Where Achane Ranks Among the Dolphins' Tough Extension Decisions

De'Von Achane was the latest in a pretty good line of high-profile players on whom the Miami Dolphins needed to make a call whether to extend, but not all decisions are created equal.

By our count, Achane was the eighth Dolphins draft pick to come up for what was sure to be a sizable second contract over the past three years.

The list includes Jaylen Waddle, Tua Tagovailoa, Austin Jackson, Robert Hunt, Christian Wilkins, Jevon Holland and Jaelan Phillips.

Interestingly, the new deal for Achane has given the Dolphins a scorecard of four players extended, four players not extended.

Hunt, Wilkins and Holland all were allowed to leave as free agents, while the Dolphins sent Phillips to the Philadelphia Eagles at the trade deadline last November.

With the benefit of hindsight, it's easy to look back at which decisions worked out or didn't, but it's probably more interesting to look objectively at the decision that faced the Dolphins in each case.

And given his age and productivity, Achane stands out as maybe the biggest slam dunk of all.

RANKING THE EXTENSION DECISIONS IN TERMS OF DIFFICULTY

1. Extending WR Jaylen Waddle, 2024

Given how productive Waddle was in his first three seasons and how young he was headed into his fourth season, this was a no-brainer, particularly since the Dolphins were coming off an 11-6 season with Waddle, Tua and Tyreek Hill forming a dynamic passing combo.

2. Extending RB De'Von Achane, 2026

All the same factors that involved Waddle were at play here, with the one exception being that Achane plays a position with a shorter shelf life. That's the only reason Achane is not at the top here.

3. Not extending LB Jaelan Phillips, 2025-26

Phillips was a solid player for the Dolphins in his three-plus seasons with the team, but injuries were an issue and he was going to command big money (check out what he got from the Carolina Panthers this offseason). That combination made it kind of a clear move for the Dolphins to move on from him.

4. Not extending G Robert Hunt, 2024

This has nothing to do with the ability of the player because Hunt is a high-end guard by any measure. But he also got a contract averaging $20 million a season, which is an awful lot of money for a non-premium position.

5. Not extending S Jevon Holland, 2025

Holland never quite was able to build on what was a really promising rookie season in 2021, which made it prudent for the Dolphins to pass on giving him a big extension when his contract was up.

6. Extending T Austin Jackson, 2023

The Dolphins were proactive with this move because they could have had Jackson play on his fifth-year option in 2024. Like Waddle and Achane, Jackson still was young by comparison when he was extended.

7. Extending QB Tua Tagovailoa, 2024

This maybe shouldn't have been as difficult a decision as it became, but the Dolphins kind of left themselves with little choice by not bringing in a bona fide starting option if they had made Tua play on his fifth-year option and he decided to hold in for most of training camp. The dilemma all along was making a multi-year commitment to a quarterback who had yet to show he could lift the team but more importantly who had a significant injury history.

8. Not extending DT Christian Wilkins, 2024

There never was much question about Wilkins' ability and his value to the defense, but the economics always were going to factor and in the end the Dolphins decided they couldn't justify giving him the kind of deal he wanted.

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