Contracts that are holding the Miami Dolphins back

Emmanuel Ogbah getting an extension from the Miami Dolphins was applauded and should have been. He has had a very good career since joining the Dolphins.

In 2022, the Dolphins rewarded Ogbah which would pay him $48 million through 2025. Last season he only accounted for $11 million of Miami’s cap but then missed almost the entire year due to injury.

We can’t weigh injury into the picture but his production prior to the injury wasn’t at the level that Miami paid for. There are a number of reasons for that, possibly, but this year the Dolphins will pay him $15 million and he will count $17.1 million against the cap.

It isn’t beneficial to release Ogbah as the Dolphins would eat $21 million in cap space with little return.

Ogbah’s contract doesn’t get easier for Miami until 2024. The Dolphins could get out of his deal and save $13.8 million against a $4 million dead cap hit.

This season will be interesting for the DE. If he plays well, the Dolphins would be smart to keep him around but if there are struggles, Ogbah will be a big name to watch heading into the 2024 off-season especially given the fact that the Dolphins will have to re-sign all of their impending free agent defensive tackles.

Truthfully, Ogbah’s contract isn’t a big deal this year as the Dolphins would likely pay a premium to replace him but if he is unable to perform at a high level after his recovery, it will be a lot of money spent that could have been used somewhere else.

Miami’s attempt to save a little money last year will come back to them this year. Does it hurt? Probably not but it is still an eye sore given his 2022 pre-injury production.