BY SEAN DONOVAN
The Miami Dolphins couldn't wait until the start of the free agency period to make their first splash.
According to a report by Pro Football Talk, the Dolphins signed former Detroit Lions safety and South Florida native Louis Delmas to a one-year, $3.5 million deal Monday.
The 2014 season doesn't officially begin until 4 p.m. Tuesday, but Delmas was not required to wait because he was released by his previous team.
Delmas has a troubling history of knee injuries but had his best season as a pro in 2013 while starting all 16 games for the first time in his career. He recorded three interceptions, two sacks and allowed just 43.7 percent of passes in his coverage to be completed last season, according to ProFootballFocus.
Delmas drew interest from the Atlanta Falcons, Pittsburgh Steelers and New Orleans Saints prior to signing with the Dolphins.
The Dolphins also announced the release of cornerback Dimitri Patterson on Monday, an expected move that clears Patterson's entire $5.4 million salary off of Miami's books.
When healthy, Patterson was an effective contributor to the Dolphins secondary, recording a team-leading four interceptions in just six games played. Unfortunately, the inability to stay on the field made his price tag unreasonable.
The Palm Beach Post reports the Dolphins may be willing to bring Patterson back at a lesser cost.
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