What to do with Oliver Vernon?

[So Be]

Miami has until 4:00 Monday to use the franchise tag on OV. If they do, they would have time to work out a long term deal or trade him. The tag cost is $15.7M on this year's cap. They would have to restructure Suh to afford this (not a good move), and we are not going to get value in trade.

I have read that he wants $14-15M a year. Here's a very rough outline on how that kind of a contract can work for the Dolphins.

We could give OV a 5 year $70M deal with $40M guaranteed, and give him a $15M signing bonus which costs $3M a year on the salary cap.

2016- A $2M salary with the pro-rated $3M bonus is a $5M cap hit.

2017-- An $11M guaranteed salary with the $3M is a $14M cap hit.

2018- A $12M guaranteed salary with the $3M is a $15M cap hit.

At this point the $40M guarantee is over, and he can be moved with the team taking a $6M cap hit.

2019/20- $15M non guaranteed salaries, which hopefully he will be worth.

Something along these guidelines would work.

[So Be]

This will be the first domino to fall and affect the rest of the Dolphins off season. Then the team has a week to make deals with Miller and Shelby before the March 7 start of official tampering.

The same is true for other teams and we will have a much better picture of who will actually be available to us in FA. We will finally have something to really talk about. CAN'T WAIT!!!

[Driven_Phinsane!]

I can't see paying that kind of money for OV; he's a good player but i'm not even close to thinking he's worth 15 mill a year (Malik Jackson has been offered 10 a year) I'm more tempted to just let him walk if he's not willing to come down on his asking price quite a bit..I definitely wouldn't franchise him in hopes of either trading him or thinking he's gonna come around and sign for a more team friendly contract...

We seriously screwed ourselves with the Suh contract; it initially looked like it would be okay because we assumed we could just restructure the deal after the first year, but it's deals like this that will ultimately put the team in CAP HELL...

[FTLDOLFAN]

Miami has until 4:00 Monday to use the franchise tag on OV. If they do, they would have time to work out a long term deal or trade him. The tag cost is $15.7M on this year's cap. They would have to restructure Suh to afford this (not a good move), and we are not going to get value in trade.

I have read that he wants $14-15M a year. Here's a very rough outline on how that kind of a contract can work for the Dolphins.

We could give OV a 5 year $70M deal with $40M guaranteed, and give him a $15M signing bonus which costs $3M a year on the salary cap.

2016- A $2M salary with the pro-rated $3M bonus is a $5M cap hit.

2017-- An $11M guaranteed salary with the $3M is a $14M cap hit.

2018- A $12M guaranteed salary with the $3M is a $15M cap hit.

At this point the $40M guarantee is over, and he can be moved with the team taking a $6M cap hit.

2019/20- $15M non guaranteed salaries, which hopefully he will be worth.

Something along these guidelines would work.

If OV wants $14 to $15 M a year then I would put the franchise tag on him and look to trade him. There is no way another team is going to surrender 2 first round picks for him but maybe a team with a low first round pick might be willing to part with it for OV or if we could get a high 2nd round pick and a 5th round pick then I would make that trade.

[Driven_Phinsane!]

If OV wants $14 to $15 M a year then I would put the franchise tag on him and look to trade him. There is no way another team is going to surrender 2 first round picks for him but maybe a team with a low first round pick might be willing to part with it for OV or if we could get a high 2nd round pick and a 5th round pick then I would make that trade.

If we franchise him @ close to 16 million, is that the contract that a team would have to absorb if they trade for him, or are they allowed to work out a long term contract with him at a more realistic amount?? If a team has to eat that fat contract i don't see a team out there willing to trade for him...Knowing our luck we'll let him walk & he'll sign with the Pats and become a superstar for the next decade...

[FTLDOLFAN]

If we franchise him @ close to 16 million, is that the contract that a team would have to absorb if they trade for him, or are they allowed to work out a long term contract with him at a more realistic amount?? If a team has to eat that fat contract i don't see a team out there willing to trade for him...Knowing our luck we'll let him walk & he'll sign with the Pats and become a superstar for the next decade...

If we franchise him and another team signs him then they have to surrender 2 first round picks to us. Nobody is going to do that. So if we work out a trade they could sign him to a long term contract and give us an agreed upon compensation. I am thinking maybe a team with a low first round pick or a 2nd and a 5th round pick.

[Driven_Phinsane!]

Whatever happens, i'm just hoping we don't make the mistake of franchising him..Just under 16 mill,, that's FREAKIN' RIDICULOUS! Omar had a good idea, he said we should let the market set the price by transitioning him; if anyone signs him to an offer sheet we're allowed to match, if it's ridiculous money we say adios!

[So Be]

The franchise tag scares me because it means we have to restructure Suh and face the same problem next year. A tag and trade is possible but, I would much prefer giving him the big money in a long term deal. Due to the increased salary cap and teams having to spend, FA's are going to dwindle, and we don't have anyone close to as good of our own to pay in the next two years.

[So Be]

Funny fact. In 2011, the salary cap was $120M. We franchised Paul Soliai for $12.5M a little more than 10%. His agent is David Canter.

In 2016, the salary cap is $155M. We are considering franchising Olivier Vernon for $15.7M a little more than 10%. His agent is David Canter.

Soliai was the Phins 4th round pick finishing his 4th year. Vernon is a 3rd round pick finishing his 4th year,

Strange

[Bahamas]

Here's the thing...

If they do tag OV - we will see a lot of releases coming in

Jennings
Misi
Mitchell
Cameron

Releasing those 4 would save 20 million on cap space.

I am not sure if I like the transition tag - we would lose him for nothing. If we want to work out a trade, I'm down...but 2 first rounders is not likely. Let's be honest. No team will do that. I can see a package of 2nd, 4th or something to that extent.

I would take that. Jax, Oak, Dallas are all likely candidates (no source, but just thinking out loud).

The last part, is removing the tag. You can tag a player, and then remove it later..let's say after the draft. OV would then becomes a free agent, but teams would have absorbed their cap by then...it's a not an ideal solution, but if a trade can't work out then Miami does have the right to just walk away and remove the 15 million in cap space. Doing so, would create a spotlight on Miami on how they treat players...not a great idea, but if we are working on a trade, we are basically holding him hostage.

[Dolfan1]

Actually they have until 4:00 today (Tuesday) not 4;00 yesterday.

[AquaXI]

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com...livier-vernon/

A Transition tag!

[Dolfan1]

Beat me to it, I was just gonna post the link.

[Alpha]

Dumb move.....how well did that work with Clay last year? We just lost OV (and one of the few young legitimate starters we had) for nothing....