Dolphins safety Brandon Jones bound for Broncos in free agency
Former Miami Dolphins safety Brandon Jones is heading to Denver in free agency.
Jones agreed to terms with the Broncos on Monday, according to multiple reports including ESPN. He was the first defender Miami lost in free agency, moments before the massive news of standout defensive tackle Christian Wilkins heading to the Las Vegas Raiders.
It’s a three-year deal for $20 million with $12.5 million guaranteed, according to Bleacher Report. That’s significant money for Jones, who in 2023 was relegated to backup duties at safety but filled in when either Jevon Holland or DeShon Elliott were injured.
Jones was a third-round pick of the Dolphins in the 2020 draft. He played 54 games, with 30 starts in four seasons, garnering 238 tackles with eight sacks, nine pass deflections and three interceptions, two of them last season.
His 2022 season was cut short due to a torn ACL, which he rehabbed for 2023 as he entered the new defensive scheme of coordinator Vic Fangio. The Dolphins are again changing defensive coordinators, with Anthony Weaver taking over the unit this year.
“Truly wouldn’t trade these last 4 years for anything,” Jones wrote in a social media post on X. “Forever grateful for the Dolphins organization for taking a chance on a kid from Nacogdoches, Texas that wanted nothing more than to live out his childhood dreams of playing in the NFL.”
Denver needed a safety with Justin Simmons on his way out. The Dolphins will likely need one of their own as Elliott is also a free agent. Holland enters the last year on his rookie contract.
The NFL’s legal tampering period, when free agents can start negotiating with outside teams, began at noon Monday. Free agents can sign with a new team at 4 p.m. Wednesday, the start of the new league year.
The Dolphins began Monday more than $25 million over the $255.4 million salary cap for 2024 once last week’s signing of tight end Jonnu Smith was accounted for. Smith was eligible to sign before the start of free agency because he was released by the Atlanta Falcons earlier this offseason. Miami needs to be cap compliant by 4 p.m. Wednesday.
The team got good news Sunday in finding out left tackle Terron Armstead is returning. It also brought back several of its own lower-priced free agents, re-signing guard Robert Jones and safety Elijah Campbell, a couple of possible restricted free agents, and re-signing cornerback Nik Needham and punter Jake Bailey.
Among the Dolphins’ other top free agents that hit the open market in negotiations Monday and should receive early interest from teams, right guard Robert Hunt and outside linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel.
The Dolphins released linebacker Jerome Baker, defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah, cornerbacks Xavien Howard (with a post-June 1 designation) and Keion Crossen.