Banks: Florida teams quickly turning the page in free agency

[Nublar7]

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/nf...e-agency-tampa-bay-buccaneers-miami-dolphins/

The rapid rate of change in the NFL does seem to move quicker all the time, and for proof, one only has to think back to the first week of November last year, and where the NFL's three Florida-based teams stood at midseason. It was a rather sorry spectacle, with Florida existing in a state of pro football disgrace.

And then there were the Dolphins, once the state's flagship NFL franchise. Though 4-4, Miami was in the midst of losing four out of five games after its hopeful 3-0 start, and just beginning to feel the full weight and scope of the toxic Jonathan Martin-Richie Incognito locker room saga that would define its season.

But skip ahead to this week, a little more than four months later. Given the discouraging backdrops that prevailed in those three NFL markets in 2013, you'd have to say it looks like fresh starts all around in Florida so far. It's too early to hand out most improved awards, but the Bucs, Jaguars and Dolphins have done pretty impressive work in the opening days of free agency and the offseason. And they have every reason to hope and believe that last year's miseries have finally passed.

Miami didn't go for the quantity of free agents acquired by Jacksonville and Tampa Bay, but the Dolphins didn't have to, having made a huge splash in free agency last year on offense (signing receiver Mike Wallace and Brandon Gibson, and tight end Dustin Keller, while re-signing receiver Brian Hartline). Miami, after all, is closer to being a finished product, having gone 8-8 in 2013, just missing a wild-card playoff berth by one game in the AFC East.

The rebuilding of the Dolphins offensive line -- which could feature four new starters this season -- was job No. 1, and in that regard, Miami's five-year, $46 million rush to Branden Albert, the top-rated available offensive tackle, was perhaps a case of overspending out of necessity. The Dolphins have more work to do on the offensive line, but Albert was a very good start.

On the defensive side of free agency, Miami's new general manager Dennis Hickey has had a good week. The Dolphins lost run-stuffing defensive tackle Paul Soliai to a big-money deal in Atlanta (five years, $33 million, $14 million guaranteed), but they replaced him with a relative bargain in Houston's Earl Mitchell (four years, $16 million, $9 million guaranteed), and then surprisingly were in position to re-sign longtime Miami defensive tackle Randy Starks to a palatable two-year, $12 million deal. So for $5 million less than what the Falcons paid Soliai, the Dolphins nabbed both Mitchell and Starks, a nifty maneuver for the Fish's rookie GM.

Miami also made a couple decent moves in the secondary before free agency officially opened, re-signing veteran cornerback Brent Grimes to a four-year, $32 million contract, and taking a one-year flyer on the oft-injured but talented former Lions safety, Louis Delmas. The Dolphins lost cornerback Nolan Carroll to Philadelphia, and still need help at the position, but fortunately for Miami, the draft is deep at corner.

 

[Hayden Fox]

Hickey has been absolutely solid early on. I think he is waiting for the market to simmer even more and fill a few more areas prior to May 8th.

There are still some excellent players that will be around.

 

[twohype]

Hickey has been absolutely solid early on. I think he is waiting for the market to simmer even more and fill a few more areas prior to May 8th.

There are still some excellent players that will be around.

I think you are right about Hickey, bottom-line it looks like the Phinz now have a decent GM.....but, he still has a lot of work to do :-)

 

[DolphanB]

Miami also made a couple decent mov...t talented former Lions safety, Louis Delmas.

Under the PFF CB rankings for 2013, Revis was #1 and Grimes was #2. MIA is paying Grimes on average $4 mil a year less than what NE is paying for Revis.

The Grimes deal was Hickey's best, including the Albert deal.

 

[Bob512]

Hickey has been absolutely solid early on. I think he is waiting for the market to simmer even more and fill a few more areas prior to May 8th.

There are still some excellent players that will be around.

Agreed! Would like to see at least two more O-line additions prior to the draft, but so far I think "solid" describes it well....

 

[Nublar7]

Under the PFF CB rankings for 2013, Revis was #1 and Grimes was #2. MIA is paying Grimes on average $4 mil a year less than what NE is paying for Revis.

The Grimes deal was Hickey's best, including the Albert deal.

The Starks contract is also very impressive.

 

[number1fin]

If given a chance long term, Dennis Hickey will ultimately be judged on whether or not he has the proficiency to draft good players and will seemingly be tied to Joe Philbin's ability to get good production out of them preferably in an immediate fashion.

These free agent signings are all well and good but the volume of them the last couple of years are, of course, a direct indictment on the last GM's skill for finding talent in the draft and also puts a huge target on the head coach and his propensity or rather inability to develop young players.

Let's all hope from here on out this stuff changes for the better.