Paul

Soliai

Contract discussions are accelerating as Tuesday is the deadline for franchised players to reach a long-term extension until the next league year. Ngata will easily clear Vince Wilfork’s five-year, $40 million deal signed in March of 2010. Vincent Jackson and Paul Soliai are considered unlikely to be extended by the Chargers and Dolphins respectively.

The Dolphins haven’t even been willing to discuss an extension for Soliai, who is earning $12.5 million under the franchise tag. The 27-year-old run plugger will be a free agent in 2012.

It’s likely why “no progress” was made in a Friday meeting with Soliai’s player rep. Unless Soliai is greeted by an exceedingly soft market, his time in Miami is through.

Soliai’s agent is likely pushing for his client to become one of the NFL’s top-paid nose tackles. The Fins aren’t going to come close to that kind of an asking price. Look for Soliai to draw heavy interest on the open market. The 28-year-old goes 6-foot-4, 355 and is one of the league’s best 3-4 nose men.

After Soliai’s agent went on the record last week that the Dolphins never made a “fair push” for a long-term deal, all signs are pointing toward Soliai hitting the market. Soliai would be due $15 million if he was tagged for the second consecutive year, a cost far too prohibitive for a team switching to a 4-3 defense.

Denver’s biggest area of need is a run stopper on the interior, and 355-pound Soliai would fill that hole in a hurry. He’s also expected to weigh offers from the Chiefs, Colts, 49ers, Patriots, and Falcons, however, so it doesn’t sound like any deal is imminent. The Broncos do want Brodrick Bunkley back.

Soliai’s market may be slow until Peyton Manning picks a team, as the latter remains the top priority for at least two of those teams. The Colts are interesting fit with Chuck Pagano’s new 3-4 defense. New Falcons defensive boss Mike Nolan coached Soliai in Miami.

The market’s top nose tackle, Soliai had reportedly been drawing interest from as many as six teams, and had a visit lined up with the Broncos. He was viewed as done in Miami for much of the offseason as the Dolphins prepared to switch to a 4-3 defense, but this could be a sign Miami is planning to use hybrid fronts or stick with the 3-4. Playing under the franchise tag in 2011, Soliai graded out as the league’s 38th best defensive tackle by Pro Football Focus.

The Dolphins are making a late push to bring back Soliai, but he’s going to begin visits first. Free agency’s top nose tackle, Soliai is reportedly drawing interest from a half-dozen teams. Yahoo’s Jason Cole suggests a Broncos deal is close, indicating that Soliai is waffling between two- and five-year contract offers.

Kansas City has plenty of cap space, and San Diego similarly has a nose-tackle need. Soliai, who goes 6-foot-4, 355, is the closest NFL free agent in terms of body type and movement skills to likely top-20 draft pick Dontari Poe. Per Williamson, pro scouts believe Soliai is “an upper-echelon player” as a run plugger who wears down interior offensive linemen with size and quicks.