The cost of doing business ain't cheap

Let's put aside the fanciful talk of adding this guy and re-signing that guy for a moment and consider what all this stuff is going to cost, shall we?

Let me scare you right off the bat:

If the Dolphins want to add an elite wide receiver this offseason in free agency -- assuming one is even available -- it is going to cost around $9-$11 million per season. That's according to former NFL agent and salary cap expert Joel Corry,  who now writes about NFL contracts and the salary cap for the National Football Post.

"The high end UFA WRs will be looking at Vincent Jackson's 5-year, $55,555,555 deal ($26M GTD) as a benchmark," Corry tweeted to me on Thursday.

That is $11 million a year, folks.

Obviously, there are two things at play that must be stipulated.

That price is for a Vincent Jackson-type wide receiver. The player asking for that money must offer that enormous amount of talent. Jackson caught 72 passes for 1,384 yards (a whopping 19.2 yards per catch) and eight TDs in 2012. I'm not certain anyone on the market rises to that level of ability.

Jackson is a deep threat all day long and he also happens to be 6-5 and 230 pounds. (Yeah, amazing).

And the $11 million is the starting asking price. It is not necessarily the final price.

While any elite wide receiver on the market may want $11, I'm sure most will be talked off that skyscrapper ledge to a much lower floor. I'd say, and this is a conservative estimate, the elite wide receiver on the market this year will get around $10 million per season and it'll fall sharply from there. Remember, Wes Welker made $9.55 million under a franchise tag in 2012 and would cost $11.4 million if tagged in 2013 -- which is unlikely.

By the way, the cost of doing business in the wide receiver market won't be cheap for the Dolphins even if they stick with what they got. Pending free agent Brian Hartline, a No. 2 receiver, will be looking for $5-$6 million per year on the open market if he gets there.

Greg Jennings? He'll be hovering in the $8-$9 million annual range.

And the price at other positions won't be much cheaper.

Elite cornerbacks are expecting $10 million per season. Agents will be looking at Brandon Carr's five-year $50 million deal with Dallas and Jason McCourty's 5-year, $43 million deal to stay in Tennesee and see that as the numbers to shoot for.

So Carr is averaging $10 million a year while McCourty is averaging $8.6 million per year.

That's the zip code cornerback Sean Smith expects to inhabit at the start of free agency. And yes, he's likely going to free agency. I don't think the Dolphins will pay that kind of money for Smith. They see him as a good player who still has unmet potential. They do not see him as a game-changer or playmaker.

There are also questions about how Smith will react professionally once he gets paid. Will he cruise? Will he feel entitled? Will the work ethic suffer?

(Kindly post comments on whether you believe Sean Smith is worth $8.6 million per season in the appropriate section below).

That's the cost of doing business, folks.

The Dolphins will be lucky to re-sign Randy Starks for the $6 million a year Paul Soliai got in March of 2012. The Herald's Barry Jackson tells me the sides have opened talks but are not close.

I'll say.

I would imagine Starks will be the highest-paid DT on the team, seeing as he's the only one that's been to a couple of Pro Bowls. But I don't see how the Dolphins can pay him the $8 million per year that Vince Wilfork makes or certainly not the $12 million per year that Haloti Ngata makes.

So that might land him in the $7 million a year slot.

That might well be the cost of doing business.

Comments

[Craig M]

Shula 73,

Show me the direct quote where it says 'Philbin wanted Flynn and Ross didn't want to pay the money'.

SHOW ME?....I'm waiting......

[2 watt]

he just did lol

[Craig M]

Rex,

EXACTLY. Old man Shula 73 won't get this. He's reading into whatever meets his argument.

You've proven nothing d8ckwad!

[ALoco]

ARMANDO AND HIS FILTHY BLOGGERS;;;;;;;;

??
??
??
DASHI
PHONY 78
ODINESEYE

[Shula 73]

Ok now debate among yourselves. lol bye bye

[Craig M]

Rex,

He's just some idiot that comes on here all the time to complain about the Dolphins. Ask him what if anything he's ever had to say positive about this organization....EVER! He's got nothing.

He's either a Jets fan, a troll or one of the unhappiness guys on the planet.

