Should the Dolphins Renegotiate the Contract of Reshad Jones before the 2016 Season?

Opening Shot (Mike): As many of you know Dolphins safety Reshad Jones is holding out of camp and has even threatened to hold out the entire year if the Dolphins organization doesn’t renegotiate his contract and pay him more money. A silly threat if you asked me since the Dolphins just a couple years ago did renegotiate the contract of Jones and gave him everything he wanted. Now a couple years later Jones is unhappy again and wants a do-over? Doesn’t work that way in life. I know my good friend Tom here lives life in fear and every time a player throws out a demand he wants to run and cave in to it to keep the harmony. That isn’t a successful way to run a sports team or any business in life.

Jones is a great player there is no doubt about that and one of the best safety’s in the NFL at this time. But Jones got to renegotiate his contract a few years ago, now he wants to do it again. IF Miami caves now to renegotiates his deal a second time and then in 2016 Reshad has another great year will Jones demand to renegotiate his contract a third time after this upcoming season? When does it end? This will be a never ending cycle. Miami can’t cave, they shouldn’t cave, they won’t cave! If Jones holds out, fine, he can enjoy paying that daily fine the NFL has mandated for all hold-outs per the last CBA.

Counter Argument (Tom): It must be a full moon because I agree with you to some extent.  Where you are wrong, as usual, is the Dolphins WILL negotiate an extension for Reshad.  Here is why, and put your glasses on and read closely.  THEY WILL USE THE OLIVIER VERNON SITUATION AS A REASON TO LOCK IN JONES.  What I agree with, it will not be this season.  Jones will be asked to show up in good faith from the front office to this years camp, to look into his contract and negotiate an extension after the 2016 season.  Reshad Jones is on a complete value deal the way he is playing.  7 mil this season and a shade over 6 mil in 2017.  Why shouldn’t he get paid top dollar for his play?  He is a complete package.  Great in coverage, physical against the run.  He reminds me of Troy Polamalu with the way he is all over the field.   Yes, Jones was suspended for PED’s.  Your sky is falling mentality of humanity is clouding your judgment of a staple of this defense.  Jones NEEDS to be in camp.  He NEEDS to show up and help the young guys in the secondary.  The way that happens, is Tannenbaum needs to open the lines of communication with Reshad and his agent.  Nobody wants this to drag out, particularly the fan base. 

Rebuttal (Mike): Here is your there is a giant flaw in your argument Tommy Boy. The Dolphins did offer OV a chance at a new deal and to renegotiate. OV turned them down and wanted to test the market. So your analogy is flawed from the get-go. Plus, OV was in a contract year, Jones is locked up till 2018 as we sit today.  And you ask why shouldn’t Jones get paid top dollar this year, by that dumb logic why should any player in the NFL have a contract? Every contract should be a 1 year deal and nobody is locked in long term for anything. So if Jones has a crappy year this year, next year he can struggle to get a good deal. Works both ways! Shouldn’t the Dolphins be given credit for locking Jones up long-term at a good price? According to you no! They shouldn’t be rewarded they should be punished to just have to rip up that good deal and bend over and take it now. Just cave and give Jones anything he wants? NO WAY JOSE!! The Dolphins for once in the past 15 miserable years did something right, they got a good player locked in at a good deal that is “team friendly.” Not to mention that drug test failure, that is kind of a big friggin deal that you can’t just overlook. Jones the last time he was given a big contract went out did drugs, failed a test and missed 4 games. The next time he fails a drug test he is suspended for one full season! That’s a big black cloud hanging over his head and the organization’s head as well. Should the franchise reward players like this? Me-First players who hurt the team and put themselves first by cheating and doing drugs? I say no!

Cross Examination (Tom): A flaw?  Wasn’t OV under the transition tag, which the Dolphins removed?  Remember Charles Clay?  The removal of the transition tag allowed OV to hit FA with not a chance in hell to try and re-sign him.  But they valued Charles Clay more? C’mon man.  Under the transition tag, the Dolphins are allowed to match the deal.  Letting him walk for nothing, replace him with a 31 year old player who was heavily criticized for taking plays off is not a good way of doing business.  And if you slow down and read, I said renegotiate AFTER the 2016 season.  Not now.  Why not lock a great player up after he proves again he is a top 5 safety in this league.  You would prefer to let another player walk after the 2017 season?  I am all for getting new talent at positions, but Jones has plenty left.  He has a lot to prove in 2016 but at the same time, risking him hitting the UFA market is just plain stupid.  The Dolphins will not be in the same cap hell in future seasons (Tannehill if he pans out this season, Suh, Albert who may be gone if Tunsil performs and Wake) are the big ticket players.  The market RIGHT NOW is rising, lock him down while the market isn’t changing.  I am also a glass half full kind of guy, he messed up, cost himself 4 games.  Redemption stories are fantastic.  Jones is becoming more and more like a guy who will reap the benefits of his mistake.  Lock him in while its a cheaper market.  The cap only goes up Mike.

The Last Word (Mike): The Dolphins tried to renegotiate with OV a year ago, before he was ever tagged or a free agent. OV refused to sign any extension, that’s the point. Nobody cares about the transition tag, that’s a joke. That tag was only going to buy Miami a week to see if they could re-sign him after a team like the Giants came in with a huge offer. This isn’t this situation. Hell the Fins even knew it was a joke and removed the tag cause they understood there was no chance of re-signing him once OV refused to sign an extension last year this time. The real OV talks happened in 2015 NOT this offseason when hew as tagged. I remember Charles Clay as well, a marginal player who was grossly overpaid by a dumb Bills organization. Charles Clay and his 500 yards and 3 TD’s in 2015 yet is getting paid more money than Gronk…yeah Miami really made a mistake by letting him walk. Jesus Christ Tom, wake up!! You can’t shit your pants every time a player throws out a threat and holds out. You can’t shit your pants every time a guy leaves and think Miami made some huge mistake. Miami hasn’t won anything in decades, these guys leaving hasn’t hurt this franchise.

And your Jones argument is still flawed. You are saying renegotiate with Jones after this season, well he is holding out NOW!!! Before this season and in this training camp. If Jones wants to renegotiate after this year then this wouldn’t be a news story daily in the South Florida papers and we surly wouldn’t be talking about this issue, and NEWSFLASH: He wouldn’t be holding out now. Jones isn’t holding out for a new deal AFTER this year, he is holding out for a new deal RIGHT NOW! Wake up Tom, get out of “fantasy land” and join us on planet earth! And redemption stories? Redemption stores are fantastic if its a guy coming back from an injury and overcoming the odds and the long road back from rehab. They aren’t great when it’s a guy who is a cheater and failed a drug test that hurt his team. If you are going to invest big money and make a guy the highest paid safety in the NFL, I’m sorry you can’t forget the drug failure. You can’t forget about that as he is one strike away from a year suspension and him destroying your salary cap.

And where does it end? If Miami caves and gives Jones what he wants then what? When every guy who has a good few games or one good season they know they can hold out and demand more money cause Miami is the idiot organization that always caves and gives into player demands. You can’t run a team that way!

Here is the bottom line….
1) Reshad Jones is under contract till 2018
2) Reshad Jones if he holds out will pay a huge daily fine that will add up over time.
3) Reshad Jones lost all good-will he had with this organization when he failed a drug test and got suspended for 4 games.

You don’t give in to demands from players like that who haven’t shown the maturity to be a leader in this league. The Dolphins came in last place last year with Reshad Jones having his “best year ever.” I’m positive the Dolphins can come in last place again with or without Reshad Jones. Which pretty much kills any negotiating leverage Reshad Jones has.