The Miami Dolphins have made it clear: De'Von Achane is their offensive building block. The only problem? He needs a new contract.
The Dolphins running back has already sat out one voluntary practice session this offseason. He participated in the next one, but that doesn't mean he will continue to do so. This is where general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan's patience will be tested.
The Dolphins GM and cap strategist, Brandon Shore, will have to make a decision. Wait until they have more money after June 1st, or start purging more of the roster. There is an easier option that doesn't require trimming the roster.
Miami Dolphins' solution to De'Von Achane's contract extension could be simple, if not ideal
Teams can get awfully fancy with new contracts. The easiest way for Sullivan to avoid any problems is to simply add the extension with no changes to the current contract. The guaranteed money would still be what Achane wants, but the Dolphins wouldn't take a cap hit this year, or a minimal one at best.
If the Dolphins' running back is looking to erase his final rookie year and get more money this season, that will be a problem for Miami.
The Dolphins don't have many options for creating cap space other than restructures. Austin Jackson has already done a slight restructuring. Releasing him post-June 1st will now create less than $660,000 in cap relief.
Jordyn Brooks would save Miami nearly $8.5 million in cap space, but it's been made clear by Sullivan that he, too, is considered a building block of the team.
The only real money that can be recovered is from Tyrel Dodson, whose contract termination would increase the cash pool by nearly $3 million, but that doesn't move the needle on an Achane extension.
If the Dolphins are going to get this done before June 1st, they are going to need to get creative. Hall's contract puts Sullivan in a position to reward his own player, and it wouldn't be hard to tape it to the end of his current one.
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