Miami Dolphins salary cap future as 2022 season set to start
By Brian Miller
The Miami Dolphins face a critical off-season in 2024 when they stand to lose a few of their core players.
The bad news is that Miami will have to replace or re-sign some of their top contributing players and the good news is that as of now, Miami has almost $100 million to do it. That number will rise and we can assume moving forward that is the case.
Miami’s top-paid players do not change right now but in 2024, the names at the top could shuffle a bit.
- Emmanuel Ogbah
- Jerome Baker
- Xavien Howard
- Tyreek Hill
- Jaylen Waddle
Cap relief/savings/spending amount etc…may not be a big problem for Miami but finding the talent could be if they don’t address their potential free agents.
Christian Wilkins has had his 5th-year option picked up for 2023 but he is an impending free agent in 2024. Here are some of the others.
- Connor Williams
- Chase Edmonds
- Zach Sieler
- Durham Smythe
- Robert Hunt
- Raekwon Davis
- Brandon Jones
A lot will happen between now and then, naturally, but several of these players are important to the team, at least for now. That may change for the better or worse after the 2023 season. There is options to create more cap space and that could very well come from an extension or restructure for Ogbah.
Ogbah remains at the top of the Dolphins’ payroll with a $17 million cap number. Releasing him would save the Dolphins $13.8 million against a $4 million hit. Jerome Baker would bring an additional $11.1 million against a $3.2 million hit. Cedrick Wilson, Jr. would save Miami $7.3 million against a $1 million hit.
By the time 2024 rolls around, Miami may have drafted replacements for these spots, and Erik Ezukanma may take over Wilson’s role on the team.
While Miami may not have a lot to work with, in 2023, their roster is in good shape and that leads Miami into a 2024 season where they will have roster holes to plug but a lot of cap space to do it if they need to.