The Miami Dolphins signed free-agent cornerback Brent Grimes to a one-year, $5.5 million contract, sources with knowledge of the team's plans told NFL.com's Ian Rapoport on Saturday. He'll receive $3 million guaranteed.
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Grimes ranked No. 13 on Gregg Rosenthal's Top 85 free agents despite coming off a torn Achilles tendon. He'd been a staple in the Atlanta Falcons' defensive backfield, posting 13 interceptions between 2008 and 2011. He went to the Pro Bowl in 2010.
Few players are getting long-term contracts at this point, but Grimes' deal is better than what Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie got from the Denver Broncos (one-year, $4 million) and what Aqib Talib received from the New England Patriots (one-year, $5 million).
A healthy Grimes will be a Week 1 starter for the Dolphins.
"They really wanted me here and felt like I could be a big part of what they wanted to do," Grimes said during a conference call, according to the South Florida Sun Sentinel's Omar Kelly. "I'm a great playmaker. I play the ball in the air very well. They wanted me here because of my ability to make plays."
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Grimes said he has no physical restrictions from the torn tendon and is focusing on building strength.
"I'm 100 percent confident that I'll be healthy in no time," Grimes said. "Surgeon said six to eight months."
Grimes tore the tendon in Week 1, and April will mark seven months. The one-year contract gives the Dolphins the flexibility to see how the cornerback has recovered without taking on too much risk. If Grimes returns to form, general manager Jeff Ireland surely will look to extend Grimes' contract.
"We are happy that we have reached an agreement with Brent," Ireland said in a statement. "He will be a great addition to the secondary both on the field and in the meeting room."
Follow Kareem Copeland on Twitter @kareemcopeland.
