Miami Dolphins release Cethan Carter and tender Campbell

The Miami Dolphins are making their first moves of the 2023 pre-free agency season and while the moves are not big, they are a start.

Cethan Carter has been released, not overly surprising. Carter, who hasn’t done much since arriving in Miami missed all of last year with an injury. He was set to make just over $2 million this year and all of that was saved reducing Miami’s cap from around $17 million to $15 million with more moves to come.

Elijah Campbell is one of the Dolphins’ few impending free agents that were not unrestricted. Salvon Ahmed and Campbell are both restricted while Trill Williams is an exclusive rights-free agent.

Campbell played well last year after injuries decimated the Dolphins’ secondary.

Miami has until March 15th at 4:00 pm eastern to get at or below the 2023 salary cap. It was announced earlier that Byron Jones will be released on March 15th but the $13 million that Miami will save by releasing the veteran corner will not be added to their totals until June 1st as the Dolphins have said he will be a June 1st release.

With Carter now gone and Mike Gesicki likely out as well, the Dolphins have only Hunter Long and Durham Smythe under contract for this season increasing the likelihood that the team will try and land a free-agent tight end or make the position a priority in the draft.

Adam Shaheen, who the Dolphins tried to trade last year is also an unrestricted free agent and will likely not return to the Dolphins.

Miami now has 27 impending free agents after the Campbell tender but that will not be official until Campbell signs the deal.