http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2015/03/12/dolphins-land-jordan-cameron/ Read the fine print at the bottom. A source is telling Florio that the Dolphins will keep the tag on Clay.
Could be a ploy to keep the price high for Buffalo... instead of just removing the tag and allowing Buffalo to begin negotiations at a lower price.
Meh....Jordan is basically a WR and Clay came into the league as a FB/H-back; niether are traditional inline TE's. Sims would still be our #1 true TE.
If the Bowns or Bills dont make Clay an offer he likes, we kind of have to keep him. We cant revoke the transition tag. Unless one of those teams signs him, he will be a Fin.
I have no idea how all this will fit into the cap (if they sign Clay too), but why worry I guess.. they HAVE to by NFL rules, so I guess they'll figure out a way. Mortgaging the future to try to win now.. After so many disappointing seasons, sign me up!
that is turning out to be an incorrect statement. You can revoke the tag. "Transition tags can be rescinded; however, teams that rescind a transition tag cannot use it again until the next season." If we rescind, Clay is a UFA. But he can always simply negotiate and sign with us if he is willing, tagged or not.
Not sure I like this idea. That's a lot of money to spend on two guys who are not your traditional in-line blocker/receiver types of TEs. And now we're talking three big pieces who all like to work the middle of the field from the slot. I dunno how well Clay, Cameron, and Landry would fit together for as many snaps as you'll want to give them. Not sure how you maximize those three together. Though that Gronk/Hernandez/Welker thing worked out pretty damn well til...you know... Having an OC like Lazor certainly makes me feel better, though. And I suppose the odds of Clay and Cameron being healthy together all year are not good.
If we do keep Clay as well, I think our draft strategy will likely change. I thought we were going after a WR in the first round, possibly even trading up for one.. but with Jordan, Clay, Wallace and Landry, we likely have enough firepower to not spend a high pick on one. We might go after CB Trae Waynes or LB Eric Kendricks in the first, or, if possible, trade down to acquire more picks. We can then address most of our remaining needs through the draft and pick up a WR in the second or third round, Nelson Agholor, Devin Smith, Tyler Lockette and Phillip Dorsett come to mind.
They can pull the tag if they wish, at that point he becomes an UFA. I don't think he can negotiate with us if we pull the tag, but I could be wrong.
Actually, if they've already signed Cameron, it's a good thing because Clay is still counted against our cap, so long as they haven't pulled the tag...
Hopefully this is what they're doing. This team has too many holes to fill to be paying 2 TEs $7+ million a year each. And I'm not sure how this offense would utilize having 2 TE sets. IDK if they could make full use of both TEs. Hopefully Clay goes and that $7 million can be used on another free agent.
Thanks, I didnt not know it could be revoked. I think it unfair to the player but I guess that's the rules.
Would be easy really and most of the time one or the other will motion out to WR or motion across the line. Lazor would have a field day with this.
When Dustin Keller was signed, Clay was put in more of an F-back/H-back role, with Keller as the move tight end. Perhaps that'll be their plan with Jordan in tow.
There would be so many possibilities, it would be our version of Gronkowski/Hernandez... except without the whole murder thing.
The fact that Cleveland has also been looking at Clay and just missed out on Cameron will keep the price high for Buffalo regardless IMO.
I would be happy with Waynes in round 1 or Kendricks. I beleive that Kendricks is even worth a pick that high but his draft value should maybe allow to trade down a few spots and acquire an extra pick
I will admit it sounds entertaining. I might have some fun watching that. But does the team really want to put $14.5 million(possibly more if the team has to match an offer given to Clay) of cap space in the TE position with other holes on the team that need to be filled? Still need a CB, S, WR, G, and MLB. This team is strapped for money especially next offseason when guys like Vernon, Pouncey, Miller, and Tannehill will be free agents. Really I think the best thing would be for Clay to go. Cameron is a beast and Sims is a good TE #2 option. Don't need and can't afford Clay.
I think this is more a case of keeping the price high for Buffalo. If Buffalo don't take him I think the way Miami would keep him would be to negotiate a long term deal with him and then drop the tag and get it done. Otherwise I think Clay is going. Nor sure I like that, what with Cameron's health issues.
I don't agree with keeping Clay at that number ...that's $7 million that would be better spent elsewhere.
While the caution of course is the expense, Clay and Cameron in tandem would offer the ability to create mismatches in the passing game by having offensive personnel on the field who are effective in both the running and the passing game. Clay can do everything from block as a fullback to split out wide as a receiver, and Cameron of course can block for the run game or sprint down the seam with 4.5 speed. Those are some difficult matchups to account for.
If the tag is removed Clay will be available to the whole NFL including the Bills..We might as well keep the tag until the Bills make an offer. Then a price for his services would be set.
In 2011 the Patriots had the 3rd-best overall offense in the league and the 2nd-best passing offense in the league in terms of DVOA. http://www.footballoutsiders.com/stats/teamoff2011 That year Rob Gronkowski had 90 catches for over 1,300 yards, 17 TDs, and 22 plays of 20+ yards. Aaron Hernandez had 79 catches for over 900 yards, 7 TDs, and 12 plays of 20+ yards. Obviously the Patriots' offensive prowess that year was fueled largely by their tight end play. If you remember, Hernandez often lined up in the backfield that year, which Charles Clay has the capability to do, as well. So, there could be lots of benefits associated with keeping Clay and having both him and Cameron on the field together, espcially given that Ryan Tannehill tends to have a Tom Brady-esque game, where he remains in the pocket and throws lots of short to intermediate range passes with a high degree of accuracy. Tom Brady's YPA in 2011 (8.57) was the highest of his career, and even higher than the year in which he threw to Randy Moss and the team went 16-0. Ryan Tannehill's YPA needs to improve significantly for the team to become highly competitive. The argument against keeping Clay is that his salary should be spent to improve the team elsewhere, but when you consider that having both he and Cameron on the field together could contribute largely to something similar to what the Patriots had in 2011, in my opinion that salary should be spent on Clay himself and on trying to achieve that. Having both players on the field together could very well help Ryan Tannehill take that next significant leap forward in his output as a quarterback.
I love the idea of 2 stud TEs with different skill sets. That's the kind of outside the box thinking that really leads to wins in the NFL. I'm sick of traditional, boring, stick in the mud NFL theory. It's about time we shook things up a bit and tried to actually be creative for once.
Money aside it makes sense to keep both. Cameron is more a Wideout and Clay is more an H-back anyway.
Armando Salguero @ArmandoSalguero Follow Dolphins will try to keep. Awaiting offer sheet to see if possible. RT @TheDBriggs: What's going on with Clay? Opinion 3:51 PM - 13 Mar 2015
I would be ok with keeping the tag on Clay and trying this for one season and seeing how this would work. But I'm not hyped about spending that much on the TE position. Especially when they've both had injury issues.
That might make sense if there were any free agents out there who fit our team that were worth signing. Maybe a veteran safety like Dawan Landry on a 1 or two year contract as a stop gap while a draft pick develops, but really, most of the top free agents are gone. I think rotoworld only has a couple guys left from their top 75 and they are guys like Harvin and Hardy with severe character issues.
Having two BECASUE of the injuries means max depth also. Something that's killed us the last couple of seasons - no depth.
