Dolphins Give Brooks the Deal He Earned

Miami locked up Jordyn Brooks on a three-year, $51.3 million extension with $35 million guaranteed, getting the paperwork done before training camp opens in earnest. It's a clean piece of business — the kind of move that doesn't generate much debate because the logic is obvious.

Brooks led the NFL in tackles last season, finishing with 183 on the year while playing all 17 games. He was the one constant on a defense that had to absorb a lot of ugly road losses — Miami went 2-6 away from home — and still held things together well enough for the team to win four of seven close games. That's the guy you pay.

The extension is described as the latest of Miami's "three pillars" to get locked up, which suggests the front office has been methodical about this rather than reactive. The offensive questions — Achane's health, the left tackle situation, Tua's interception rate — are real and still unresolved. But at least the defensive spine is settled heading into camp.

Small note worth tracking: Jamaree Salyer is listed questionable, which matters for the offensive line depth picture. The Brooks deal is done. The next name to watch on the extension front, per the reporting circulating this week, is Patrick Paul.