Pro Bowl cornerback Brent Grimes keyed the Miami Dolphins' secondary in 2013, but he's unlikely to receive the franchise tag.
NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport reported Friday that the $11.3 million franchise number for cornerbacks makes the tag unrealistic for the Dolphins, according to a source with knowledge of the situation.
In the Around The Leaguefranchise tag primer, Gregg Rosenthal pointed out that the Dolphins' cap room, coupled with Grimes' importance to the defense, made the corner a candidate for the tag.
It appears the Dolphins don't want to hang that high cap number on Grimes if the sides can't come to a contract agreement.
Rapoport's report doesn't mean that Grimes won't stick in South Beach. Grimes easily was a top-10 corner in 2013 by any measurement (Pro Football Focus ranked him their No. 2 player at the position).
At 30 years of age, however, it's likely the Dolphins don't want to give Grimes a long-term contract. The team also might believe that Grimes won't fetch near that $11.3 million tag figure on the open market.
The Dolphins still need to bring back Grimes, ATL's No. 10 free agent, to solidify their defense. However, it won't be at that high tag number.
On the latest edition of the "Around The League Podcast," the guys speculate on big names who could be cut, then talk offseason forecasts for the Packers and Raiders.
