This is potentially heartbreaking, but clay isn't worth much more than 5 mill a season. He was already going to get overpaid with the tag. Bills are playing dirty

 

Strategically not a bad move for them

They either pay big $$$ and get themselves a great tight end.

Or if the Dolphins decide to match, the Bills will drive up the price and effectively take a chunk out of a division rivals available cap room... they win either way.

Bahh, **** the Bills

 

all the reports i read said the bills were interested till the dolphins transitioned him. If they want to way overpay then go for it. they still have no QB.

 

Wouldn't be surprised to see the Bills give him a majority of the money year-one knowing we'll be strapped for cash this season but have more to spend in the next two.

 

losing clay would hurt, especially considering how thin the dolphins are on the offensive side of the football at this point.

 

What are the rules for the transition tag as far as the contract goes? Does he need to get offered more for this season than the 7mil he is getting paid? Or can he take less as a long term deal? Either way I know we have the option to match

 

I say let him go. Injury prone and doesn't provide blocking. Sims isn't much of a downgrade if at all. I want to see more of Sims. He looked pretty good when given opportunities. Take that $7 million and use it else where. When you got multiple positions to fill taking Sims instead of Clay is the right way to go. Think about it. Are the Dolphins a better team with Sims at tight end WITH a CB being paid for $7 million a year? For $7 million a year you can get a pretty good CB. You fill another need and make a big upgrade at CB without making much of a downgrade at tight end.

 

Clay is a good player but he can be replaced.

 

With who?

 

Certainly not by anyone on our roster. We saw how well our other TE's preformed while Clay was injured and it wasn't pretty.

 

I like Sims and he showed some potential at the end of last year... but yeah he is a much different player than Clay.

 

whats the tag we put on welker to get the draft pick?

 

Didn't think it was a tag. We traded for a 2nd and 7th before hand?

 

Sims and someone else.

 

I'd almost want to pay him that extra million or two for him to not go to the Bills, or even worse, NE. That'd be the real nightmare.

 

They put a 2nd round tender on a RFA

 

It was a tag prior to the trade.

 

Bring back Fasano.

 

You could argue that Gator Hoskins can grow into Clay's replacement but that is realistically two years away in all likelihood. There is nothing worth grabbing at in the draft at the position, it's the weakest it's been in years and that makes keeping Clay all the more important for this upcoming season.

 

Is Gator on a team right now?

I don't like the idea of working so hard at developing Clay and then him taking his services elsewhere. IMO, he is worth a good contract. He is a dynamic weapon.

 

on a worst-case type deal like that... i'd say I like Sims and a gator-like project. Sims has had flashes in the clutch and he's a pretty big body with good hands.

 

7 million is already an overpay for a guy that isn't even a seam threat.. just a boundary guy... if they want to pay more they can have him.

 

Is that replacing him, or getting other players to not do as good a job?

 

Nick O'Learly in the 3rd round sounds good to me.

 

NOL or Clive in round 3 would work for me

 

Draft a tight end in the 3rd round and use Sims with that pick. Cut Starks and let Clay go. Improve at G, CB, or S.

 

I won't argue the fact that Clay is the best TE on the roster at this time. Sims is a decent backup, but he isn't the receiving threat Clay is. At this time the coaching staff has no idea what Lynch might bring to the team.

All that being stated, I just don't see Clay as a player worth $7 million a year. If the Bills are willing to offer him a contract which pays him that type of money, the Dolphins should not match it. Let the Bills waste their cap money and hopefully Sims, Lynch, and a TE added in the draft or free agency will be able to make up for the loss of Clay.

There are just too many needs on this team at this time to overpay for a good but not great TE, who has also missed several games with injuries during his time with the Dolphins.

 

Keep in mind CC was a very late pick , this is a poor draft for highly rated TE's , doesn't mean there isn't productive ones to be found.

All about value , at some point Clay isn't worth the price imo , what that is , is the key.

 

You can't pay Clay anywhere near Gronk or Graham money and be able to justify it. Just can't. Especially considering how many needs this team has.

 

At 7 million he can go play in Buffalo. I like him a lot and I think in the right system he could be worth that kind of money, but here? I don't think so. It does leave us with a hole to fill but sometimes you have to make tough calls and not overpay.

 

I like Clay, but think he has been a difference maker in only 1 (maybe 2) games a year. Easily replaced. Let him walk to another team for that kind of money. Buffalo has Rex now and he wants the Clay that bulled over people two seasons ago. It was Clay's highlight run of his career. He would of needed to do that 8 or 9 times a year for me to keep him at 7 mil.