Fasano. I just don't see any other NFL team wanting an old and slow TE, who seems to disappear for most games. Unfortunately he is the best TE on the roster, because neither Egnew or Clay appear to be an upgrade over Fasano. Since I don't see any other team offering him a big contract to sign with them, he will probably end up with the Dolphins for at least one more year. The rest of the Dolphins free agents aren't worth a lot of money and they will only return if no other team has any real interest in them. It would be great if they could keep Moore as their backup next year, but he isn't happy as a backup and I am sure he would like another opportunity to be a starter in the NFL. At least one team will probably be willing to sign him and give him a chance to be their starter in 2013.
Fasano disappears? You're one of those guys who only watches the ball, I'm sure of it. Watch the OL, the blocking , and you'll see Fas show up all game long. He's no Gronkowski but if you cant see how good Fas is then your watch is at half past ignorant.
Fasano is okay as a blocking TE, but as far as the passing game goes, he only shows up in a few games each season. His less than 3 yards after catch was lower than all but two other TE's in the NFL last season. I stated that he was the best TE on the Dolphins, but of course that doesn't mean much when you consider who the other players are on the roster which play the TE position. If you are happy with him as the Dolphins starting TE, great. I just believe that the TE position is a big need for the Dolphins going into this off season period.
As an inline Y tight end, he is top 2-3 in the league as a run blocker. I've also seen him handle some pretty darned good pass rushing left ends 1 on 1 in pass protection. I'd be fine with keeping him if we can add a seam busting TE in the draft to compliment him. We could run 12 personnel as our base offense like the Pats usually do.
Honestly his blocking is why he's so useful. As a team we have prioritized blocking and controlling the line of scrimmage. And we've really let the passing game slacken. We need two more really good receivers and a really good pass catching offense and then we'll have a really high powered offense.
