The Miami Dolphins are facing tough times, especially in the NFL free agency period of 2024. The Dolphins are projected to exceed the salary cap by $50 million to $55 million before signing any other players to add to the roster.
With little wiggle room right now, the team could face an offseason where some key players leave in free agency. According to ESPN’s Matt Bowen, the Dolphins will have two of the top 15 free agents on the market this year and another ranked in the top 50. On Tuesday, Bowen released his ranking of the top 50 players set to become free agents when the new league year begins on March 13.
Things could change in the next six weeks with teams still mulling contract extensions and franchise tag periods, but Miami’s salary cap situation is tight this year. You can move to make room, but the Dolphins will continue knowing they will have to pay whatever deposit is necessary to make the move. The team must find a way to provide salary cap flexibility while preventing large chunks of the roster from moving.
The first of those is defensive tackle Christian Wilkins, Bowen’s fifth free agent this year. Of Wilkins, Bowen wrote, “Wilkins has the versatility to produce on multiple NFL fronts. He can line up as a three-technique and play nose tackle or even slide to the edge. He is explosive on the ball with lateral juice to run and impact defenses. Wilkins has nine sacks, 35 pressures and 63 tackles this season.With Wilkins and the Dolphins unable to reach an agreement through the 2023 season, the quarterback decided to bet on himself to get a premium on his next contract. He won that bet and could give an elite-level defensive tackle a run for his money this season. Can Miami deal with salary cap issues with Wilkins? Can we just tell him how big a part of the defense is?
The Dolphins could use the franchise tag on Wilkins to keep him on the team through 2024, but that would allocate nearly $20 million to Wilkins, which would immediately hit the cap and become fully guaranteed. Miami’s $55 million salary cap problem becomes a $75 million problem, and the Dolphins still don’t have room to sign anyone else.Could placing the franchise tag on Wilkins reduce his 2024 salary cap impact and make him a poor trade when trying to find a long-term deal for the defensive lineman to keep him in Miami? All of these questions surround Wilkins, but he’s not the only top player who could find a new home.
Dolphins tight end Robert Hunt would be the 14th best free agent on the market this year, according to Bowen’s rankings. He explained, “At 6-foot-4, 322 pounds, Hunt has the ability to stop and win against the pass, shooting 89.6 percent this season. It is also suitable for many programs. He can move as a zone blocker or move defenders based on gap concepts.Miami’s offensive line has been a problem all season without a single solid offensive line. Injuries have forced a constant rotation of players, and while they’ve been solid for the most part, the changes have still impacted the offense, with quarterback Tua Tagovailoa particularly comfortable in pass protection.
Hunt was limited to just 11 games this season, and when he wasn’t on the field, his absence was immediately noticeable. The Dolphins need to address their offensive line issues, and losing Hunt would not be a step in the right direction.Hunt isn’t the only Dolphins offensive lineman on Bowen’s list. He lists center Connor Williams as the 43rd available free agent this offseason and admits Williams would be bigger if not injured. Bowen writes: “A torn ACL in December will keep Williams here, but he had an incredible 93.9% pass rate for the Dolphins before the injury.
He makes up for his lack of strength and anchoring with his movement skills that allow him to play as a positional blocker. “Williams is very good at using space and creating positive angles to cut defenders.”
Miami originally signed Williams as a free agent prior to the 2022 season, moving him to center from the left guard position he played with the Dallas Cowboys. From there he grew and became one of the best centers in the league. However, his injury will affect his availability, and if the Dolphins re-draft him, they may still need the center to start the season as Williams continues to disable his knee.
The injury could affect Williams’ market and reduce his salary significantly. Both Hunt and Williams figure to play key roles on the offensive line, which could be the case for years. When the season starts in September, Hunt will be 28 and Williams will be 27. Both are young, so the Dolphins can build an offensive line around them if they stay healthy.
Miami may need to find cap space to keep Hunt and Williams, but the cap they get is more cap space and the Dolphins don’t need to sign more players. The Dolphins will need to build a roster that made the playoffs in 2023-24 but ended the season with three straight losses, including a wild-card loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in the Super Bowl. The team seems determined to win right now, but must find a balance between using more salary cap space to keep players and making room to add new players. Regardless of what you do this offseason, your best bet is to keep your top talent and build around them. Wilkins, Hunt and Williams all seem like top talents to keep.
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