Dolphins need to avoid big-name FA’s here are options
With free agency starting this Wednesday on March 14th, the Miami Dolphins must avoid going after the big-name players.
The Dolphins currently sit more than $3 million over the 2018 salary cap after trading away wide receiver Jarvis Landry and his $16 million franchise tag, but are expected to clear more unwanted salaries with the releases of linebacker Lawrence Timmons, tight end Julius Thomas, and rescinding the 5th year option on right tackle Ja’Wuan James who is currently being trade-shopped
These moves would create $16.9 million in available cap space, according to OverTheCap.com, and would be the quickest and least complicated route of opening up significant spending money for the Dolphins.
The team could create additional cap space barring more player releases and contract restructures of high-priced players like defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh and quarterback Ryan Tannehill. However, let’s keep this article simple as more cuts lead to more holes and there’s no definite answer as to what these restructures could equate to in the end.
In order to avoid creating more holes on the roster, the Dolphins need to spend their money wisely and avoid going after the big-name players and prized “sexy” positions of free agency like wide receiver and cornerback, which can easily eat up their projected cap space. This year’s free agent class does not offer the best talent to spend money on in this regard. The Dolphins also must leave enough funds unused to sign their upcoming draft class.
This means targeting the cheaper positions of free agency to find serviceable starters, contributors, or backups. Running back, linebacker, and tight end are some of these positions which could offer bargains, and the Dolphins will likely have holes at all three positions come Wednesday.
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Some solid defensive tackle options like Dontari Poe, Star Lotulelei, and DaQuan Jones are available should the Dolphins find a trade partner who is willing to inherit Ndamukong Suh’s giant salary and cap hit of $26.1 million. This would extend the Dolphins cap space from the projected $16.9 depending on how the trade is worked. It could be posted as a June 1st trade.. The future free agent DT contracts will look like bargains compared to Suh’s current deal, and the Dolphins could find a quality and significantly cheaper starter should Suh be traded.
It’s hard to predict who the Dolphins could go after due to their present cap situation and there have not been many concrete links to specific players who are about to hit the free agency market. Much of the free agency talk regarding the Dolphins is purely speculation. This leads me to believe the Dolphins will sprinkle in cheaper additions rather than going after a big name, provided they stay at their projected $16.9M.
Its seems the only connection the Dolphins have to a player is to one that is currently on a roster.
The Dolphins reportedly are eyeing the release of Denver Broncos running back C.J. Anderson whom the team attempted to sign back in 2016 after losing Lamar Miller to free agency. Anderson is expected to be released from the Broncos based on his contract. Coincidentally, Lamar Miller is in the same predicament, and his release from the Houston Texans has been speculated. However, the Texans currently have significant cap space and could afford to retain Miller at his present salary.