Which elite free agent should the Dolphins sign?

Dolphins General Manager Jeff Ireland declined to share information on the Dolphins salary cap situation when he met with the media Tuesday. Doesn't matter because lack of specifics aside, it is clear the Dolphins cannot be full-blown buyers in free agency when it begins in March.

The Dolphins will not be able to address all of their issues in free agency. Thank God for the draft.

But the Dolphins might be able to address one major issue in free angency. One.

So which one should it be?

Do they sign quarterback Peyton Manning if he's available?

Do they sign defensive end Mario Williams, who is scheduld to hit free agency?

Or do they sign guard Carl Nicks, who NFL people are saying will not be back in New Orleans based on that team's other priorities?

All are elite players when healthy. All could be available. Which one do you sign and why? Please take into account how much demand will address the availability of each player in your answer.

Comments

[cocoajoe]

Umm, did you miss one Mando?

[dusty bottoms]

nicks would be huge. but id love to see mario on the other side of wake also. no way on manning, his career is over

[Eddie]

Paul Soliai.

[dusty bottoms]

solia is good as gone. go after a vincent jackson or j.finley also if they are avail

[Ian]

Nicks, a good offense starts with a good offensive line. With Nicks and a first round RG or line could be elite. I'm of course assuming we pick up Flynn in FA.

[Eddie]

Mario Williams is not worth the money at this point in his career.

Peyton Manning is headed to coaching/retirement.

Nicks and Jackson will not hit the market.

Paul Soliai is the anchor of the Dolphins' D.

[cream of wheat]

Peyton has a broken neck, that's elite? He was elite, now he is stale bread.

[Rick in Texas]

Agree w/ dusty - sign J Finley & Carl Nicks then draft highest rated pass rusher (Coples or Upshaw).

[dolfandave]

Marques Colston, Reggie will be in his ear:).

[Frankinho]

Gotta be Williams! Nicks is "just" a Guard which is a secondary position in terms of importance so if you're gonna invest a lot of money its either QB or pass rusher. Peyton on the other hand has to many questions: age, health. Williams however is a still ascending player and the next best thing of having a franchise quarterback is having an elite passrusher that can eliminate or level opposing QB's effectivness and lord knows we need that if we are to beat Brady.
Pretty simplereally

[nhfinsfan]

flynn is coming to miami

[TODD B'S CLIPBOARD]

Carl Nicks, NO BRAINER!!

Forget Manning!!!

Mario Willaims, forget too. We need younger players for that position.

[dusty bottoms]

no way on colston, avg wr at best. go either jackson instead. but reality says we will prob chase flynn and maybe sign one more decent player then draft

[Phin4Life]

From what I heard this morning Manning won't be coming back anythime soon. The Colts are going to try and get him to retire.

[JOE PHILBIN'S CLIPBOARD]

TODD B'S CLIPBOARD is now JOE PHILBIN'S CLIPBOARD!!

[JOE PHILBIN'S CLIPBOARD]

Speedy recovery to a great Dolphin Mark Duper!!!

[Big Baby]

Dumbo,

Colston went for 80 catches 1100 yards and 8 tds last year.

He is the best WR on the Saints.

Doesn't matter they won't let him go but wake up.

[cocoajoe]

Paul Solia. Another one of Jeff Ireland's blunders. I'm surprised that Ross doesn't realize how much money Ireland has wasted. Solia could have been signed for less before the tag. But no, he waited. Why? Simple: Poor talent evaluation.

So, Solia had him over a barrel last year and the team paid (once more) for his mistake(s).

[dishpan]

Carl Nicks would be the best signing, it would free up the Fins to go all in and try and move up the draft board for a QB.

Manning would be sweet but those injuries worry me a lot, it's tempting for sure considering we haven't had a good QB in a long time.

Sure wish we could sign all 3 LOL, but that's impossible.

[dusty bottoms]

big baby any of their 5 wrs can do that on the saints

[Texas_Dolfan]

Nicks would be first for me. He would be a big help on the right side of the Oline.

Then I would start looking at some FS FA's as well.

