Contract Extensions The Dolphins Should Consider

Connor Williams

Another key contributor entering the final year of his deal, Williams was brought in on a two-year deal last year to become the team’s starting center. Williams excelled at the center position and helped stabilize an offensive line near the bottom of the league before guys like him and Terron Armstead came along. I think it’s important to keep him on the team moving forward; that being said, a case can be made for letting him simply play out the contract and revisit this discussion next off-season if he continues to excel in the role. For me, though, I see more value in paying him now; of the linemen we currently have Williams is easily top two or three, and an extension would open up even more cap space for a team that definitely could use it. A contract extension for Williams would grant about another $4M in cap savings. When you couple this with other potential extensions and the cap space the Dolphins have coming June 1st by way of the Bryon Jones release, Miami could end up with a decent chunk of change to sign or trade for another big name should one come available post-June 1st.

Alec Ingold

It’s no secret that Dolphins Head Coach Mike McDaniel loves to utilize fullbacks; during the season we saw starting fullback Alec Ingold get a ton of action. He was everywhere; whether he was out in the flat catching passes, serving as a lead blocker downfield, or running in for a goal-line touchdown, McDaniel made sure to have his guy on the field. Ingold was brought in on a two-year deal a year ago, and while I don’t think an extension is guaranteed for him, I do think he’s an integral part of what the team does on offense, and I think he should at least get some consideration on a new deal. 

Zach Seiler

The last player I want to mention briefly is Zach Seiler; he’s been a part of the team since 2019 and is currently entering the final year of the three-year, $8.04 million contract he signed back in 2020. Seiler has made steady progress with his development, and it feels like this past season may have been his best so far. I see Seiler as one of several defensive players I believe can leap under new defensive coordinator Vic Fangio. Seiler, as a defensive tackle in this scheme, eating up blocks and wreaking havoc as a run stuffer is something that just feels like the perfect fit for Fangio and company. In my opinion, I think locking him down now before the season might be the best move and would create a little more cap space for the team as well.

On top of locking up multiple key role players for the team, these contract extensions would give Miami much more flexibility to round out the rest of this roster. The most exciting part of all this for me is the spending power the team can potentially have come June 1st. As I mentioned earlier, when the Bryon Jones cap savings finally kicks in on June 1st, the Dolphins will see their cap space grow from $3M to $16.4M. Add some or all of these extensions I mentioned, and that number can potentially go up to $28M. There is plenty of money to spend on another big name, trade, or multiple signings to add depth to the roster. In any case, it’s been a fun off-season, and I’m excited to see how the rest of it goes.