2 Miami Dolphins players that should be extended before Xavien Howard

Emmanuel Ogbah is coming off a pretty good season in 2020 and will be a free agent in 2022. The Miami Dolphins should extend him.

Brian Flores was not forthcoming when asked if any talks have been held between the two sides but alluded to the fact that there may have been some discussions. Ogbah did not attend the voluntary workouts the Dolphins held in May and June but he did show up to the mandatory OTAs that ended last week.

Ogbah signed a team-friendly two-year deal in 2020.  He will earn $7.5 million this season but naturally would like to see the Dolphins extend him. While he hasn’t been the best DE in Dolphins history, he has played well and should at least get a conversation going with the Dolphins. Miami has made efforts to improve their pass rush on the opposite side of him which would indicate that they see Ogbah as a player that can hold his own on the left side or strong side of the defensive line.

It’s unclear how much Ogbah could realistically get in a new contract. He isn’t an elite defensive end but is better than average. Still, if he is seeking an average of $10 million a season, that might be more than the Dolphins want to pay without shifting the weight of the salary deeper into the contract.

Miami could restructure this year and eliminate a big portion of the $7 million hit on the cap this year and push it into 2021 when the NFL cap will be much higher.