Jones may be headed to the Rams
Dolphins punter Donnie Jones, a restricted free agent, has agreed to an offer sheet with the St. Louis Rams that runs five years and is worth $5.585 million.
The offer sheet is scheduled to be signed Friday, accordinng to agent Drew Rosenhaus, meaning the Dolphins have seven days to match the offer or lose their punter of the last two seasons. Jones will not participate in Miami's mini-camp that opens Friday.
"I can't speak for them so I don't know what they're going to do," Rosenhaus said of the Dolphins choice of matching the offer or losing Jones. "But I don't think they'll match based on the fact we've had no significant contract talks with them over the last couple of weeks."
Rosenhaus said the offer sheet does not include any type of poison pill. It does pay Jones a $1.175 million signing bonus with base salaries of $510,000 in 2007, $700,000 in 2008, $1 million in 2009 $1.1 million in 2010 and $1.1 million in 2011.
Rosenhaus, who also represents restricted free agent Yeremiah Bell, said the safety has signed an injury waiver and will participate in Miami's three-day camp.
The offer sheet is scheduled to be signed Friday, accordinng to agent Drew Rosenhaus, meaning the Dolphins have seven days to match the offer or lose their punter of the last two seasons. Jones will not participate in Miami's mini-camp that opens Friday.
"I can't speak for them so I don't know what they're going to do," Rosenhaus said of the Dolphins choice of matching the offer or losing Jones. "But I don't think they'll match based on the fact we've had no significant contract talks with them over the last couple of weeks."
Rosenhaus said the offer sheet does not include any type of poison pill. It does pay Jones a $1.175 million signing bonus with base salaries of $510,000 in 2007, $700,000 in 2008, $1 million in 2009 $1.1 million in 2010 and $1.1 million in 2011.
Rosenhaus, who also represents restricted free agent Yeremiah Bell, said the safety has signed an injury waiver and will participate in Miami's three-day camp.
posted by Armando Salguero at 3:47 PM
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1 million a year for a punter? Is a 7th that important for a kicker who tends to drive kick returners crazy with his swirling left footed punts? I like this guy and he is key for our defense. DJ is capable of being a pro bowl punter.
I say we match the offer.
I hope we match but considering what is going on with the new leadership I don't think we will.
Let DJ go. Get the 7th. DJ is a very good punter, but with all the help we need across the board, even on depth, we would be wise to target a potential 7th rounder like Manuel Ramiez G Texas Tech., Daren Stone S Maine, Adam Koets T Oregon State, or Ronnie McGill RB North Carolina. We're thin in these areas and any of these guys could be quality back-ups and a couple may even push for playing time.
If still available, I'd like to see Ramiez, Stone and Jeremy Burnett the Safety from South Florida. He's always around the ball.He hits everything that moves, and The Sporting News Draft Guide feels he'd be a great back-up and elite special teams player.
When does the good news come?
Like I been saying the RandyCam show is negligent and steering the Dolphins to a number one overall pick in 2008 -- i.e. this team is gonna have one of its losingest seasons ever this year at this rate.
GMs are suppose to re-sign good players in a decent time frame? Whats wrong with Jones? Is it because Saban liked him? Jones led the NFL in net punt average two years ago. You are not going to find a better punter.
So, now, we add Jones to the mounting losses.
The Dolphins depth chart is pathetic. Have you seen it lately?
Fire Mueller, I say.
Armando,
it appears the dolphins are intent to get draft picks for marginal or overpriced players. Plus, the contract seems a bit too high to match. time to scour the waver wire for a replacement.
He's a punter. Why is this even worth debating? Is he good? Sure. But if the Fins FO feel the offer sheet is too much (and I think it's too much for a P), I'm not going to call them on it. Take the 7th rounder and add another pick to the draft and keep adding to the many needs. We're only a few weeks into the off-season and already we're calling out the leadership and calling for Mueller to be fired?
C'mon! It's re-damn-dicoulous! He's a punter. A punter! A PUNTER!!!