[Ohio Dolfan]

I like the idea of getting some offensive line through FA......that might keep Ireland from being tempted to draft one in the first round... :)

[cocoajoe]

Ok, nobody else will say it: Matt Flynn. Like him or not, he's a FA

[Wicky Rilliams]

Carl Nicks! Finley! Manning would be a bad move...I want a young qb that we can build around. Not an aging guy that is one hit away from a retirement home. Matt Flynn would be good if Philbin believes he can be the guy. We can pick up a pass rusher with the 8th or 9th pick. A right Tackle would be ideal too....colombo couldnt block a pile of playdough.

[Craig M]

dusty,

I don't know what football you are watching but Colston is NOT average. The guy is a STUD!

The only question is, is he too much like Marshall and can the team afford to spend that kind of money on a top receiver. But he's NOT average dusty....get your glasses checked.

[JBR]

J. Finley....

[David 1972, still undefeated]

CHAD HENNE!!! Joking, sit down

[Bob]

Kidding me? Matt Flynn

[Zaf]

Top O lineman (one in the draft, one FA) and a pass rusher. Solai will depend on who we get to run our defense and how much he wants. We have the personel for a 4-3 if we lose Solai. Our o-line is top priority though - Brady doesn't get touched because they invest in the line. We should have signed Waters last year.

[Craig M]

I don't get how people are saying Manning would be a bad move? If he's healthy, he is ABSOLUTELY the best FA choice out there....and nobody else is close. He's ONLY 35 years old and he's still one of the smartest QBs out there.

Only question will be IS he healthy and would he want to come to Miami. Personally, if he's a FA, he's picking Washington, SF and NYJ before he's picking Miami but if healthy he's numero uno for this team....

[Please Gibril come back]

Manning will go the Jets, they are a good match.
Williams, Nicks and Finley will resign with their teams.
I would like us to draft an OT, and sign Flynn + 1 WR (Desean Jackson, V-Jax or Steve Johnson)

[dusty bottoms]

hes avg craig, put bess on that saints and hes wes welker

[thavafin]

I would like the Nicks signing as well. If we are going to switch to a 4-3 all of this draft a pass rushing LB 1st talk is pointless. It would make no sense to do that.

[dusty bottoms]

craig if he was healtyh he damn sure wouldnt come here. and everyone knows manning isnt healthy, his career is over

[Ohio Dolfan]

Manning won't go to the Jets.....he saw their mess of a locker room on ESPN too, he had plenty of time to watch that ship sink.

[Kent]

How about NO FREE AGENT SIGNINGS?

How many times has it been pointed out that the top teams, the organizations that consistently win and get into the playoffs are the same teams that don't play this game? Pittsburgh, Green Bay, New England, NY Giants, etc. They build their rosters through smart drafting and reasonably-priced free agents, many of whom were cast off from other teams.

Who are the every-year bidders for big names? NY Jets come to mind...and look at how their team is now a hot mess! We are closer to the Jets than to these other quality organizations...hopefully, Joe Philbin will make it known that he wants his players, built HIS way!

[buddy]

armando, you have been unusually quiet on the manning article......care to elaborate?

[bbacni101]

I'd love to see Mario Williams signed as our prize FA. Switching to the 4-3, he and Wake would be terrors to any QB.

I like the idea of Nicks as well, but I feel we need playmakers and Mario Williams can provide that. Signing Williams also will take some pressure off our average secondary. John Jerry has improved and he needs to be given another shot at RG or RT. Fill the other void in FA or the draft.

[IrelandSucks]

Miami can make plenty of salary cap room if they need to. Fins can spend a lot if Mr. Ross wants to.

[Mrs. Okra Washington]

I would sign Gumbo Washington. He good.

[MexDolfan]

That said, if Philbin thinks he can work with Chad Henne to emulate what 49ers did with Alex Smith, then offer him a 2 year contract. Otherwise Matt Flynn should be top priority.
So aside of who could be the next QB, placing a 6 year contract on Paul Soliai is a must.

[Please Gibril come back]

smart drafting and Jeff Ireland in the same sentence?

[Big Baby]

Dusty bottoms no they can't.

Colston is their most productive WR for a reason.

He's better than everone else on the team.

[Yesterday's Gone]

With talk beginning to center around possibly going to 4-3 defense. It's nearly no-brainer to go Mario Williams.

Where the hell are some of you guys getting Williams is old? He's going into his 7th pro season.

