Dolphins Are Next Domino in Standoff With Second-Round Picks

The NFL’s logjam with signing players selected in the second round of this year’s draft is starting to open up. 

The first major break in the dam came when the 49ers agreed to sign the 43rd overall pick, Alfred Collins, to a contract that guaranteed around 88% of his deal. While there’s been a flurry of second-round picks signing since then, the Miami Dolphins haven’t agreed to a deal with Jonah Savaiiinaea. 

Savaiiinaea, the 37th pick, is the next domino to fall in the fully guaranteed contract range. Of the four players selected ahead of him in the second round, three have received fully guaranteed deals, with the most recent being Seattle Seahawks safety Nick Emmanwori (35th pick). 

The only second-round player selected ahead of Savaiinaea who hasn’t signed a fully guaranteed deal is Cleveland Browns running back Quinshon Judkins. However, he was arrested on a domestic-violence charge last Saturday. 

Judkins is not expected to report to training camp, as the Browns have reportedly advised him to focus on dealing with the charges. 

Basically, he’s not getting a fully guaranteed deal anytime soon. That leaves the Dolphins and Savaiinaea "on the clock."

Why Miami Could Give In 

If the Dolphins had been willing to fully guarantee Savaiinaea’s deal, they wouldn’t be in this position, but the teams ahead of them blinking first have essentially removed all of Miami’s leverage. 

If Savaiinaea wasn’t asking for a fully guaranteed deal before, he most certainly is now, and it’s hard to blame him and his agent for that. The 35th pick in the draft got one, so why wouldn’t the 37th pick? 

Of course, this logic can’t be applied to the entire second round. The 38th pick (TreVeyon Henderson) and 39th pick (Luther Burden) haven’t signed yet, either. The 40th pick, Saints quarterback Tyler Shough, might be the team’s QB1, so he has unreal leverage. 

But the 41st pick, Buffalo Bills defensive tackle T.J. Sanders, did not receive a fully guaranteed deal. At least for this season, the proverbial line in the sand for fully guaranteed second-round contracts will likely be pick 40. 

While the market might force the Dolphins’ hand, they should move quickly to make sure Savaiinaea is ready for training camp, which starts on Tuesday, regardless. 

The Dolphins traded up in the second round for Savaiinaea with the idea that he would be one of the team’s starting guards this season, a position they’ve struggled mightily with in recent years.

Savaiinaea's road-grading play style is also an essential part of the Dolphins’ commitment to being a tougher team in the middle, especially when running the football. 

Arguably, the most critical consequence of a prolonged absence would be a lack of chemistry upfront. Chemistry along the offensive line is incredibly important, and that starts in the early days of training camp.

What Will Savaiinaea’s Contract Look Like? 

Savaiinaea will get a four-year contract worth $11.3 million with a $4.9 million signing bonus when he does sign, regardless — it’s just a matter of whether the Dolphins cave and fully guarantee his deal.

The Dolphins had no issues signing the rest of their draft class, locking up Kenneth Grant, Jordan Phillips, Ollie Gordon, Dante Trader Jr., Quinn Ewers, and Zeek Biggers before rookie minicamp.

First-round pick Kenneth Grant received a four-year contract (with a team option) worth almost $22 million, which was fully guaranteed as the 13th overall pick.