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The door has officially closed on the possibility of safety Louis Delmas returning to the Detroit Lions, at least for this year. I say that because Delmas has agreed to a one-year deal with the Miami Dolphins, according to Pro Football Talk.
Delmas' deal with the Dolphins is worth a maximum of $3.5 million, according to PFT. Before he was released by the Lions in February, Delmas was set to make a total of $6 million in 2014. The Lions decided to let him go since that contract was too big for their liking, and Delmas ended up with a much smaller deal to play for the Dolphins, which are his hometown team.
Although the Lions initially indicated that they were open to re-signing Delmas to a lesser contract, it never seemed likely that he was going to stay in Detroit. He took visits with the Pittsburgh Steelers, New Orleans Saints and Dolphins, and Miami ultimately ended up being his landing spot.
One of the Lions' top priorities when free agency opens on Tuesday will be to fill the vacancy in the starting lineup that was created by Delmas' release. They reportedly are planning to add a new starter during free agency, and they supposedly have some interest in T.J. Ward, who is set to be one of the top safeties on the open market. It remains to be seen if the Lions will be able to afford a top guy like Ward, but all signs point to them replacing Delmas within the next few days.