So where is the Jake Long contract extension?

Jake Long is in the final year of a contract that seemed oh-so-expensive in 2008 when he signed as the first overall draft pick but has been well worth the money to date. Long is scheduled to make $11.2 million in his contract year and cost upwards of $12.8 million against the cap.

The base salary is basically the cost of doing business. The cap charge seems like a case of business that could be done better.

The fact is the Dolphins need to extend Long's deal. He has been a good player. He is a foundation stone for the franchise. And an extension could easily lower that cap charge and give the team more space to maneuver as it wishes in the coming days of the 2012 league year.

Yet, off Long went on his honeymoon recently and the Dolphins didn't have a new contract ready for him as a wedding gift.

Why?

Ah, the why is a puzzle.

The club's official stance is that Long without doubt is not going anywhere, that he is outstanding and that he absolutely will not be allowed to hit free agency at the end of 2012 so that he can possibly go elsewhere.

Good call, Dolphins folks!

So why the delay when an extension could be beneficial for both sides? Well the possibilities are the puzzle.

Maybe both sides have a wink-wink agreement that something will get done and it will. Great, but time is money and the longer this is on the back burner, the weaker the Dolphins seem from a cap standpoint.

Maybe both sides have talked and they simply haven't come to an agreement. This is probably the most likely scenario. The truth is gauging Long's value won't be easy. Cleveland re-signed Joe Thomas to an 8-year contract worth a reported $92 million that included a whopping $44 million in guaranteed money. That's an $11.5 million annual average. And the trouble for the Dolphins is Long will expect to exceed this deal by a significant amount.

Worth it? Obviously yes at first blush. But look deeper. Long is worth is if he's healthy. Long is worth it if the club last season judged his play to be as good as ever -- unlikely considering his rash of injuries. Long, in short, is worth it if the Dolphins believe him to be Jonathan Ogden or Walter Jones -- both of whom played for years at exceedingly high levels and without injuries.

But what if Long is Tony Boselli? Boselli was perhaps the best left tackle in the game early in his career with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Big, strong, mobile, he was Long before Long. But then he injured a knee. Then he injured an ankle. Then he hurt his shoulder. And then he hurt the shoulder again. And again.

And by his seventh NFL season, Boselli was broken. Folks were surprised when Boselli was placed on the expansion list and allowed to go to Houston. But when he arrived in Houston, injured and unable to contribute, everyone understood.

So is Long on the road to being Boselli? In the past two years he's had a building litany of injuries -- first a knee, then an ankle and shoulder and last year a back and a torn right biceps that forced him to finish the season on injured reserve.

Are the Dolphins worried the trend might continue? Even privately there is confidence Long will recover and continue to be a pillar of the offensive line. But I would imagine the club would nonetheless like to protect itself financially against the continuation of the recent trend.

Perhaps the club prefers to see how Long returns and is handling training camp and the early part of the season before committing to a new contract.

That would be smart. Of course, in the meantime, that significant cap hit glows in neon as needing to be addressed. It is a catch-22. Pay Long and gamble he'll be fine? Or delay a new contract and suffer the tightened cap space?

There is, of course, another scenario that might explain the lack of a new contract for Long. It is obvious this is a big-ticket item. It will cost a lot of dollars. What if owner Stephen Ross, smarting from tanking ticket sales, simply isn't in position to dole out $40-$50 million in guaranteed money right now, much of which would no doubt come in the form of a hefty signing bonus?

What if the Dolphins -- among the bottom five spenders in cash outlay a year ago -- are simply trying to hold down costs again?

These are all questions the Dolphins don't have to answer. But it would clear things up if they did.

Comments

[inimounts]

Dont call anyone blackie.....not on here
And I have been on here long enough to now be the sheriff in these parts....only rules being that if u don't have anything to say about the dolphins then don't talk, all u are doing is turning away real fans and shock comments stopped being funny in 1992...
...and u have to fully admit that Jeff Ireland is a secret jets fan that is trying to destroy the dolphins.

