The Miami Dolphins have more cap space than only one other team in the NFL, and that is the AFC East rival Buffalo Bills. The team’s uninspiring 1.2 million dollars left unspent leaves the squad with more questions than answers. Here are a few possibilities on how Chris Grier and company could spend their dough.
Here’s The Good News
The good news is, the team addressed it’s most glaring issue. The Ramsey deal did not alleviate as much immediate pressure as was initially expected. That is because when you replace one three time All-Pro with another, you often end up swapping out a $2o million contract for a $20 million contract. SI’s Jake Mendel broke down the savings in an an article posted Saturday afternoon.
“While the Dolphins found a team to take on Jalen Ramsey’s multi-year contract, they will carry a dead cap hit of nearly $15 million after trading him (and they paid $3 million to move Ramsey). Miami is longer on the hook for a big-money deal that turned into a four-year, $84.7 million contract, but it needed to have enough room to absorb Minkah Fitzpatrick’s $15.5 million contract to make it happen,” Mendel writes.
“There’s no guaranteed money remaining on the final two years of Fitzpatrick’s deal, but he does slide in as Miami’s third-most expensive contract, taking up 5.55 percent of the salary cap.”
Also falling under the ‘good news’ umbrella, following the signing of second round rookie Jonah Savaiinaea on Friday, the Phins have reached an agreement with their entire rookie class. No more of their very small stack has to be allocated to incoming rookies.
Moves Miami Can Still Make
This team could use a cornerback.
Kader Kohou is going to drive the boat alongside Storm Duck and Cam Smith. Bringing the average age of the three starting corners to 24 and a half years old.
This team could really benefit from a veteran presence in the defensive secondary.
There are plenty of names out there that not many outlets are talking about as far as the free agent market is concerned. The biggest most obvious name in this price range has already alienated the franchise, and that is Asante Samuel Jr.
However, nine year veteran Eli Apple remains without a team. A one million dollar deal with incentives could be good enough to land him in South Beach.
Eight year vet Cam Sutton has finished his contract with the Pittsburgh Steelers and is looking for another paycheck. Although a player with off field issues might be the last thing Miami is looking to add.
Finally, although it does not fix the young room, adding an explosive player like Jack Jones or Caleb Farley could certainly create some real competition in the secondary. Both players have finished their rookie contracts and are looking to get paid elsewhere.
The front office has to wrestle with the risk-reward of spending all their money in the offseason. On one hand, they could strengthen a weak corner room. On the other, the team would have no ability to go get someone in the middle of the season if they lose a player to injury.
Keep this in mind if no move is made before September.
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