Miami Dolphins sign S Lonnie Johnson Jr

The Miami Dolphins' signing of safety Lonnie Johnson Jr. earns a C- Contract Value Index (CVI), reflecting a low-cost depth addition that offers minimal upside relative to its negligible cap commitment. At $1.49M on a one-year deal, this is a replacement-level veteran minimum contract—the kind of move front offices execute to round out secondary depth without meaningful financial or roster consequence. Johnson Jr. carries modest production credentials and appears positioned as a roster-filler option rather than a starter or high-impact reserve. The value trade-off is straightforward: the Dolphins are betting that a year-long, sub-$1.5M flier on proven experience outweighs the marginal upgrade of a UDFA or minimum-salary alternative, though the upside is capped regardless of performance. With Miami sitting at 7-10 and facing 91 days until the regular season, this type of low-risk, low-reward signing is emblematic of offseason roster maintenance rather than a competitive statement. The C- grade reflects that while the contract carries no structural risk, there's little reason to view this as anything beyond a depth move that becomes irrelevant if a better option emerges before Week 1.