Andre Branch, Miami Dolphins reportedly agree to 3-year deal

According to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network, the Miami Dolphins will sign defensive end Andre Branch.

Rapoport broke the Branch news and it looks like the contract is for three-years and $27 million dollars. This is a massive upgrade from the 2.5 million dollars that he was making in 2016. But that is what a good season can do for you.

Branch was a standout defensive end at Clemson. He finished his senior season with 77 tackles and 10.5 sacks. This was good enough for him to get noticed by NFL scouts across the board.

The Jacksonville Jaguars ended up selecting Branch in the second round of the 2012 NFL Draft. This was a pick that was supposed to help the defensive line but he never really produced much while in Jacksonville.

Branch’s best season with the Jaguars was his second year in the league when he had 37 tackles and 6 sacks. Besides for that year, he has been a below average defensive end. After four years in Jacksonville, Branch was picked up by the Miami Dolphins.

In the lone year in Miami, Branch performed pretty well. He had his highest tackle total with 49 on the season and he also came in with 5.5 sacks as well. This was a nice pickup for the Dolphins and they clearly want him back on the team with the contract they offered him.

While the Miami defense actually underperformed last season, Branch was not one of the reasons this was the case. He was one of the surprising bright spots on the team. I look for him to compete again for snaps and continue to develop into a solid defensive end.

Next: Jack Doyle coming back to the Indianapolis Colts

Miami needs to continue building that defense and keep Branch is a good move. I wouldn’t be surprised if they added a few more pieces before free agency was finished.