Antrel Rolle: Dolphins' offer was too low

The Miami Dolphins had a deal on the table for Arizona's Antrel Rolle, but Rolle signed a five-year, $37 million deal -- that has $15 million in guaranteed money -- with the New York Giants that made him the highest-paid safety in NFL history. Rolle reportedly turned down $32 million over five years from the Dolphins.

Here's a transcript of my interview with the former UM star, who was on the show this morning:

Q: How thrilled are you to land that big of a contract?
A: "It worked out for the best. I'm in a great situation with a great system and a great organization. The best thing about the whole thing was I felt like I was at home when I went there. That's the main thing when you make a free-agent [visit]."

Q: Were the Dolphins in the mix to sign you?
A: "They contacted my agent, Drew Rosenhaus, and they expressed interest. But, I think, the budget that they were willing to spend on a saftey was a little bit lower than what I was looking for. Miami would have been nice just for the fact that it's home. But I don't think anyone would sell themselves short just to stay in their hometown, especially when you have someone like the Giants making such a great offer and giving me such a great opportunity. . . . It pretty much boiled down to whether I wanted to stay an Arizona Cardinal or become a Giant. I think, hands down, I made the right decision."

Q: What can you tell Dolphins fans about Karlos Dansby, a guy you played for a long time?
A: The thing I said about the Dolphins was if they didn't get me, they better get Karlos Dansby. They got one hell of a football player. I think he's one of the most underrated linebackers in the league. I never think he gets the credit that he deserves. He's an all-around linebacker. There's times that we dropped him back at safety and I even went to linebacker and we didn't miss a beat. That alone tells a lot about a guy. Most of all, he's an upstanding guy. He's going to bring to the table exactly what the Dolphins are looking for -- and more."

Q: Are your surprised by how much the Giants offered you?
A: "I just know that when the Giants made their first offer I knew they wanted me to be their guy. They're asking a lot of me, which is fine, because it's something I'm going to bring to the table regardless. I'm definitely going there going head first."

Q: How eager are you to play with Kenny Phillips with the Giants, another former University of Miami standout?
A: "Kenny Phillips is going to be my best friend. I'm going to make sure he's on top of everything he needs to get done because I definitely want him back there with me. I think we can be a dynamic duo once he gets healthy and once we get on the same page. Kenny is an outstanding guy and he's going to look at himself more than anyone else."

Q: How important is it to get a fresh start?
A: "I'm definitely looking forward to it. It's going to be a lot of fun. I'm just looking forward to the change. I'm looking forward to the change of weather. There's a lot of things that came into mind when I made this decision. I've been born and raised in Miami. So I went from hot to hotter, playing in Arizona. I just felt it was time for a change all the way around. I can't wait."

Click here to order Antrel Rolle's proCane Rookie Card.



(sun-sentinel.com)