The Miami Dolphins continue their aggressive approach to free agency as the team has signed cornerback Brent Grimes to a one year, $5.5 million deal with $3 million guaranteed.

After suffering a torn achillies tendon in last year's season opener, Grimes was struggling to find a new home before agreeing to terms with Miami. Before the injury, Grimes appeared in 44 of the last 48 games, recording 12 interceptions and 175 tackles.

The Dolphins now get the best remaining cornerback on the market and a player that has starter capabilities. Grimes, 29, instantly becomes the top cornerback on the Dolphins roster and fills the void left by Sean Smith who left in free agency. 

This is another step forward in an already impressive offseason for General Manager Jeff Ireland. He stuck to his initial price with Grimes' health concerns in mind and ensured the contract does not put the team in a diffcult position in the future. In the case that Grimes isn't ready for the season, the Dolphins have the option to cut him and only pay $3 million of his total deal.

The signing won't affect the Dolphins draft strategy considering that they still need a cornerback opposite of Grimes. Its likely that the position will be addressed in the first two rounds however the signing gives the Dolphins more flexibility with the 12th overall pick.

With the draft about 28 days away, the Miami Dolphins added a solid option at guard by signing Lance Louis this evening. The deal was first reported by the South Florida Sun-Sentinel and Michael C. Wright of ESPN Chicago expanded on the signing.

Louis played in Chicago for 4 seasons from 2009-2012.  In 2012, Louis started 11 games before being placed on IR following a torn ACL in his left knee. Prior to his injury, he was the 47th best offensive guard according to Pro Football Focus.

The signing doesn't exactly jump off the page, but the Dolphins could be looking to add to this position in the draft given that the deal is for only one year.

In addition, after rumors swirled all over twitter that John Jerry might be on the outs after the draft, even after filling in admirably this year, the Dolphins can ill afford to be patient with Jerry's conditioning this offseason.  Rumor has it that his weight at the start of camp was closer to 360 pounds or more and not even close to the weight that Joe Philbin wants for a fast and athletic line.

The signing of Lance Louis should bring this added depth to the line and a lineman who compete with Jerry and play in this system.  Keep in mind, the Dolphins also have draft picks to use on quicker and cheaper players as well as Nate Garner who does have guard play experience.  

As the draft gets closer and closer, things could get might interesting in South Florida.  Only time will tell with what direction the Dolphins go on April 25th!

A lot of this offseason Dolphins fans have been talking about one thing. It hasn’t been Mike Wallace, and it hasn’t been how the team will find a way how to protect Ryan Tannehill but the big offseason question has been what will the new Dolphins logo and uniform look like.

There have been several different “leaks “ but apparently the Miami Herald’s Armando Salguero has confirmed that one of those leaks is indeed the confirmed new logo. The Dolphins plan to launch the new logo and uniforms on April 25^th the 1^st day of the NFL draft.

It is also rumored the color scheme will be more of a throwback look similar to the olden days. Some white and blue mixes are rumored to be incorporated into the new jerseys.

I will reserve judgement on my feelings towards the actual logo and uniform until I see the final product however I am not a fan of the way the Dolphins handled this from a marketing and PR stand point. I understand it is just a logo however my feelings are this was handled in too much of a “Dolphins”  way of doing things.

ESPN Social Media Guru Darren Rovell conducted a poll to find out the reaction on the Dolphins logo.

46.8 % : People Don't Care

29.7% : Hate It

23.4% : Love It 

UPDATE : Dolphins CEO Mike Dee has confirmed the leak logo is indeed the Dolphins new logo

Nearly two weeks into free agency, the Miami Dolphins have already addressed two of their most prominent needs however, their work is not yet done. After revamping the recieving core with the additions of Mike Wallace and Brandon Gibson as well as upgrading at tight end with the signing of Dustin Keller, the team is still looking to improve the roster. As the draft approaches, the Dolphins hope that their signings in free agency will allow them to select the best player available rather than passing on elite talent to draft for a need.

With the draft only a month away, its clear which positions offer significant depth and which positions are hit or miss. Sitting at 12, the Dolphins will likely not have the opportunity to select one of the top offensive lineman and the replacement for Jake Long. For this reason, it would be wise to eliminate this need in free agency. The Dolphins have brought in several veterans for interviews including RT Eric Winston, RG Brandon Moore, and RG Lance Louis. With the team's desire to keep Jonathan Martin at left tackle protecting the quarterback's blindside, the 29 year old Winston would be a solid option on the right. The Dolphins also prefer to find an upgrade to John Jerry at guard explaining the numerous visits from offensive lineman in the past week. Moore would be an ideal addition as he has played all 16 games in eight straight seasons proving his durability while being ranked the 4th best guard in the league last season.

Another position with very few can't miss prospects in the draft is defensive end. The Dolphins have been searching for a player to compliment Cameron Wake for some time however, there is no pass rusher in the draft who would be a clear value pick at 12th overall. While there aren't many viable options in the draft, the position features several high calibre players in free agency. The Dolphins have inquired about DE's Elvis Dumervil and Osi Umenyiora, two veteran players who would add another dimension to an already stout front seven. Dumervil has an astounding 63.5 sacks in six seasons in the NFL despite not being the typical prototype defensive end. Last year, Dumervil recorded 11 sacks with 6 forced fumbles which would have been second on Miami's defense to only Cam Wake. A duo of Wake and Dumervil or Wake and Umenyiora would provide a serious challenge for even the best offensive lines.

Cornerback also remains a position of need altough it appears the Dolphins plan to double down at the position in the draft considering the remarkable depth in the first three rounds and the team's abundance of picks (11 in total). If the Dolphins are able to sign an offensive lineman or a defensive end in free agency, it will give them the luxury of implementing the most successful draft strategy; selecting the best player on the board. As the draft continues to shape up, it is looking like that player will be play making wide reciever Tavon Austin who is opening eyes around the NFL and as a result, seeing his stock soar.

We were lucky enough to have ESPN’s NFL Business Analyst and former Green Bay Packer Vice President Andrew Brandt answer a few questions for us on the NFL free agency period.

Andrew a salary cap and negotiating expert filled us in on a little contract talk 101.

1)  What type of ways/tricks do teams and players use to make contract look attractive for both player and team to public?

Andrew: Using the total value of the contract, rather than the early money or guaranteed money is often used to get headlines about the deal.  The overall contract number, over five or six years, means very little in practical terms.  It would be relevant in the NBA or MLB but not in the NFL, where there are no fully guaranteed contracts except for the top of the first round. 

2)  What metrics do organizations use to set the market for players?

There are a lot of salary research and comparables to be used, but the real question is where the player is in his contract stream.  If he has remaining year or years left, the team should be entitled to a discount.  If the player is a free agent, then the team may have to pay "retail" or whatever the market will bear.

3)  What are a couple of ways teams can get in trouble trying to play with the cap too much?

This is what I call “short-term gain for long-term pain."  Sometimes restructuring contracts or structuring them with low first-year cap numbers is just pushing off the problem.  Ideally, a team should "pay as you go" with equal Cash and Cap spending, but a team needs to get ahead of the curve, with ample cap room, to do that.

4) Any thoughts on the Mike Wallace contract?

First reports were stunning, but it seems to fall in line -- over a three-year period -- with the marketplace below Johnson/Fitzgerald.  I believe its $36M over three years, the same as Bowe and V. Jackson and similar to Harvin.  Wallace was at the fortunate intersection of being the top WR in the market and a team in need of his special skills.

Once again we would like to thank Andrew for taking the time to talk us. You can follow him on twitter @adbrandt.