Three ways the NFL’s linebacker market has changed this offseason amid the Miami Dolphins’ hope to extend Jordyn Brooks
The Miami Dolphins have listed Jordyn Brooks as a building block since January — but we’re still waiting on a deal. The league’s market has complicated things.
The NFL offseason is often a race to strike deals first. The free agency side of things is obvious — but even proactively extending your own players becomes a race. The Miami Dolphins have won one such race already this offseason with RB De’Von Achane getting extended before Jahmyr Gibbs and Bijan Robinson.
They haven’t won the linebacker race. And that may well be part of the ongoing, open-ended nature of Miami’s contract effort with Jordyn Brooks. Three significant contracts have been signed by other teams with off-ball linebackers this offseason, all of which have created some complicated conversations between Miami and their star defender.
Three ways the NFL’s linebacker market has changed amid Miami Dolphins’ hope to extend Jordyn Brooks
Detroit Lions & LB Jack Campbell
This deal is the one that complicates things the most for the Miami Dolphins. Campbell signed a four-year, $81 million contract extension with the Lions, making him the second-highest paid off-ball linebacker in football. His $20.25 million annual average sits just in front of Ravens linebacker Roquan Smith.
Campbell posted 176 total tackles, 5.0 sacks, 9 tackles for loss, and 4 passes defensed while securing both Pro Bowl and All-Pro honors. The resume compared to Brooks? Brooks posted 183 tackles, 3.5 sacks, 13 tackles for loss, and 3 passes defensed as an All-Pro. Pretty even…which helps Brooks’ case in negotiations.
Houston Texans & Azeez Al-Shaair
While Jack Campbell landed near the top of the linebacker market, Houston’s Azeez Al-Shaiir secured a three-year, $54 million extension averaging $18 million per season. It’s a strong number. And Al-Shaair ended up being in direct competition with Brooks for offseason honors this past season. Al-Shaair got the Pro Bowl honors, while Brooks got the All-Pro nod.
This contract would figure to establish the price of entry into a new contract for the Miami Dolphins. That would be, of course, unless another new contract somehow complicated matters…
Carolina Panthers & Devin Lloyd
And then this deal happens. Lloyd signed in free agency with the Panthers after logging a whopping 5 interceptions, an additional 7 passes defensed, 81 tackles, and 6 tackles for loss. The impact of the passing game was game-changing at times. And yet Lloyd signed a three-year deal valued at $42 million in total value: an average of $14 million annually.
Interceptions and ball production are unstable as statistics. So the rest of the NFL has told us what they thought of the splash production from Lloyd. They’re skeptical, even as Lloyd is receiving a very handsome sum of compensation. Such a splashy player getting $14 million per season on the open market throws some water on some of the rising costs at off-ball linebacker. That helps Miami in negotiations.
I would still suspect that Brooks, if he gets a deal from the Miami Dolphins, will be at or above the Texans’ deal with Al-Shaiir. But this deal does complicate the numbers sheet.
Miami Dolphins News