The Miami Dolphins made their decision at tight end -- and it certainly comes with risks.
Instead of matching the five-year, reported $38 million contract the Buffalo Bills offered Charles Clay, the Dolphins decided to part ways with their former tight end and start fresh at the position.
The Bills front-loaded the contract and added a cap hit of about $12 million in 2016, according to a league source. This helped make Miami's decision easy. That is the year the Dolphins will be paying big cap charges for Pro Bowl defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh and most likely players with expiring contracts such as quarterback Ryan Tannehill, center Mike Pouncey and defensive end Olivier Vernon.
Now the pressure is on new Dolphins tight end Jordan Cameron. Miami signed Cameron to a two-year, $15 million contract last week, and the team hoped to have a power tandem of Clay and Cameron next season.
But Cameron's role changed significantly on Thursday with Clay bolting to Buffalo. There is a big difference between being paired with Clay and replacing Clay. Cameron is now Miami's go-to tight end, a position Tannehill relies on heavily.
Talent isn't a question for Cameron. He made the Pro Bowl in 2013 and has more natural athleticism than Clay. But Cameron has suffered multiple concussions, and that is something to be wary of this season.
"If it was a concern for me, I wouldn't be here right now," Cameron said last week. "I've seen a lot of specialists and talked to a lot of people, and it's cleared. My baseline is the same as it was six years ago."
That could be good news for the Dolphins. Cameron once was a luxury with Clay still on Miami's roster. Now Cameron is a necessity.
