Elite pass rusher, Olivier Vernon, is now set to hit the free agent market, after the Miami Dolphins pulled their transition tag. This will now give Vernon and other teams the ability to negotiate a deal before free agency officially opens at 4 p.m.
When the Dolphins had placed their transitional tag of Vernon, there was much speculation as to if Miami even wanted to bring him back in the first place. After rumors of meetings between the Dolphins and free agent Mario Williams, it was evident that the Dolphins were trying to keep their options open when it came to pass rushers. Yesterday, Williams signed a 2-year deal for $16 million with the Dolphins and that was the initial move that made it all but guaranteed Vernon wouldn’t be back in Miami next season.
Now that Vernon hits the free agent market, he will be demanding big dollars and a long-term deal. Many teams in high demand for an elite pass rusher, Vernon will now become the hottest defensive linemen in free agency.
ESPN’s Dan Graziano reports, that the New York Giants would be in high interest for Vernon since losing out on the Mario Williams sweepstakes. Vernon now in position to negotiate a long-term deal, according to OverTheCap.com and the Giants have $47 million in available cap space, which should be enough to get a long-term deal done with Vernon.
