Despite his good play, though, the Miami Dolphins aren't going to be able to re-sign him before he becomes a free agent. While it would be possible for Soliai to re-sign before a new CBA is reached, he isn't going to because he doesn't want to be held back by the 30% rule.
In a nutshell, the 30% rule states that once a player's rookie contract expires, his new contract (if he re-signs with the same team that he signed with as a rookie) cannot be higher than 30% more than his original rookie contract.
That was just a short, basic description, and I am honestly not sure what the point of the rule is, but all you need to know is that in order for Soliai to get the big contract he deserves, he needs to become a free agent this offseason. The Dolphins will be able to sign him once he reaches free agency, but they will be competing with other teams to sign the 355-pounder.
According to Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald, Soliai wants to stay in Miami, but he also wants to get paid the money that he deserves, which he wouldn't be able to do if he just re-signed with the Dolphins.
I hope that Miami does whatever they can to sign Soliai when he hits free-agency. He really showed up this year, and the Dolphins would be smart to keep him. It is hard to find someone that is his size with his talent, and when a team has a chance to lock up a player like Soliai, they better take it.
Miami's defense was really good last season, and it is important to keep as many players from that group as possible. The old saying goes, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" and I think that applies to the Dolphins defense of last year.
Miami could try the Randy Starks experiment at Nose Tackle again now that Jared Odrick will be back, but that seems to me like a risk not worth taking. They would probably save money by going with Starks instead of Soliai, but if Stephen Ross wants to fill Sun Life Stadium, then he needs to show that he is willing to make investments in talent.
Thanks for reading, and let me know what you think about Soliai.
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