Last weekend, we shared Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald‘s report that impending Dolphins free agent safety Reshad Jones has yet to have any substantive contract talks with the team.
He’s not the only member of the Dolphins defense on track for unrestricted free agency after the 2013 season. He’s also not the only member of the Dolphins defense on track for unrestricted free agency that the team has chosen not to engage in extension conversations.
Jackson reports that defensive tackles Randy Starks and Paul Soliai are in a similar spot to Jones. Per Jackson, the Dolphins haven’t made a multiyear contract offer to Starks since the early days of the offseason before they slapped the franchise tag on him. That offer was reportedly well short of what Starks is looking for, which led to the tag and a July 15 deadline to land a long-term deal. That seems unlikely, although Jackson reports Starks has “a good attitude” heading into camp as he’s likely realized that he isn’t getting the deal he seeks before the deadline.
Soliai is in the final year of a two-year deal, but the team hasn’t approached him about staying around in 2014 and beyond. There’s nothing stopping the team from giving him an extension during the season, but it seems much more likely that the two players -- both of whom turn 30 in December -- are going to essentially vie for a deal as the season plays out.