The collective freakout on social media after the Miami Dolphins lost three of their best players in the first four hours of free agency is as understandable as it is premature.
It’s true that no team lost more on Day 1 than the Dolphins.
But here’s the reality: We’re in the first half of the first mile of the 2024 offseason.
What’s Next for Miami Dolphins in Free Agency?
On this day 52 weeks ago, Aaron Rodgers was still a member of the Green Bay Packers, Puka Nacua was a name few knew, and the Panthers were still undecided on whom to take first overall.
Narrowing the focus even more to Miami, 2023 contributors added after the first day of free agency included Andrew Van Ginkel, David Long, DeShon Elliott, De’Von Achane, and Eli Apple.
There’s no denying that the Dolphins’ roster looks a lot worse Monday evening than it did Monday morning.
But anyone paying attention the last couple of months shouldn’t be surprised that Van Ginkel, Christian Wilkins, and Robert Hunt are gone. And the Dolphins were always going to take their lumps on this day, given the situation.
“Man most of the bros are leaving the squad to new deals,” Dolphins running back Raheem Mostert wrote on X Monday. “Truly happy and beyond deserving for them but man truly going to miss them in the locker room.”
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The Dolphins have big-time salary cap constraints at the worst possible time. The NFL’s 32 teams collectively entered Monday with roughly $1 billion in cap space.
The Dolphins, as of Monday, had the NFL’s worst cap situation. They were $21.2 million over the 2024 cap, per Spotrac.
That’ll get fixed with restructures, cuts, and perhaps even trades in the next two days.
UPDATE: The Dolphins’ restructures have begun. They created some $19 million in space by converting Jalen Ramsey’s deal, per NFL Network.
That move, along with adjustments to the contracts of Zach Sieler, Alec Ingold, and Durham Smythe, have put the Dolphins on the right side of the line.
But even though they’re back into the black, they’ll have to be creative to make a big splash.
What’s more likely is they look for value among street free agents and consider trades — neither of which will impact what looks to be a massive 2025 compensatory draft pick haul.
And they’ll have a bunch more cap space free up when Xavien Howard comes off the books on June 1. Any free agent signed after May 1 won’t impact the team’s comp pick formula, so it’s possible the Dolphins do their most work in free agency after the draft.
“I know Grier in his bag secretly right now so I’m not tripping,” Tyreek Hill wrote late Monday afternoon.
Is that wishful thinking or clear thinking? Stay tuned.
KEEP READING: Grading the Christian Wilkins Contract
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I’m at a loss to what you need to do to be a minority and lose your job as a GM~
Considering Chris Grier is inept and has been horrible at drafting, how can we Dolphins’ fans have any confidence in him?
No Panic we are not the Yankees you can’t keep everyone. I wish them all good luck. It’s called a team for a reason. Next man up mentality
Are you kidding? Talent like what we just lost doesn’t fall off of trees. The fact that these guys were cap casualties shows that we have mismanaged this team and that is on Grier.