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Yeremiah Bell next to get an extension?

The Dolphins extended running back Ricky Williams' contract before this season began and now sources tell me the team is doing business on other contract fronts as well.

The Dolphins recently have exchanged contract extension proposals with strong safety Yeremiah Bell, with the idea of locking up that starter beyond 2008. Bell is currently playing out a one-year deal he signed after last season.

Agent Drew Rosenhaus is traveling and could not be reached for comment and his brother Jason Rosenhaus declined to comment. But a source close to Bell says there have been on-going discussions between the player's camp and the Dolphins.

No deal is imminent. But both sides are eager for the regular-season to begin and offer a gauge of what Bell can deliver. Bell missed all of last season when he ruptured an Achilles tendon in the season-opener.

So the Dolphins want to see Bell play up to the potential he showed during the 2006 season and in the 2007 and 2008 training camps. That would convince them to lock up Bell. Bell, confident he has come back from that injury, obviously wants to show the Dolphins he can play at a high level and stay healthy.

Both sides are expected to continue exchanging proposals because it makes sense to lock up Bell before the season ends and he becomes an unrestricted free agent. For the Dolphins, a new contract would lock up a starter and perhaps the most explosive player in their secondary in a year they have plenty of cap space to do that.

For Bell, signing an extension before the end of the season makes sense because it would put money in his pocket immediately rather than waiting for free agency. It would also provide Bell security knowing where he's going to be playing next year and beyond.

The Dolphins have two other notable players in the final year of their contracts. Starting inside linebacker Channing Crowder and starting right tackle Vernon Carey are both unrestricted free agents after this season.

A different source tells me the Dolphins have not reached out to those players and have not had preliminary discussions about extensions.

Despite this, I look for all three of these players to be locked up with new deals before the end of this season, assuming they remain healthy. I can't see the Dolphins not acting proactively on this matter.

But frankly, the deals for Carey and Crowder will be more difficult to get done. Both those deals will have to be multi-year, large signing bonus deals because that is what both those players will command on the open market.

If any of the three players mentioned in this post make it to free agency, I would think Crowder is the most likely to do that. I am told Crowder would not mind testing free agency.

I hope they lock up Bell and Carey.

^agreed...Crowder too

I'd like to see Crowder do more this season. He played like a monster his rookie season, but I feel he has been somewhat "missing" since then.

  Yeap, they need to give a signing bonus to a 30 Yr old safety who has spent more time on the IR than on the field.

Carey should get locked up immediately. He's a solid right tackle who pretty much cemented himself.  He hasn't gotten hurt either. 

If Bell is healthy come mid-season, he should get locked up. 

Lock Crowder up only if he has a monster year, which he very well might, because he knows that if he does, he's the hottest free agent LB on the market. 

  The fact they have no locked up Carey or talked extension with him, help support the fact they want their own players.

They need to draft a safety.   Let Bell go.  He is simply to injury prone.

   Crowder is most likely gone. 

Bell is solid but not spectacular...I agree we should draft a hard hitting safety that could learn from him next year.  That is if he's willing to sign a one or two year deal.  Probably not though.

If Crowder has a monster year we could always franchise tag him.  Or we could do the same for Carey.  Either way we need to lock one up and franchise the other IMO.

...and I hope to god George Selvie is around when it comes time for us to draft next year...he could be a monster OLB for us...sorry to get off topic.

I think if you're going to Give Bell or Crowder an extension, I'd offer them both incentive based Salaries for no more than 3 years max....Crowder hasn't proved to be a play maker,and Bell has 1 career int,and 6 Fumbles.....most of which have come on special teams....

I prefer Draft a guy to play saftey,preferably a ball hog,guy....A bigger version of Bob Sanders? that is less injury prone  :D

I like Carey,but I'm hesitant to go pay a big money contract to a Right tackle,with our Left tackle making So much.....Our Right guard is a 6th round pick....I think If Vernon Carey can be had for a reasonable contract, I'm all for it...But Let's not got crazy either...