The Front Office saw a weakness and decided to once again roll the dice.
Miami’s Front Office has spent the off-season stacking talent with durability issues.
The Miami Front office, led by Mike Tannenbaum, has once again displayed that it will both look forward as well as to the present by rolling the dice on low risk, high reward moves.
The 2016 Miami Dolphins are stacked with “IF’s”.
Now, you can add one more flick of the dice with which to tear out the rest of your hair in anticipation of the results: enter free agent Cornerback, Chris Culliver.
Before we get to Culliver, I’d like to state, this is a very good move. Not because it’s a sure fire success, but because it offers Miami a chance to get a good player with very little lost if it doesn’t work out. Also, I like this move because it’s consistent with their FA philosophy thus far; and since consistency is the most radical thing you can do, their adherence to philosophy integrity offers the Dolphins, and the fans, the best hope for success in quite awhile.
Miami has the cap space, so it doesn’t hurt them there. Also, by being placed on the PUP means he doesn’t cost a roster spot. Tannenbaum essential locked in this chance at Yahtzee with some spare cash.
Okay, onto Culliver:
All the best pay per head site were betting that Miami was going to add a veteran Cornerback to their thin, inexperienced squad. The Dolphins made that a reality by signing the former 49er and Redskins Cornerback. Culliver has played in the league for 4 years, and he has started 52 games, which makes him the second most experienced Cornerback on Miami, after Maxwell.
In 2014, when Culliver was with the 49ers, he played in 14 games and had 45 tackles, 1 forced fumble, 1 fumble recovery, 4 interceptions, and 15 passes defended. This was his third season of his career and his best of his career. As long as he can get healthy, he should immediately provide some much needed experience and help to Miami’s secondary.
The Front Office has given themselves an opportunity to fill a weakness with a good player.
In addition, Culliver is 6’0”. That gives Miami six Cornerbacks on the roster that are 6 foot or taller: Maxwell, Lippett, Chekwa, Lucas, Howard, Culliver.
Sounds really good, huh? Well, there’s one drawback.
The major issue attached to this signing is that Culliver is still recovering from a 2015 season ending ACL injury. He played in 6 games last year before suffering his injury, and unfortunately, it does not appear he is going to be ready to play in a regular season game until October, or even November. His contract is a one-year, heavily incentive laden deal worth up to $5 million. However, based on him probably not being able to start the regular season, the contract will probably end up being more in the neighborhood of $2.5 million.
Culliver was also a player that had a bunch of suitors. So, this was not just some long-shot. When healthy, Culliver is a starting Cornerback in this league, and a pretty decent one. In terms of his body of work, I believe we signed a very good Cornerback that if healthy should definitely win a starting spot opposite of Maxwell. However, the big question is, how long will it take for him to be healthy?
Most estimates are at around October, which means even though this has a chance to be a good signing for the Dolphins Front Office, it’s not going to do much for Miami in the first half of the season. Considering that we have a torturous first month of the season, will the cavalry arrive too late? Go Fins!!!