The Miami Dolphins finally made a move to address their problematic offensive line on Monday night on the first day of 2025 free agency legal tampering.
Per NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport, the Dolphins reached an agreement on a 3-year, $24 million deal with seven-year veteran James Daniels, who played the last three seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
As such, I touched based with A to Z Sports Steelers beat writer Rob Gregson to get a little bit more info on the soon-to-be Dolphin, as well as gave my two cents on the move.
Dolphins beat writer Craig Smith on Daniels:
I can't imagine a more fitting signing for a team like Miami than a player like Daniels. Daniels is someone who the Dolphins certainly got on a good deal. 3 years, $24 million is a pretty solid price to get a starting guard in today's market.
Of course, that price was a result of risk, as it had to for the Dolphins to be able to swing it. And that risk - what else? - is injury, something this franchise has dealt with far, far too often the last few years.
Daniels tore his Achilles last year in Week 4 against the Indianapolis Colts. As such, who knows exactly what the Dolphins are getting back as far as health? They must have been satisfied with his progress to have pulled the trigger on a deal. However, they can't know with certainty how he'll hold up in game action.
Ergo, the injury risk and the potential for a great bang for buck if he works out. Per Pro Football Focus, he had earned a 92.9 grade in 209 snaps before injury last year. In 7 seasons and 5700 snaps, he's allowed just 6 sacks and committed 25 penalties. Not bad at all.
Steelers beat writer Rob Gregson on Daniels:
There was a time when you could argue that James Daniels was the best starter on the Steelers line. The problem is, that’s not saying much and you would need to go back to 2023 to be able to say that.
Why? Daniels suffered an early season Achilles injury that forced him to miss the majority of 2024 and left him as an easy split for the Steelers. The question is, how will he look on his way back to health?
At only 27 years old and with years of solid tape, he has set the foundation for the kind of player he is. But Achilles injuries are some of the worst in sports. Teams will be betting on him to return to his old form, even if only for a few seasons.
Adding a quality guard was a high priority for the Dolphins, and they managed to add, theoretically, someone who could step in and be an answer at one of their two starting spots. We'll see when training camp and preseason starts how ready Daniels will be to take on that role from the go.
