5 ways the Dolphins can spend Xavien Howard's $18 million on June 1
By Brian Miller
Xavien Howard's release by the Miami Dolphins was designated a June 1 release. The money Miami saved in cap space will not be available until after that date. This year, that money will total just over $18 million. Chris Grier can do some shopping if he pleases.
Miami has improved its 2024 roster, but that doesn't mean they are still without needs or even have a couple of holes. If they play their cards right, $18 million can buy a team a lot. When June 1 rolls around, however, Dolphins fans shouldn't expect Grier to use it all up. Miami is still tight to the cap, and they will need operating money for the season ahead. There are moves they can make to clear space for that purpose, such as extending Tua Tagovailoa, but until that is done, Grier needs to be smart with his money. With that said, here are some potential moves that can be made:
5. The Miami Dolphins can sign their 2024 draft class
OverTheCap.com broke down each team's 2024 rookie pools. Miami will fall somewhere near the $8.3 million mark, but the actual cap hit will come in much lower, around $2.2 million. They estimate this based on the rookies taking a roster spot from someone else that would no longer count against the cap. The base minimum salary for a rookie is $795, 000.
The Dolphins will only need to set aside around $3 million for their rookies this year. Another $4-5 million will be set aside for operating money, but Miami will get room after cuts to the final 53 when contracts are cleared from releases. Overall, the Dolphins should be able to spend about $10 million of the Howard relief and possibly a couple million more. A new Tagovailoa extension would also give the Dolphins cap space in 2024 as well.