Scratch Vernon Carey off the free-agent list

[Nick]

Dolphins sign Vernon Carey, 6 years, $42 million
by Edgar Thompson
February 20th, 2009 at 11:47 am

The Dolphins have locked up right tackle Vernon Carey to a multi-year contract, two NFL sources said today at the scouting combine.

The deal is worth $42 million over six years.

The move solidifies the tackle position for the team for the next several years, pairing Carey, 27, with left tackle Jake Long, who started 16 games and played in the Pro Bowl as a rookie in 2008.

The team’s first-round pick in 2004, Carey, 27, has started 59 straight games for the Dolphins.

The deal comes a day after the Dolphins opted not to place the franchise tag on Carey, which would have locked him up for one year for $8.45 million.

Also Thursday, Carolina signed All-Pro right tackle Jordan Gross to a six-year deal worth a reported $30.5 million during the first three years.

The details of Carey’s contract were not made available.

The Dolphins still have four 2008 starters who would become free agents if unsigned by midnight next Friday - safety Yeremiah Bell, linebacker Channing Crowder, cornerback Andre Goodman and safety Renaldo Hill.

Despite an impasse in negotiations, Crowder, who with 114 tackles was second to Bell (120) last season, still has a chance to return, an NFL source said, estimating the chances to be “30 percent.”

This is one of the reasons why it's so important for teams to find strong offensive tackles in the draft - the really good ones just don't hit the free agent market very often.

[AvengerRam]

Plus, that's a lot of money for a guy who has not exactly established himself as a top tier player, and who plays the RT spot.