Just hours into the NFL’s legal tampering period, the Miami Dolphins made David Long their second agreed contract with an outside free agent.
Long comes from the Tennessee Titans, where he was an impactful part of a defense that had its moments. Now, in Miami, Long will have the opportunity to do the same, alongside Jerome Baker, Duke Riley and Channing Tindall under Vic Fangio’s tutelage.
ESPN’s Seth Walder has been grading some of the most meaningful signings of the offseason, and for this Dolphins’ signing, he gave out an “A.”
Here’s what Walder wrote about Long:
“Outside of the deals for Tremaine Edmunds and Bobby Okereke, it’s clear the linebacker market is coming cheap. Long just missed qualifying for our run stop win rate leaderboard last season, but he would have led all linebackers in the category. While his 46% run stop win rate was a little higher than he posted the previous two seasons, he always has been strong in the metric. In coverage, he was decent, allowing 0.9 yards per coverage snap, which is average for linebackers.”
Long taking snaps from Elandon Roberts, who departed for the Pittsburgh Steelers just a few days ago, should prove beneficial for Mike McDaniel’s team. His versatility makes him less of a mismatch opportunity for opposing offensive coordinators and quarterbacks.
