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PALM BEACH — New Miami Dolphins guard James Daniels is the marquee signing the team made in the first wave of free agency weeks ago.
He’s a sound blocker who fits into the Dolphins’ offensive system, but the concern with him is he tore an Achilles early last season.
Miami general manager Chris Grier is never shy to find a bargain due to a player’s injury history, and he sure did in Daniels’ case.
There’s no other reason a lineman of his caliber didn’t earn more than the three-year contract for $24 million he signed with the Dolphins. The $8 million in average annual value pales in comparison to Aaron Banks’ $19.25 million with the Green Bay Packers, Will Fries’ $17.5 million with the Minnesota Vikings or Patrick Mekari’s $12.5 million with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Grier said the team would have to invest in the offensive line when the offseason started, and the big investment still came at a discount.
Of course, more will be invested in terms of draft capital, as Miami is likely to find linemen among its 10 picks in the draft at the end of the month.
Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel understands the move for Daniels, while at a great price, could still be viewed as risky with questions over how Daniels will return from his Achilles rehab.
“For us, specifically, for what we want to get out of the offseason, it was going to take a real, strong reason to sign a free agent that was coming off injury,” McDaniel said earlier this week at the NFL annual meeting at The Breakers.
And in that, Miami is getting a seven-year pro who is 27 and highly motivated to prove he can come back the blocker he was going into his contract year.
“I feel super fortunate and super fired up to get him,” McDaniel said, “particularly because I know, by experience, the value of having a free agent with something to prove, that has a chip on his shoulder, that feels, ‘I’m not afraid to say it: Undervalued in my free agent opportunity for something I couldn’t control; I’m a better player.’ ”
Daniels impressed the Dolphins with the mindset he’s bringing to the latter portions of rehab, and playing in similar offenses, he should fit right into the wide-zone blocking scheme Miami runs.
“(His motivation) overlaps with the systems he has been in and how smart of a player he is in evaluating him out of college,” said McDaniel, not worried about Daniels picking up the playbook while he still can’t be on the field. “He can do more as he works back with less on field than a lot of guys would be able to, so it was a natural fit — and the hunger. I think we got a lot better with that signing. I’m fired up about it.”
McDaniel avoided offering any assurance Daniels would be ready by training camp, but when Daniels himself spoke to reporters over a web conference call the week prior, he said there’s “no concern” about training camp or the start of the coming season.
Last week, Daniels said it’s still unknown whether he would play right guard or left guard with the Dolphins. He said the plan will come to fruition by organized team activities.
Daniels has been at right guard the past three seasons with the Steelers, but he also has experience at left guard and center in his previous stint with the Chicago Bears.
The Dolphins had Robert Jones, their 2024 starting left guard, go to the Dallas Cowboys in free agency. Liam Eichenberg, who started at right guard for most of the season but then got into a platoon at the position as Isaiah Wynn returned to health late in the year, was re-signed, but Eichenberg will likely have competition coming in for a starting role.
Daniels tore the Achilles Sept. 29 last season, Week 4 on the schedule. He is now more than six months removed from it, with Dolphins offseason workouts picking up later in April ahead of OTAs in May and mandatory minicamp in June.
“It’s going pretty well,” Daniels told reporters last week. “I wasn’t lucky to have the Achilles injury, but I was lucky (when) it happened — I had surgery the first week of October. I’m on schedule, I’m on track, so I was really fortunate about the timing in the year where we won’t have to worry about anything this upcoming season.”
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He’s a sound blocker who fits into the Dolphins’ offensive system, but the concern with him is he tore an Achilles early last season.
Miami general manager Chris Grier is never shy to find a bargain due to a player’s injury history, and he sure did in Daniels’ case.
There’s no other reason a lineman of his caliber didn’t earn more than the three-year contract for $24 million he signed with the Dolphins. The $8 million in average annual value pales in comparison to Aaron Banks’ $19.25 million with the Green Bay Packers, Will Fries’ $17.5 million with the Minnesota Vikings or Patrick Mekari’s $12.5 million with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Grier said the team would have to invest in the offensive line when the offseason started, and the big investment still came at a discount.
Of course, more will be invested in terms of draft capital, as Miami is likely to find linemen among its 10 picks in the draft at the end of the month.
Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel understands the move for Daniels, while at a great price, could still be viewed as risky with questions over how Daniels will return from his Achilles rehab.
“For us, specifically, for what we want to get out of the offseason, it was going to take a real, strong reason to sign a free agent that was coming off injury,” McDaniel said earlier this week at the NFL annual meeting at The Breakers.
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And in that, Miami is getting a seven-year pro who is 27 and highly motivated to prove he can come back the blocker he was going into his contract year.
“I feel super fortunate and super fired up to get him,” McDaniel said, “particularly because I know, by experience, the value of having a free agent with something to prove, that has a chip on his shoulder, that feels, ‘I’m not afraid to say it: Undervalued in my free agent opportunity for something I couldn’t control; I’m a better player.’ ”
Daniels impressed the Dolphins with the mindset he’s bringing to the latter portions of rehab, and playing in similar offenses, he should fit right into the wide-zone blocking scheme Miami runs.
“(His motivation) overlaps with the systems he has been in and how smart of a player he is in evaluating him out of college,” said McDaniel, not worried about Daniels picking up the playbook while he still can’t be on the field. “He can do more as he works back with less on field than a lot of guys would be able to, so it was a natural fit — and the hunger. I think we got a lot better with that signing. I’m fired up about it.”
McDaniel avoided offering any assurance Daniels would be ready by training camp, but when Daniels himself spoke to reporters over a web conference call the week prior, he said there’s “no concern” about training camp or the start of the coming season.
Last week, Daniels said it’s still unknown whether he would play right guard or left guard with the Dolphins. He said the plan will come to fruition by organized team activities.
Daniels has been at right guard the past three seasons with the Steelers, but he also has experience at left guard and center in his previous stint with the Chicago Bears.
The Dolphins had Robert Jones, their 2024 starting left guard, go to the Dallas Cowboys in free agency. Liam Eichenberg, who started at right guard for most of the season but then got into a platoon at the position as Isaiah Wynn returned to health late in the year, was re-signed, but Eichenberg will likely have competition coming in for a starting role.
Daniels tore the Achilles Sept. 29 last season, Week 4 on the schedule. He is now more than six months removed from it, with Dolphins offseason workouts picking up later in April ahead of OTAs in May and mandatory minicamp in June.
“It’s going pretty well,” Daniels told reporters last week. “I wasn’t lucky to have the Achilles injury, but I was lucky (when) it happened — I had surgery the first week of October. I’m on schedule, I’m on track, so I was really fortunate about the timing in the year where we won’t have to worry about anything this upcoming season.”
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