We need true defensive identity right now. We dont have that one guy who can dominate in both the pass and run game on this defensive roster. Mario Williams could be that guy. As a 4-3 DE tandem, it easily allows Wake to return to being a duble digit sack guy.

We wont find anyone in this year's draft even close to equally William's dominatability. Mario dominates in both the pass and run game. Remember this before you mildly underate his value.

[dusty bottoms]

soliai is already gone, hes basically already told people he will sign with pittsburgh

[You're Not Fooling Me.]

I never knew we had so many medical experts here. It's remarkable, considering how much time you find to sit on your butts blogging. I always thought top doctors were busier than that.

[dusty bottoms]

not better than everyone else, graham is the best target.

[TheBrokeMF]

These are all of the elite free agents signed by the 3 stooges in the last 4 years:
NoodleArm (released by Jets)
Incogs (released by StL & Buffalo)
Fasano (released by Dallas)
Wilford (never caught a pass)
Columbus (released by Dallas)
Olshansky ( released by Dallas & SD)
Tyler Thigpen (started 1 game in 2010 the game we got shutout)
Matt Moore (got John Fox fired and Tony Soprano fired)
Dansby (we made him the highest paid LB in history)

That is the complete list of free agents signed here in the last 4 years

[Craig M]

I still think the PERFECT spot for Manning if he's healthy and a FA is SF. Jim Harbaigh needs to realize he's got a seviceable QB but not a guy who is going to win a championship in Alex Smith. If he has a chance to add Manning he will do it and Manning would love to play with that defence. Chance to go to the playoffs for the next 4-5 years and I'm sure he'd welcome the chance to work with Harbaugh (they both played for the Colts too and probably know each other). You won't hear much on this until Manning becomes available but this is the best fit for him.

[TheBrokeMF]

Craig M,
I agree about SF.
B'more and Dallas I could see also
But 1-2 more years tops he's 35 already

[wolfman13]

I really don't understand the knock on Solia. He did his job. Miami had one of the better run stopping defenses in the NFL...you don't play a 3-4 and have one of the top run stopping defenses in the NFL if your NT sucks. It is arguably the most important and most difficult position to fill in a 3-4 defensive scheme and it comes with absolutely NO glory.

You all do realize the primary job description of a 3-4 NT right? They don't rack up a lot of stats, tackles, sacks, etc....they're priority is to hold the line so the LBS can make the plays. Like I said, NO glory. In fact, the entire 3 man front of a 3-4 Defense is almost completely void of "glory"....they all hold the line so the LBS can make the plays.

So where exactly did Solia go wrong? I must have missed something.

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[dusty bottoms]

wasting time on manning, his neck still isnt any better than it was in sept. his career is over

[RR]

One of the dumbest blogs yet. Flynn not an injured geezer QB is top priority.

Mario is injured and still not likely to be allowed to leave Houston.

And so we are clear the Dolphins have only enough cap room to address one position. How about some context : Ie The 2012 cap will be 130m but the Dolphins already have contracts for 120m !!!!!!!!!!!! Instead we get we should sign old guy #1 but he's not a FA and Injured, or #2 who's injured and may not be FA, or #3 guy who also may be franchised.

[robert in az]

Mando find out how much the team is under the cap.

[thavafin]

MF Fail

[Ohio Dolfan]

How much would a guy like Flynn want to come here?

[perfect72]

Would like to see Flynn and Williams. If Manning doesn't pass the medical then that is what they should do. If Peyton checks out how can you pass him by? If they get a QB in free agency, they can trade down a couple of times in the first round to get more picks in the 2nd and 3rd round and start addressing other needs. Of course if Blackmon or Richardson are there we may want to grab them.

[Silk]

Since we are giving our opinions on Free Agency, I will take it a step further and say what I would like to happen. Manning hits the market and signs with the Redskins. The Browns go after Flynn and sign him. Thats the two teams ahead of us that needed a QB. Now the door is open to move up and take RG3. There would be no teams ahead of us that needs a QB. We could wait or move up to 4, or 5. I dont think any of the teams in the top would want to move out of the top ten via trade. I dont think it would happen but this would be the perfect storm for us.

[steele]

if Jets have a real interest in him, I might swipe him up just to keep Miami dealing with him 2x a year and ESPN nutting all over themselves