Miami Dolphins sign ILB Willie Gay Jr

Willie Gay Jr's one-year extension at $1.4M AAV earns a B+ Contract Value Index (CVI), a sharp-pencil deal that rewards accountability without breaking the bank. As a depth linebacker in Miami's scheme, Gay operates in the solid-starter tier—capable enough to hold down the weakside in a disciplined defense, but not a foundational piece around which the Dolphins build. At $1.4M, this is essentially a low-cost retention move, the kind of deal that fits a team trying to stabilize its roster without committing significant cap real estate to the position. The Dolphins are getting reasonable value here: Gay stays affordable and available for depth rotation, and the one-year structure preserves flexibility if the defense shifts personnel priorities next offseason. For a linebacker who projects as a reliable rotational defender rather than a star, this extension represents smart, underspending management—exactly the kind of marginal-but-necessary cost control that separates disciplined front offices from ones that bleed money on role players.