Dolphins finalize deal with Jonnu Smith
The Miami Dolphins have added an athletic tight end who has the speed and skill set to add a seam threat element that was missing from last year’s top-ranked offense.
The Dolphins have signed former Florida International standout Jonnu Smith to a two-year deal that could be worth $10 million, according to multiple reports.
Smith, an Ocala native who visited Miami earlier this week, was eligible to sign a deal before the official start of free agency because he was released by the Atlanta Falcons last week.
Smith has started 78 games in his seven seasons in the NFL, and last season he caught 50 of the 70 passes thrown his way, turning those receptions into a career-high 583 yards and three touchdowns.
Smith ranked third among NFL tight ends last season with an average of 7.1 yards after the catch.
Smith is a pass-catching weapon
Throughout the course of his NFL career, which began with the Tennessee Titans, the team that selected him in the third round of the 2017 NFL draft, the athletic 6-foot-3, 250 pounder has caught 219 passes and scored 20 touchdowns.
He’s played multiple roles in the NFL during his tenures with the Tennessee Titans, New England Patriots and Falcons.
Smith, 28, could become the perfect complement for Miami starter Durham Smythe, who has primarily been used as a blocking expert throughout his six seasons in the NFL. And it's possible that he could leapfrog Smythe on the depth chart if he proves his blocking is on par with the six-year veteran, who has started 70 of the 95 games he's played for the Dolphins.
Tight end happens to be a position where Miami has need because the team generally carries three on the 53-man roster. Smythe, Julian Hill, a former Campbell standout who had a productive rookie season last year, and Tanner Conner, who spent all of last year on the practice squad, were the only tight ends under contract until Smith’s addition.
Dolphins might wait to turn in Smith's deal
However, Smith’s signing might not become official until after the start of the league’s new year because the Dolphins are presently $19 million over the projected salary cap, and need to become cap-compliant on March 13.
That means Miami will be releasing, extending and restructuring contracts for players on the roster in an effort to create the cap space to re-sign free agents like Christian Wilkins, Robert Hunt, DeShon Elliott and Andrew Van Ginkel, and to lure free agents like Smith who can help the team improve areas of weakness.
Over the past few days the Dolphins have released cornerbacks Xavien Howard and Keon Crossen, pass rusher Emmanuel Ogbah and linebacker Jerome Baker to clear $45 million in cap space, but the $18.5 million Howard's impending release as a June 1 cut won't count until that date.
The Dolphins would need to clear even more than that $19 million deficit to sign free agents like Smith, whose actual cap hit won't be known until the deal is reported to the NFL and becomes finalized.