In effect the Rams get Donnie Jones and Randy McMichael from Miami for a 7th rounder? What the...
The Dolphins tried to trade McMike. Nobody wanted his bloated contract. He was an overpaid derelict on the field and a wife beater off of it, anyway. I'm thrilled to be rid of that POS.
Take the pick for Jones. He's a good punter, but he's still a punter. We're not talking about a LT here. Punters are a dime a dozen.
Fire Mueller? Fire Cameron? Damn, already? Some of you, (well at least one person) needs to take a chill pill. Patience is a virtue my fellow Fins Fans. Open your eyes and realize what's taking place. Of course the Dolphins depth chart is lacking right now, we're still in the middle of the offseason! We still have the NFL Draft, and if necessary the June 1st cuts. When Coach Cameron and Randy Mueller said they were going to build through the Draft, I was skeptical at first. Simply because the last guy who was here said the same thing, and didn't follow up on his word. However, as the weeks and months have passed, I have come to realize that Coach Cameron and Randy Mueller were dead serious about building through the Draft. I mean look at what has taken place.
We trade Wes Welker to a division rival for a second and third round pick. Again, we all love Wes, but for a guy we picked up off the street in 2004, it's incredible that we got that much in return. Even though the trade was rescinded, for awhile we had a sixth round pick from Denver for Dan Wilkinson. When news of that trade broke, I was shocked that Wilkinson had any value left. Of course, just recently we shipped our longtime kicker Olindo Mare, to the Saints for their sixth round pick. Everybody said, "there's no way a team trades for Mare." As P.T. Barnum once said, "there's a sucker born, every minute."
Now we come to Donnie Jones. We all love Donnie. He's been a solid punter for us the past two seasons. In fact, Donnie holds the team record for most punts inside the 20 with a staggering 31 punts in 2005. I know, I know it's hard to part ways with somebody that good. However, I remember a time back in 2005 where a lot of people weren't that high on Donnie Jones. A lot of people wondered, "who is this guy off the the practice squad?" "How is he going to be better than Matt Turk?" Remember those days? I certainly do.
For a team that has as many holes as we do, we need draft picks, and we need them anyway we can get them. If it means, having to make some difficult desicions and part with some special players, then so be it. The Dude is right, he's a punter. If we found a diamond in the rough like Donnie once, who's to say we can't strike it rich one more time? To me, this deal works for both parties. Donnie gets paid and he'll be punting in a dome, and the Dolphins add another valueable draft pick. For what it's worth, I read somewhere that Coach Cameron and Randy Mueller was in Baton Rouge at LSU working out P Chris Jackson. I'll be sad too see Donnie go, but nobody said change was easy.
I swear some of you act if we're playing on Sunday. Take a deep breath, relax, and let everything unfold before you pass judgement.
you queers preaching "patience" are wacked.
free agent time is over, slim pickings. building through draft means a 3-4 year plan at the earliest to get a winner -- if you draft good. if you don´t draft good, it means your a decade-long loser.
this team is in a serious nose-dive dolfanqueers!
Why the heck do you people think a punter is unimportant? A punter can lose the game for you, and can provide huuuge help for your defense.
So many CRY-BABIES!! Donnie Jones is good. No Doubt. But I'd like a team that SCORES MORE and PUNTS LESS!!!
10 Picks in this year's draft. So far. I'd take that. Why don't some my fellow FinFans get the definition of insanity. "Doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result". At least Cam-Ran are trying something new. Pick up the 7th and draft the best player available at the time. We all know we need depth on offense and youth on defense. Bring back Turk & move on.
I feel like Allen Iverson talking about practice...
"I mean listen, we're sitting here talking about [a punter], not a game, not a game, not a game, but we're talking about [a punter]...Now I know that I'm supposed to lead by example and all that but I'm not shoving that aside like it don't mean anything. I know it's important, I honestly do but we're talking about [a punter]. We're talking about [a punter] man. (laughter from the media crowd) We're talking about [a punter]. We're talking about [a punter]. We're not talking about the game. We're talking about [a punter]."
