Coveted Isa Abdul-Quddus expected to play free safety in Miami

Isa Abdul-Quddus proved to Detroit coaches last year that he was more than special-teams stud.

So they tried to keep the versatile safety in the early hours of free agency Wednesday.

They should have tried harder, sooner.

“The ball got rolling with the Dolphins so fast,” Abdul-Quddus said. “... I started talking to them and we got a deal done.”

After Cincinnati safety George Iloka proved to be too costly, the Dolphins went hard after Abdul-Quddus.

They locked him down with a three-year, $12.75 million contract, and expect him to play free safety alongside Reshad Jones in Miami.

“It's pretty similar to what I did in Detroit,” Abdul-Quddus said of his role in Miami under new coordinator Vance Joseph. “It won't too much [different], just a different language. He's a great young coach and I can't wait to play for him.”

He’s already quite familiar with who will play in front of him: Ndamukong Suh, his teammate in Detroit for one season.

“The guy works so hard,” Abdul-Quddus said of Suh. “On game-day, he gives you 100 percent effort. I can't wait to see that again. He made the defense so easy in my first year in Detroit, because he stopped the run so much. I can't wait to get that back.”

This story was originally published March 11, 2016 at 1:15 PM with the headline "Coveted Isa Abdul-Quddus expected to play free safety in Miami."