A look at the Miami Dolphins 2019 and 2020 dead cap space situation
By Brian Miller
The Miami Dolphins are expected to be very active in the 2020 NFL free agency market and they will also likely add to their dead money cap pool as well.
With five weeks still remaining in the NFL’s 100th season, the Miami Dolphins should be looking towards the future. There already is a report by Barry Jackson that Eric Rowe could be extended.
Yesterday we looked at the Eric Rowe extension and that got us thinking about the money tied up in the cap this year. In turn, that led to the crazy amount of dead money that Stephen Ross is paying this season.
While 18 currently active Dolphins players are making more than $1 million this season, the Dolphins are paying 15 players more than $1 million this season for not being on the team.
Ryan Tannehill sits on the top of the dead money column with $18.4 million in dead cap space. Miami traded him to the Titans for a 5th round pick and agreed to take on guarantees in the contract. Tannehill has started five games and has the Titans in position to potentially make the post-season.
More from Phin Phanatic
- 4 offensive tackles Miami Dolphins could draft at 51
- Miami Dolphins don’t need CB help but these 5 could be available at 51
- 4 players that could replace Wilkins if Miami Dolphins don’t re-sign him
- Miami Dolphins have a starting point with Wilkins after Simmons deal
- The Miami Dolphins should not take a running back in the draft
Ndamukong Suh is next with $13 million. We know that the trades Miami made were going to take some cap hits, Kenny Stills, Kiko Alonso, Laremy Tunsil, Minkah Fitzpatrick, Kenyan Drake, and Robert Quinn, all carry over $1 million in cap space.
Nick O’Leary signed an extension last year but didn’t make it through this one. He counts just over a million in space. Miami released Jordan Mills and Andre Branch and both carry more than a million with Branch carrying two. Josh Sitton also has two million. Then you see players like Johnson Bademosi and Dwayne Allen who made no impact while here but were given guaranteed deals.
It basically all means that the Dolphins have a total of $62,436,902 million in dead cap space on 27 dead contracts. Some of which are kind of funny. Consider that Isaiah Ford has a dead-money hit of $264K but was re-signed to the practice squad and now is on the active roster.
The good news? The Dolphins have positioned themselves to take the hits in 2019 and free up roster space this year and cap space next year. It is nothing new but interesting nonetheless to see who it got distributed.