[Tim Knight]

Of course NJ! It's Tebow, Bess and God I dont believe in. I like Garrard just have patience, patience, patience.

[Tim Knight]

Giants and Jets suck, just look at the Dolphins and their record. I am the smartest person in NY/NJ area.
Go Garrard!

[NJPHINFAN]

egg whites and beans make my fart in the gym which i own all the day is long. i wear undearwear armor under my size is an XL after a cycle, the kind you dont ride. my mom makes big greek food everyone eats the food and itis good food which iown a greek food thing restearunt gym houses iown them me YUP TIM!

[Walker]

No wonder i'm a substance abuser, pass the bong man

[oscar canosa]

It is not our way to turn against People without sufficient reason. So, as I did with TS, I will continue to defend Ireland until I am convinced that he's incompetent. Then, I'll join you.

[NJPHINFAN]

Garrard is not blackie. He is Haiitain African mericancan
i traind him and Fasano @ my gyms i owned them all i do have dumbells aand bench weights stuff that will help the football guys get biGger like muscles with the magic juice drink and needles in the Hynee at my gym i own the gym which is near restaurant i own with my brother nad he like another nfl team not dolfins whic i like vontee Davis and he plays on th efootbal field. YUP Tim !

[Diana Ft. Pierce]

My partner and I were in Montreal recently and we met not one, not two, but THREE fellow Dolfans. This team still has so many fans all over. If only they could be winners again!

[oscar canosa]

I remember when we criticized Spielman's trade of Wes Welker to NE, the majority turned against us claiming we got a great pick in Samson Satele. Look at it now.

[ZAAA!]

My tophat! Camels! Wilma!

Oh, MIGHTY LSD!!!!

[Steven Ross]

F'K it!

I'm Drunk, so what!

[Steven Ross]

Will Allen is in New England.
Don't know why anyone would want to play in New England, when i have a perfectly good team here.

[Steven Ross]

Wonder what Wayne is doing with my 1.1 billion dollars i paid for this colossal mountain of trash?

[FP4FGs.]

Wow, Stopped by a hour or two ago and Home still going on., Dude, Get some sleep Bro.

[Steven Ross]

Guess I'll call one of those Occupy Davie protesters and see if he wants to get a La Spadas roast beef sub.

[Steven Ross]

or maybe have a Dolphin cheerleader sit on my face :)

[Steven Ross]

Anyone see 2012 MVP Pro Bowl player Brandon Marshall around?

Oh that's right we gave up two second round picks and 50 million dollars of my money for him, and then cut him

No, no Jeffrey got us a deep dish pepperoni pizza from Chicago and a late pick for him.

Hmmm ? Doesn't that seem like an awful big waste of my money?

oh well we still have, ...GULP! Garrard

[Jeffrey Ireland]

Mr. Ross,

We got rid of Brandon Marshall because someone hit his wife in the face with a bottle.

Now, now Mr. Ross it was not a waste of two 2nd round draft picks and $50 Million dollars, it had to be done

Now Mr.Ross if Dan Marino's wife got hit in the face with a bottle we would have cut him too.

or Let's say Andrew Luck goes out late night and other people get unruly and somehow his wife get s hit in the face with a bottle, ...
well then of course the Colts are going to CUT ANDREW LUCK FROM THE TEAM for being a crime victim

Mr. Ross if my wife got hit in the face with a bottle than of course I would FIRE MYSELF also.

Now isn't this all starting to make sense Mr. Ross?

I dont know why the Miami fans are angry?

[Steven Ross]

Jeffrey, maybe I'm blind drunk, but i still dont understand why we cut our 2012 Pro Bowl MVP from the team and have no plan whatsoever to replace him?

because his wife was the victim of a crime?

and certainly Brandon was charged with absolutely nothing, so why did we cut Brandon because his wife was the victim of a crime?

makes no sense to me Jeffrey?

