Dolphins CB Brent Grimes Likely To Receive Franchise Tag?

Andrew Abramson of the Palm Beach Post writes that impending free agent CB Brent Grimes “is the Dolphins player most likely to receive the franchise tag.”

However, Abramson adds that the Dolphins best option could be to sign him to a three-year extension worth close to $21 million in total, depending Grimes’ asking price.

The 2014 franchise tag should come close to $11.3 million, which is fully guaranteed, so you can see why the Dolphins would at least consider the idea of exploring a long-term deal rather than pay him that kind of money next season.

Grimes, 30, put together a great season that earned him a trip to the Pro Bowl. He tallied 60 tackles, four interceptions including one for a touchdown, and 16 pass defenses. He was also the No. 2 cornerback in the league, according to Pro Football Focus.

Locking him up long-term also comes with some risk given his age and the fact that he’s dealt with some serious injuries in the past, but it would most likely offer them a lower cap figure to work with.

Grimes should be one of the more interesting free agents to watch this offseason as he’s clearly a very talented player, but teams may end up approaching him with caution.

We have him listed as the No. 13 player in our Top 50 Free Agents list.