I'd prefer to keep James. Its a bit of "the devil you know" scenario. However, the potential of a trade of James for CJ Anderson is interesting and might help to keep his asking price down vs. chasing him as a free agent.

 

Wouldn't surprise me to see them go after a guy like Chris Hubbard of Pittsburgh who played very well in relief of Marcus Gilbert last season. He'd be significantly cheaper than James, although not the player that Ja'Wuan is.

 

If there was the offer by the Broncos to give Anderson and their third round pick for Ja´Wuan James, the Phins would be fools not to do this. They lose a player they are in a need to cut anyway, with a salary of 9.3 million. In Exchange (they wouldn´t get any exchange if they cutted him), they receive a 2nd RB they already are interested in PLUS they get a pick to grab for a third RB in the draft (Josh Adams, Mark Walton, Bo Scarborough, Rashaad Penny or any other talented player) PLUS the chance to get a Tackle out of the FA to replace James (Chris Hubbard or Cameron Fleming) AND it will leave little salary. Smart move - do it!

 

There's zero reason to depart from James. He's a good lineman and we need other areas filled along the line before we create other holes within it.

 

He should have jut taken what the dolphins offered him because it was not that far off from what he wanted. I dont blame him for trying to get everything he can get but, no one is shelling out that contract to you.

 

I'm saying we won't **** it up, like everything else we tend to do, but letting go of James is a hideously ignorant move should that come to fruition.

 

This landry crap is too much.

Please let someone come in an sign him to a long term deal.

 

Landry can't talk to other teams until he signs the contract, and no teams will want to talk to him under the contract unless Miami releases him from it. So it's a catch-22 inside a catch-22 and Landry really doesn't have any options other than working with our front office. His agent has filled his head with so much, "You are the best in the league and deserve more than anyone," crap that he's shooting himself in the foot by not reaching out directly.

Here's how I think this scenario plays out and it's something that not a single "authority" has thought of- Landry sits 2018 out. Miami can wait until the deadline before rescinding the Franchise tag and that leaves Landry with virtually no bargaining power at all. By that time we won't be able to afford him and most of the other top destinations won't have the cash either. So he has two options- go to a city like Cleveland and play for around $6-8M a year or not play at all.

And if the guy was too dumb to sign with us for $12M a season, I don't think he takes 50% less and pays 33% state taxes on top of it. Think about it- $8M a year in Florida is more like $5.5M anywhere else. So I have a sneaking suspicion that Landry doesn't sign anywhere and tries his luck in 2019...all because he has complete faith in his agent.

EDIT- I take all of that back, Landry signed the contract a few hours ago. Now it's just a matter of us honoring it...which we can't afford to do.

 

I think he'd take a 4-5 year ~$50m contract w/ ~$30 guaranteed ...or something similar...At least I hope he would

 

Hopefully the Browns will do it...lol

 

They can still work out a deal.

 

Urgh. This is so frustrating. The Dolphins drafts haven't been great but they have yielded some decent players and this FO seems incapable of retaining our own developed talent.

James has been productive. Retaining him on an OL that still needs improvement should be a no-brainer.

Worse still should be traded for someone like Anderson. Trading young, developing and talented for talented but older and possibly decling player. It's worse than just losing someone.

 

Just to remind you: James and Landry would together count against the cap by 25 Million cap hit! Miami is able to re-sign all players they want, afford all the rookies AND sign solid replacement for that. The Phins have to stop selling big money to players who are not worth it. Is Landry the best WR in the league? So why you wanna pay him like that? Is James the best RT around? So why is he worth his potential salary?

Landry is ranked 19th at PFF - the 19th WR in the league (its Pierre Garcon) earns 9.5 M. If Landry would be good with this salary, he could have been kept. But he wants elite money allthough he is no elite WR as Larry Fitzgerald, Julio Jones, A.J. Green or DeAndre Hopkins are.
So is James. The worth of the 19th best Tackle in the league is 6.3 M (Marcus Gilbert) - not 9.3! There are just two RTs (Veldheer and Lane Johnson) earning at least 9/10 M - and those are elite players. James is inconsistent, injury prone and Miami can´t afford to pay him this kind of salary. Pay Chris Hubbard, Cameron Fleming for 2 M, Kendall Wright for 3 M and keep the rest of 20 M for re-signing, the rookies and other FAs - that will be better for the team...

 

They are trying to trade Landry AND recoup some picks/players. They have no intentions of paying him that $16m. However, I think they shot themselves in the foot when they franchised him.

 

Great post. I completely agree. Landry, James, Timmons, and Thomas represent nearly $38 million in cap money.

 

Of those four the only one who deserves what we would have to pay them this year is James. 9.5 mil per year is not much for one of the top 20 tackles in the league. We are better off keeping james than overpaying some free agent. This talk about young taking over a right tackle is stupid. Young is and always has been a backup. He is not as good as james. Oline is the last place where we should be looking to save money.

 

I saw the by-line and stopped reading.

 

How about Trade
Ja Wuan James for Matt Paradis C.

Bye Pouncey and James hello more $$$$

 

Maybe zero logical reasons, but they don't like him and he is going to cost more

 

This would actually make sense. I'm sure the number is less than the 5th year option, but James has been a good enough right tackle. Surely a better option than over paying in Free Agency or using another valuable Draft Pick that we don't have to spare.

 

I don't believe that. And their most recent long-term offer in an attempt to keep him disproves that as well.

 

Contrary to a lot of people's viewpoints, the team has said that they want Pouncey to emerge in a leadership position and they want to keep James. I would not expect us to lose either one.

 

I hope they can get him long term, but the fact they removed the 5th year shows perhaps they don't like him too much, at least not at that price.