Break out the bubbly, Dolphins fans!
Karlos Dansby was the Dolphins' first free agent visitor to Davie, and they made sure he won't be leaving: the coveted inside linebacker has signed a five-year, $43 million deal with Miami that comes complete with $22 million guaranteed -- the most lucrative salary ever awarded a pure inside linebacker.
Dansby signed the Saturday afternoon, after telling media he was sold on Miami when he saw 40 or so players working out at the training facility on Friday.
"That showed me their commitment to winning," he said. "This organization is doing whatever it needs to do to facilitate these guys and make them feel comfortable. That's what sold me, to be honest.''
While not altogether unexpected, management's decision to make it rain on Dansby is a major coup for a depleted defense badly in need of overhaul. He was extremely effective in Arizona's 3-4 D, where his coverage skills were so handy he'd sometimes be used like a really big nickel saftey in the center of the field. (Weeping for joy? Here, share our hankies.)
While the Dolphin went quiet Saturday -- Bill Parcells watched a Marlins game -- the team was awful busy the day before. The Fins cut creaky loudmouth Joey Porter, his fellow linebacker Akin Ayodele, and would-be safety Gibril Wilson, with whom no part of the field was very safe at all. Wilson was likely released with an eye on the available Antrel Rolle, who wound up signing the richest contract ever for a safety with Baltimore -- so there's probably not much the Dolphins could have done about that.
Bonus: now that the gaping need at inside linebacker is at least half-filled -- somewere Channing Crowder jumps on a pile too late -- the Dolphins will be able to set their sights on franchise-level players at other positions, like nose tackle, in the upcoming draft. Thank you, football gods!
Sports
The Dolphins also signed former starting quarterback Chad Pennington to a one-year, $2.5 million deal. Pennington, anxious to keep his family in South Florida, had requested a no-trade clause but agreed to a $1.5 million trade bonus instead. Sources say Pennington plans to push Chad Henne for the starting spot -- something that can only help Henne at the same time the experienced Pennington can provide mentoring to third- and fourth-stringers Pat White and Tyler Thigpen (so long as they're around, anyway).
More of that, please, Dolphins.