Still waiting for the quote, dipshyte.....the one that says 'I wanted Flynn but he chose to go somewhere else'. In the bit you've posted Philbin has deliberately chosen to say nothing.

[Nj]

I am a friend of Canada I have family up there .

[ALoco]

WE ALL KNOW BT NOW THAT,CRAIG M IS JUST POSTING CRAP;;;;;

[ALoco]

NJ ,SHOULD HAVE A FAMILY IN SOMALIA ,NOT CANADA ..

[Craig M]

Nj,

He's just some jack8ss. Couldn't care less what him or any of his aliases say. He's so ignorant that he thinks we all sit around ice fishing. Big surprise that he doesn't know anything that isn't about his immediate neighbourhood.

His aliases will be here any minute.....3, 2, 1.....

[Tony Nathan]

Craig M, admit you were wrong. Be a man for once.

[Nj]

We must infuse talent at our skill positions in any way we can .......so open up the checkbook boys

[Craig M]

ALoco,

Is there a reason you're getting involved in this? You got nothing better to do?

[Nj]

Dude you are an idiot

[ALoco]

CRAIG IS A MAN OF INTEGRITY ......

[2 watt]

craig is stupid and makes things up. he's now exposed.

[Nj]

I am just a guy that is faithfull and committed to his team

[ALoco]

CRAIG M ,SAID THat I WAS YG .SO ,CRAID SHOULD ISSUE HIS APOLOGY NOW ,....

[Nj]

What do you guys think about Dustin Keller

[Craig M]

ALoco,

I think you're mistaken. What I said was I think it's a mistake to just delete comments that you and YG make and let you guys continue to do what you do. I said if it was up to me and you guys kept doing it, I'd kick you both off for good. I have no clue with is who.

[ALoco]

NJ
SO,YOU CAN BE A DUMB AS A ROCK AND SAY ,I AM FAITHFULL FAN AND ENDORSE ANY THING OUR GARAGE MANAGER DO ?

[Flush]

*** INTRODUCING THE TOILET BOWL CLUB ***

Phins78
Dashe
odoreye

[tvegas]

tvegas,

'A lot of the guys you are referring to were first round picks over the last couple of years. Which pick over the last two years do you wish the team HADN'T made so you could get your WR. AJ Green anf Julio Jones?"

Really Craig? Well, for starters I loved Russell Wilson in Wisconsin. I'm not the GM, but give me Blackmon first and Wilson later. But that's hindsight right? So since that didn't happen, why couldnt the Fins landed ONE of the following in the second or third? Jefferies, Hilton, Givens, Randle or Sanu? How about the year before when they could have drafted Randall Cobb or Torrey Smith in the second, or Cecil Shorts in the 4th?

You see the point here is that you have to actually TAKE a guy before the 5th round where there is still plenty of talent.

Remember the Patriots taking Gronkowski AND Hernandez in 2010? Absolute brilliance by the Patriots and I kept wondering why the Fins weren't drafting one of several talented TE's avaialable that year? Kind of like the WR class of last year when Ireland passed on everyone.

Oh, but we needed to draft best player avaialable or had other needs that were a priority. And Blah Blah Blah.

Do you see a trend here?

[ALoco]

CRAIG,

PEACE TO YOU /.......PEACE.....UNTIL YOU KICK ME OUT ///

[2 watt]

craig is a toilet flush. lol

[Nj]

Well first off I am not dumb as a rock you idiot .secon off its to early to grade Ireland ,third I forgot more about sports than you ever knew ......so there you have it......but remember Ireland is on the clock.....tick,tock,tick.tock

[Nj]

I have been a dolphins fan since 1970 that's a real long time..I have seen it all

[ALoco]

NJ......

OM MY CLOCK ,TWO T=YEARS AGO ....

PS///YOU HAVE TO BE SMART ENOUGH TO FIRE THE GARAGE MANAGER @ THE RIGHT TIME,NOT WHEN ALL PEOPLE AGREE ,AS YOU ....

