The NFL has a salary cap for a reason, and while many find it to be something more or less fictitious, the Miami Dolphins are finding out just how real it actually is.
The Dolphins reportedly have interest in former Bills cornerback Rasul Douglas. It was reported in May that Miami made Douglas a formal offer, but they turned it down. With training camp ready to start, the front office needs to figure out a way to create more cap space.
So far, the Dolphins have resisted moving money around because of the long-term ramifications that come with it.
Regardless of what the future holds, Chris Grier needs to start thinking about that fictional cap and make some real-life moves. The option that provides the most return is restructuring Tua Tagovailoa.
Dolphins should consider restructuring Tua Tagovailoa's contract
A simple restructure of Tua's contract would create $19.3 million in cap room, per Over The Cap. The one caveat is that it pushes money further down the road and there are legitimate concerns about his ability to stay healthy. If Tua's agrees to rework his deal and he gets injured again this year, the out Miami has after 2026 would get pushed to another year.
The Dolphins have not seen the need to do that restructure yet, but there are others that can be approached.
One move Miami should make is getting a new deal for Zach Sieler. That would provide them some relief and give a top player more security. The final number will hinge on a potential signing bonus, but it should check in around $5.872 million, per Over The cap.
This is the more "safe" move relative to restructuring Tagovailoa, as Sieler has been durable and productive since joining the team in 2021.
In addition to Tagovailoa and Sieler, Aaron Brewer and Jason Sanders could help the cause. The Dolphins also have some players they could cut. Jake Bailey, Channing Tindall and Erik Ezukanma are just some names who could give Miami upwards of $5 million and change if not more.
There are myriad roads the Dolphins can take. They would be wise to take one of them before Douglas lands with another team.