[Occupy Davie]

3.29.12 FIRELAND Protest March

@ Dolphin Training facility

[ALoco]

WATCHNG "ALI" ON AMC, A GREAT MOVIE ABOUT GREAT MAN,FOUGHT THE US GOVRMENT AND MADE MILLONS, DID WILL SMITH WIN A OSCAR FOR THE MOVIE?, IF NOT HE SHOULD.

THE NECK

THE BULGING DISK

THE MACHANIC

THE DENTEST

THE ACORNS

THE CELLAR

[Occupy Davie]

Why was 4 TD MVP of the 2012 Pro Bowl Brandon Marshall cut or should we say traded (lol) for a puke inducing 3rd rounder when he was our best offensive player demanding double or triple teaming?

[jukebox]

Trade him !!!

[FP4FGs.]

Home Dude The "PRO-BOWL" is just like a flag football game, Ask yourself how many TD Drops that your boy Marshall had the first 7 games of the year..., I think t was 7, Though I mght be wrong And how manmy drops did your boy Marshall have during the whole season?, Marshalls biggest mistake was picking # 19 Ted Ginns old number.Just Saying..

[JackSparrow]

I must admit. I think Ross is a liar. He's claiming they were going to release Brandon Marshall because no one wanted him on the open market.

I find that hard to believe since SF signed Moss.

What I find easy to believe is they were asking for some astronomical price for Brandon. They probably wanted 2 first round picks for Brandon.

[JackSparrow]

@FP4FGs

Roddy White had more drops. Dwayne Bowe was tied with Marshall. I guess Atl and KC should trade them for 3rd round draft picks.

[JackSparrow]

You guys telling me Moss has more upside than Marshall? Yeah yeah, Moss is a future HOF. But his PAST doesn't reflect his CURRENT value.

[FP4FGs.]

What was the Trade for Marshall?, 2 Second round picks?So this year they Have no #2?, Maybe its a good thing, Miamis #2 picks have been terrible the last few years.No Harm, No foul IMHO.

[JackSparrow]

Releasing Marshall (instead of trading) might have been better cap wise. They still have to sign two extra players with those draft picks. Or they have to sign one or none.

As it stands now, we have to pay for Marshall's dead cap and pay extra players. Or if we don't sign 2 extra players, then it was a stalemate anyways.

Unless, we can get some more acorns to fill this acorn pie Miami calls a team.

[FP4FGs.]

Jack,I am Talking about TD passes, Not just drops.

[JackSparrow]

Off the field antics is what doomed Marshall. Funny though, off the field antics didn't stop Big Ben did it? Last time I checked, he is not on the cutting board.

Why is that?

His stats make him un-cuttable. Why didn't Marshall's?

[JackSparrow]

FP4FGs

So Marshall should magically make average QB's look great? I thought great QB's made average WR's look great.

Funny, when working with Elite QB's, Marshall was MVP of the Probowl. Now you can claim the probowl is a joke. However, I claim the Detroit/Green Bay game was a joke.

But you're probably one of the ones claiming Flynn is top flight all world.

[Alan]

Ohio, is your board just for homers?

[FP4FGs.]

I hope Bess And Hartland are ready to step up As Featured WRs,And Hope Moore gets constant other wise could be a 4 and 12 season., Iam hoping for at least a 8 And 8 Season.., Is this how bad it's become?, Hoping for a .500 season? Ths aint baseball.

[JackSparrow]

PS...Roddy White only had 8 TD's last season. 2 more than Marshall. That and MORE dropped passes should put him on the chopping block right?

[JackSparrow]

Dwayne Bowe only had 5 TD's. 1 less than Marshall. Why is he still on KC's team?

[Scotty]

We have NO playmakers. Can we transfer to the Arena league?

[CHEAPO ROSS]

"What if the Dolphins -- among the bottom five spenders in cash outlay a year ago -- are simply trying to hold down costs again?"