[Nj]

You people forget that the tuna set us back big time .....but Ireland will be held accountable if he fails

[Craig M]

tvegas,

I'll give you Torrey Smith and Cobbs. Both guys would have helped this team and perhaps should have been Dolphins. But with no second round pick that year, and no running backs on the roster, would that have been wise? I see you as a 'Monday Morning QB guy', after the fact. It's fine to say now that Wilson should have been the pick but if he hadn't of panned out this fanbase would have RIPPED Ireland for not picking a QB in the first round when we had the chance.

So again you are talking about AJ Green, Julio Jones and Blackmon but I'm not getting what you're suggesting we should ahve done to get these guys. What is it you're suggesting we should have done?

[Nj]

I would support his termination if he fails

[ALoco]

ON MY CLOCK,OUR GARAG MANAGER WAS TWO YEARS AGO...

[oscar canosa]

hoho, ALoco can really stir the pot(more hits)heehee

[tvegas]

"I have been a dolphins fan since 1970 that's a real long time..I have seen it all"

Posted by: Nj

That's what I say year after year NJ. But the Fins always find a way to show you something new every year, LOL. I admire your faith brother, but demand a better product than what's being put on the field. Only then can you be a proud Fins fan once again

[Craig M]

Nj,

Don't worry about some of these idiots. The wise ones see you as Dolphin fan who doesn't get off coming here ripping this organization every chance he gets. I GUARANTEE you that a lot of these clowns aren't even Dolphin fans!

[Nj]

I did like his last two drafts but this off season is different with all our cap space and picks

[Tony Nathan]

Parcells took us fom 1-15 to the playoffs in one year...

[ALoco]

NJ..... THE TUNA IS THE KING OF FOOTBALL,NO ONE DISAGREE WITH THAT,UNLESS HE'SA BROWN DONKEY ,,,,

[Nj]

Oscar stop this madness ...

[Nj]

Yea the turnaround was great ....but he left us holding the bag in the middle of the night

[Tony Nathan]

If it wasnt for Parcells we'd have what 8 consecutive losing seasons?

[Nj]

Tuna did not finish the job

[oscar canosa]

Who me, Nj? The only one that has any power over this blog is its conductor.

[ALoco]

THE DOLPHINS INTHE CELLAR FOR 12 YEARS RUNING ..........

AND SOME DONKEYS ARE ASKING US NOT TO QUESTION AN MOVES ABOUT OUR OWN TEAM AND YUST BE FAITHFUL FANS !

THE DONKEYS ...

[Craig M]

As far as Jake Long goes, I've been a backer of his from Day one but $10 mil a year is too rich for our blood. If it's more important for him to get his $10 mil a year than to remain a Dolphin, then thanks Jake and good luck in your next stop. Time to move to plan B, whether that means adding somebody in FA or drafting someone. No way we should be paying that kind of money for Jake.

[ALoco]

TUNA LEFT ,B/C HE WAS PUSHED OUT...

[Nj]

The pro bowl looks like a dolphins home game .....that's how great you so called fans are if I lived down there I would go to every game as it is we go to 2 games a year.....you people should be ashamed

[Steve in Ottawa]

Tuna was hired by Huizenga for one reason. To get the team sold. He finished that job. Sure, fans would have liked to have seen more. But I dont think he liked Ross and his celebrity circus.

[oscar canosa]

I'll let it slide. You fully well know what that means, don't you? At any moment in the Future...

[Nj]

Our team is a middle of the road team we are not that far off

[ALoco]

STEVE..

THANK YOU ..

[Nj]

Sorry oscar

[Steve in Ottawa]

4 consecutive losing seasons is hardly middle of the road.

[ALoco]

NJ

VERY OPTIMISTIC FAN.....I GOT IT...

[Nj]

A loco

I'm not busting your chops or anything but a lot of team are worse than us and still draw fans believe me I know our team has us all frustrated .we just need to keep it positive

[Tony Nathan]

No playoff win in 16 years is hardly middle of the road.

[Nj]

Later boys gotta go

[Duck Dynasty]

Heck, if the Dolphins were ever middle of the road they'd throw a parade! LOL

[ALoco]

NJ

I AGREE WITH YOU POST @ 7;14 PM//////

IT'S TIME TO FIRE PDEPLE ...........SOME PEOPLE ...

[Steve in Ottawa]

No SB win in 41 years....and none on the horizon.