How do you want to deal with the loss of LB R. McMillan?

[Baba Booey]

What does the fact that Mike Hull is on an NFL roster and Rey Maualuga is not mean to you?

It means one is an undrafted rookie playing for essentially no money and the other is a seasoned vet with an actual resume of doing something who commands somewhat of a decent buck and a salary. That's what it means.

One guy is a scrub who is lucky to be on an NFL team other than the fact he makes no money so he is easy to keep around to play special teams and the other guy while not Jack Lambert has done a few things in this league and is a decent player. If you want the decent guy with the resume it means you have to pay him a fair wage not like an undrafted rookie. That's why he isn't on a team and will be between now and early September, whether its with Miami or someone else. He is waiting for the right offer from the right team

[Dolfanalyst]

It means one is an undrafted rookie playing for essentially no money and the other is a seasoned vet with an actual resume of doing something who commands somewhat of a decent buck and a salary. That's what it means.

One guy is a scrub who is lucky to be on an NFL team other than the fact he makes no money so he is easy to keep around to play special teams and the other guy while not Jack Lambert has done a few things in this league and is a decent player. If you want the decent guy with the resume it means you have to pay him a fair wage not like an undrafted rookie. That's why he isn't on a team and will be between now and early September, whether its with Miami or someone else. He is waiting for the right offer from the right team

So then implicit in your response is that we'll have to wait and see whether 1) he's signed by a team, and 2) the salary he's given.  You're presenting yourself as knowing those things beforehand, however.

It's also entirely possible that 1) Maualuga plays a position that represents a "dying breed" in the NFL (the two-down run-stopping linebacker), and 2) he isn't that good at even that position anymore, meaning that he could simply have no career left.

If that's the case, then holding out for the kind of money you're talking about here -- if that's indeed what's happening -- may just be what keeps him out of the league completely, and the Mike Hulls of the world will have careers instead.

Here is some information that's consistent with what I said above:

Free-agent inside linebacker Rey Maualuga visited the Chiefs this week but left without a deal, a source with knowledge of the visit told The Kansas City Star.

Maualuga is the second known inside linebacker to visit Kansas City during free agency, an indication the club continues to seek reinforcements at a position that contributed to the Chiefs’ No. 26 ranking against the run in 2016.

http://www.kansascity.com/sports/nfl/kansas-city-chiefs/article142185864.html

Again, the way this relates to McMillan is that if a player such as this (a two-down run-stopping LB, which is all McMillan was going to be this year) can't command a hefty salary, then the loss of such a player by definition can't have extraordinary significance.

[Baba Booey]

It isn't about Maualuga, whether they sign him or not , who cares. Point is they are already looking to replace Hull and upgrade the position with a LB. If it's Maualuga or someone else is the bigger picture point I was making

[Dolfanalyst]

It isn't about Maualuga, whether they sign him or not , who cares. Point is they are already looking to replace Hull and upgrade the position with a LB. If it's Maualuga or someone else is the bigger picture point I was making

But that's my point, that we don't yet know the meaning of Maualuga or any other linebacker's workout with the team.  Their attempt to "upgrade" the position may consist of Maualuga's (or some other player's) looking very good in his workout, coupled with his accepting a relatively low salary, while readily reverting to Hull as the starter if those conditions aren't met.

If that's the case, then their threshold for upgrading the position is much higher than you appear to think it is, and they're in fact much more comfortable with Hull than you appear to think they are.

And here's the initial news BTW:

https://twitter.com/schadjoe/status/897903477724262400

[DaLittle B]

@schadjoe: Miami Dolphins add LB Rey Maualuga per league source

Yay! I know I'm in the minority about it. IMO Being preseason,You're able to make the move to obtain someone when an injury happens.During the season,generally speaking,you're stuck to the depth on your roster.

[Baba Booey]

Mike Hull was so bad on Thursday night the Dolphins had to do something quick and get a new LB. Rey isn't some superstar or anything but he is clearly better than Mike Hull who just isn't an NFL starter

[Dolfanalyst]

The Miami Dolphins are signing veteran Rey Maualuga to a one-year contract, a move meant to reinforce a linebacker corps following the loss of rookie Raekwon McMillan to a season-ending knee injury.

Maualuga is expected to be the team’s middle linebacker, playing primarily on run downs.

Maualuga, 30, agreed to a deal that will pay him $900,000 in base salary (the minimum for a ninth-year veteran). The Dolphins will invoke the minimum salary benefit, which essentially means the nine-year veteran will count $615,000 against the team’s salary cap.

http://www.miamiherald.com/sports/spt-columns-blogs/armando-salguero/article168173967.html