[JackSparrow]

@scotty

ABSOLUTELY AGREE! All we have are HIGH PAID players that are average players.

That's why I say TRADE or CUT Dansby. I'd rather cut him and take the cap hit than keep him and take the non productive cap hit.

[Scotty]

Under Ross and Irescum, the Dullfins have become footballs laughingstock. Its no wonder no one wants to join the trainwreck in Miami.

[dusty bottoms]

jack white and bowe didnt beat up women, get stabbed, witness and provoke murder,etc etc

[Scotty]

Guys, Ireland may pull off the blockbuster trade yet. Jake Long for some dog poop.

[JackSparrow]

@Dusty Bottoms

And that's my point. Was Brandon ever accused of rape...TWICE? Yet, Big Ben is still up there in Pittsburgh.

1st. Point me to where Brandon was convicted of beating up anyone?

2nd. Why is being stabbed by a lunatic a crime committed by the victim? What's next, blaming the victim for being raped and beaten up?

3rd. Ray Lewis (from what I was told and read) is a murderer.

[Scotty]

jack white and bowe didnt beat up women, get stabbed, witness and provoke murder,etc etc
Posted by: dusty bottoms | March 24, 2012 at 04:13 PM

Merling beat up PREGNANT woman, He's STILL on the team and he STINKS!!

[Scotty]

Heck, Merling was a healthy inactive for 5-6 games last year and he's STILL on the team.

[FP4FGs.]

Jack, His wife stabbed him, Or did you forget?

[Scotty]

Correction. As I posted earlier bowe didn't beat up women, get stabbed, witness and provoke murder, etc etc

Need to correct.

Neither did Marshall since he was never convicted of those charges. Don't want to get sued by Brandon.

[JackSparrow]

Maybe you forgot. Getting stabbed is not a crime but you claim its one of the reason we let Marshall go.

[FP4FGs.]

Oh And Jack, Before you say "Did Marshall Blah Blah Blah", ths guys a bomb wating to explode, BTW, When was the last time your wife stabbed you?

[Mr. Lincoln]

t

[JackSparrow]

Oh and FP4FGs, Before you say "A lunatic off the street could have stabbed Marshall and its his fault blah blah blah", when was the last time you blamed the victim?

[Alan]

I would think they'd cut Merling before Marshall.

[Mr. Lincoln]

Walker from the Sun Sentinel is all talk and no action. Pot smoking freak of a school teacher. I would love to see him at the mob fest. Many would just to teach him a lesson. bwahahahahahahahhaa

[JackSparrow]

I would like someone to point out where Marshall was convicted of anything? He might have been arrested for stuff but where is the conviction?

Heck, most wives waiting to fleece a well off dude for their money using the abuse excuse.

[FP4FGs.]

But Jack, There was a reason why His wife stabbed him, Again, when was the last time you and your wife fought so bad she stabbed you??, Do you get where am going with this?

[FP4FGs.]

Jack, What do you tell a women with two black eyes?

[JackSparrow]

What is the reason FP4FGs. I mean really, you seem to have all the answers so answer that. What was the reason?

Where is the police report? How do we know Marshall wasn't cheating and got caught red handed. Then his wife FLIPPED OUT? Since when is cheating on your wife a death sentence?

Heck, JFK raped a girl in the White House house. Heck, Bill Clinton was cheating in the White House.

Why didn't we release them?

[FP4FGs.]

What is the reason FP4FGs. I mean really, you seem to have all the answers so answer that. What was the reason?

Dude, Drop it, The guy admitted he's got problems, Lets move on, Your thoughts on who's gonna step up at the WR spot?

[JackSparrow]

Who doesn't have problems? So you drop it and quit holding BLACK FOLKS TO A HIGHER STANDARD THAN YOUR OWN.

[JackSparrow]

What do I tell women with two black eyes.

DUCK!

Especially if they were trying to kill me in my sleep for MONTHS before they tried to stab me to death.