Seriously people. I mean he's a good punter, maybe even great, but he's punter!!! Let him go, take the pick, and get Matt Turk back from the Rams when they drop him after signing DJ!!!
The Greg,
You are a complete idiot.
If you have a good punter the best thing to do is keep it and not settle for something worse. Seventh round draft choices 95 percent of the time do not even make football teams, idiot.
People want to talk about what a good punter DJ is, and that's fine, but let's not get carried away. He's played 2 seasons. Yes, he led the league in net average one year, but he also finished 27th (right around there, anyways) in the other. The money in his contract is too much, take the pick and move on.
the money in his contract is about right for a good quality punter.
well worth it. match the rams offer and move on.
I'm kind of torn on this one. Jones is a good punter, but a punter none the less. $1 million is a lot, but about right for a good punter.
My problem is whether a 7th is worth it because 7th rounders don't usually make the club and now you've given away a good punter for essentially nothing.
I wonder if they put a tender out there hoping no one would bite and then they could bring him back at a cheaper price. If that is the case then it looks like it backfired.
Sorry. I'm with those guys who say, we need bodies. We are so thin in so many areas, that we really can pick up "best player available" types in the 7th round and have actual success. Jones is a really good punter, but our needs are just too many. Personaly, I like Dallas Baker WR Florida. He's projected to be a 7th rounder because of lack of speed, but he reminds me of Orande Gadson. As long as we don't waste the pick, I'll be happy.
Why on earth would we let a good punter go when we will be punting 70% the time?
Oh boy!!!! A 7th round pick!!!! I say TAKE IT!!!!!! Besides Matt Turk wasn't so bad here. Why not bring him back?
are we all forgetting that the dolphins were willing to pay him 750,000 for the restricted free agent rights...gave olindo mare a free 250,000 for his years signing bonus but cant spring the same amount to keep DJ....and what do you think a good punter in this league is going to cost over the next 5 years.....alot more than this rams offer!!!!!!
Punter Donnie Jones has never had a punt blocked or returned for a TD. The Dolphins should match the offer. A 7th round pick is nothing compared to what he has done & will do to help the Dolphins win.
look...I'm not diminishing the value of a good punter...but the difference between a good punter and average one are kinda small. Take the seventh rounder.
It cracks me up that the same people crying about how thin our roster is are the same ones crying that 7th rounders don't make final rosters. They do when you roster is thin!
Morons.....there will be punters just as good as jones that go undrafted almost every year. Not to mention the decent job any journeyman free-agent punter could do. Hmmm...
2006 notable 7th rounders.....
Marques Colstin New Orleans Saints
Terrance Pennington started 9 games at RT for the Bills
Ethan Kilmer FS was the best special teams player for Cincinnati
Mark Setterstron LG St. Louis was starting at LG by the end of the season.
AND....
Ryan Plackemeier...PUNTER! Seattle.
The above list is only SOME of the 7th rounders that made teams in 2006. There are many more.
Time for armchair GMs to stop calling for firings.
BTW I loved the Iverson post. Same could be done Mora Sr's "playoffs" rant. :-)
I OWNED some fools with this post! :-)
Thanx, "not a professioinal gm". I'm glad somebody appreciated the joke! I didn't think a joke would get me called an "idiot"...
By the by, Nice post yourself, good info! You did own most of these fools!!!
Yes, we certainly should fire the new coach and GM for letting all these guys go this offseason. After all, remember that playoff game where.... um, well, remember when McMichael....uh, well, I'm sure we won at least one playoff game in the last five years with some of these guys.
What?
We didn't even appear in one?
Well, if we kept those guys and kept doing everything we've done in the past... wait, that won't work, either.
Maybe we should actually be patient and see how that works out. Patience is hardly plentiful among fools, but thankfully the fools on this board aren't running the club.
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