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2024 offseason primer: Dolphins must navigate salary-cap dilemma
Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports

2024 offseason primer: Dolphins must navigate messy salary-cap dilemma

By Michael Gallagher  |  Last updated 2/22/24

In the first 13 weeks of the 2023 season, the Miami Dolphins (11-6) looked to be unstoppable. After a 28-27 loss to the lowly Tennessee Titans in Week 14 on “Monday Night Football” in the final two minutes, things went downhill for the once-feared Dolphins.

Miami was one-and-done in the postseason, putting forth a seven-point, 264-yard performance in a loss to the Kansas City Chiefs during Super Wild Card Weekend — a far cry from the 29.2 points and 401.3 yards per game it averaged during the regular season.

Now, the Dolphins have to spend their offseason trimming their roster, making salary cuts, going younger at certain positions and trying to keep the bones of a competitive roster while also becoming cap compliant despite being more than $50M over the 2024 cap ceiling.

Here’s what you need to know about Miami’s offseason:

PROJECTED 2024 CAP SPACE:  -$51.24M (third-worst in NFL)

FREE AGENTS | Offense: RB Salvon Ahmed; WRs Cedrick Wilson, Braxton Berrios, Chase Claypool, River Cracraft; TE Tyler Kroft; OT Kendall Lamm, Isaiah Wynn; OGs Robert Hunt, Robert Jones; Centers Connor Williams, Jonotthan Harrison

Defense: DEs Justin Houston, Bruce Irvin; DTs Christian Wilkins, Raekwon Davis; LBs Calvin Munson, Andrew Van Ginkel; CBs Nik Needham, Eli Apple, Justin Bethel; Safeties Brandon Jones, Elijah Campbell, DeShon Elliott

Special teams: Punter Jake Bailey 

Outlook: Miami is certainly going to have to get creative with contract restructures, salary conversions and surprise cuts given its cap situation. Right now, the Dolphins don’t have the funds to keep any of their key free agents (Wynn, Hunt, Williams, Wilkins, Van Ginkel, Elliott), but if they were to create enough breathing room to do so, then Wilkins, who had 61 pressures, 34 hurries, 10 tackles for loss and nine sacks, and Hunt, who allowed just one sack and five pressures on 608 offensive snaps, would take top priority.

2024 DRAFT PICKS: Round 1 (No. 21 overall) | Round 2 | Round 5 | Round 6 | Round 6 (via Chicago) | Round 7

TOP DRAFT NEEDS (in order): DT, IOL, LB, S, CB  — With Terron Armstead battling a number of injuries over the last two seasons and several members of the interior offensive line are pending free agents, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Miami grab an elite guard like Washington’s Troy Fautanu, an insurance tackle like Oklahoma’s Tyler Guyton 21st overall, or Oregon’s Jackson Powers-Johnson, who’s considered the top center in the draft, to help shore up the offensive line.

However, Wilkins might cost too much for the Dolphins to keep, linebacker Jerome Baker and cornerback Xavien Howard may be cap casualties, so grabbing a top-tier DT like Texas’ T’Vondre Sweat, a versatile linebacker like Texas A&M’s Edgerrin Cooper or a high-upside cornerback like Alabama’s Kool-Aid McKinstry would be moves that could all be justified.

DRAFT PROSPECTS TO WATCH: Sweat, DT, Texas; Kris Jenkins, Michigan, DT; Leonard Taylor, DT, Miami; Tyler Guyton, OT, Oklahoma; Troy Fautanu, OG, Washington; Christian Haynes, OG, UConn; Jackson Powers-Johnson, C, Oregon; Edgerrin Cooper, LB, Texas A&M; Payton Wilson, LB, N.C. State; Tyler Nubin, S, Minnesota; Javon Bullard, S, Georgia; Kool-Aid McKinstry, CB, Alabama; Kamari Lassiter, CB, Georgia; T.J. Tampa, CB, Iowa State

THREE 2024 STORYLINES TO WATCH:

Are any key players from 2023 cut to create cap space?

Could a high-priced veteran (Howard, Bradley Chubb, Emmanuel Ogbah) be traded to create cap flexibility?

Is quarterback Tua Tagovailoa worth committing to long term?

More must-reads:

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