NFL free agency: Kiko Alonso gets extension with Miami Dolphins

After a year with the Miami Dolphins, linebacker Kiko Alonso will sign a multi-year extension with Miami in his unrestricted free agency.

He’s only been in the NFL for four years, but linebacker Kiko Alonso has had an interesting journey since leaving the liquid sunshine of Oregon. Alonso has played for three different teams (Buffalo Bills, Philadelphia Eagles, Miami Dolphins) and missed the entire 2014 NFL season due to injury.

Well, it looks like he won’t be playing for his fourth team in five years.

This signing is a little unexpected. While Miami was probably going to retain Alonso in restricted free agency, who could have foreseen him making this bit of coin? Miami looked at Buffalo Bills inside linebacker Zach Brown, but opted to re-up with the guy they are familiar with in Alonso.

While the Dolphins have an elite pass rush, the back-seven of their defense is suspect at best. One could argue that the Dolphins have the worst linebacking corps in the AFC. It doesn’t help that their secondary is among the worst in football.

When healthy, Alonso has shown promise as a playmaker in the middle of the defense. However, staying on the field has been a major issue during Alonso’s playing career.

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While he played well at times for the 2016 Dolphins, it looks like the Dolphins paid too much for a player that wouldn’t garner that contract on the open market in restricted free agency. Nevertheless, it seems that Alonso is now the centerpiece of the Dolphins defense for the rest of the decade.