New Miami Dolphins general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan walked into a roster nightmare when he took over the team. He quickly began to unravel the mistakes made by Chris Grier. Tossing salaries into the NFL dumpster, Sullivan created more dead cap money than any other team in NFL history.
The Dolphins roster and Sullivan's plans are far from complete, but his next Grier-mistake correction could come after the 2026 season is over.
Miami has to decide if any player from the 2024 NFL draft is worth giving more money to. Right now, that answer may be surprising.
Miami Dolphins GM has big contract decisions to make with two top draft picks
Patrick Paul
Paul may be the easier player to deal with. 2026 will be his second full season after spending his rookie year backing up Terron Armstead. Paul has had one good season thus far, but his name is going to be discussed a lot next offseason.
Paul isn't afforded the 5th -year option like first -round picks. That means Miami may have to look at his future sooner than they would like. 2027 will be his third year in the league, thus putting him in a contract year. Most GMs don't want players playing on the final year of a contract unless they are someone they are not convinced about.
The Dolphins' starting left tackle may still have growth ahead of him, but his contract will need to be addressed after the 2026 season.
Chop Robinson
The Dolphins will have the 5th year option to keep Robinson. That gives Miami a full year to evaluate his growth. Robinson isn't playing for a new contract next offseason; he is playing for the guaranteed salary that comes with the option, but his future will be decided this year.
Robinson has to prove he can play consistently on the edge, and if he can't, the Dolphins shouldn't reward that by picking up the option. It's a critical season for the former Nittany Lion, who started out with a huge rookie season before regressing over the last two years.
Jaylen Wright
Wright's chances of getting another contract with the Dolphins are slim. The 4th round pick isn't a lock to make this year's roster, let alone another contract. At this point, the best he can hope for is to be on the Dolphins roster in 2026 and 2027 while hoping he gets enough on-field reps to prove he belongs, but at his very best, Wright is a low-end extension.
Malik Washington
Washington is showing growth as he enters his third season. After solid OTA practices, Washington looks to have made his roster spot guaranteed this year, but his contract beyond 2027 doesn't exist. The Dolphins will need to address the issue next year or wait until after the season is over before he enters year four.
Tahj Washington
Washington is going to find it hard to make this year's roster, giving him little hope of an extension. There is always the potential for a practice squad contract.
Mohamed Kamara and Patrick McMorris are both already off the Dolphins roster, having been released last season.
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