Five major questions the Miami Dolphins have to answer in the 2023 NFL offseason
The Dolphins made the playoffs for the first time in six seasons but are now looking to take the next step forward.
In some ways, Miami will have a level of continuity carrying over into the 2023 season. Head coach Mike McDaniel turned the Dolphins’ offense into one of the league’s best in one season. And he, along with general manager Chris Grier, has committed to Tua Tagovailoa as the franchise’s starting quarterback next season.
But the team only has 44 players under contract for the following season with limited cap space and draft capital. The Dolphins are also in search of a new defensive coordinator, which could shape personnel decisions over the next few months.
Here are the five major questions the Dolphins will have to answer in the offseason.
How do the Dolphins handle Tua Tagovailoa’s contract?
After a year-plus of questions surrounding Tagovailoa’s future in Miami, the Dolphins put much of that to rest by building around him with McDaniel and producing his best season to date. Even with a pair of diagnosed concussions that sidelined him for the final three games of the season, Dolphins decision-makers have said all the right things publicly when it comes to Tagovailoa. Their next steps could show whether these comments haven’t just been lip service.
The Dolphins will have until May 1 to exercise Tagovailoa’s fifth-year option, which would fully guarantee his 2024 salary, a projected $22 million. With new quarterback deals expected to exceed $50 million in annual salary, Tagovailoa’s fifth-year salary would be a bargain for a player who finished the regular season as the NFL’s highest-rated passer.
But Miami could also opt not to exercise the fifth-year option and have Tagovailoa play out the fourth and final year of the deal. Regardless, Tagovailoa is eligible for a contract extension in the offseason. Financially, an extension right now might not be the most prudent for the Dolphins. Tagovailoa has a cap hit of $9.6 million in 2023, a figure that would likely increase if he signed an extension with a large signing bonus.
In the last three draft classes preceding Tagovailoa, six of the 11 first-round quarterbacks — Lamar Jackson, Deshaun Watson, Patrick Mahomes, Baker Mayfield, Josh Allen and Kyler Murray — got their fifth-year option picked up by the team that drafted them. Of those six players, only Mayfield — who was traded from the Browns to the Panthers last July — and Jackson haven’t received top-of-the-market deals from their original team. None of the five first-round quarterbacks who had their fifth-year option declined received a long-term deal, though Daniel Jones is slated to become an unrestricted free agent.
Grier said that “everything is on the table” regarding the way the team addresses Tagovailoa’s deal.
Who will be the next defensive coordinator?
After firing Josh Boyer as defensive coordinator, McDaniel is set for his first major hire since assembling his inaugural staff last year. The Dolphins are reportedly interested in longtime defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, but NFL Network reported Sunday that the team has requested an interview with Sean Desai. Desai was the Bears’ defensive coordinator in 2021 and spent this past season as an associate head coach for the Seahawks.
The Dolphins retained the core of their defense last offseason as they sought continuity but a new coordinator could mean the implementation of a different scheme, which would impact the players Miami brings back and targets in free agency.
How will Grier free cap space?
The Dolphins entered the 2022 offseason with over $60 million in cap space and began free agency with close to $50 million, ample space to retain free agents and bring in new players.
But this time around, Miami will have to do some maneuvering to be active during free agency. The Dolphins are currently projected to be $16 million over the cap, according to Over the Cap. Grier said the team will have the flexibility to make offseason moves, but restructures, cuts and potential trades figure to be imminent.
According to Over the Cap, the Dolphins can clear close to $78 million in cap space with simple restructures, which convert payments into prorated signing bonuses over the remainder of the contract. Miami can clear close to $112 million in cap space with maximum restructures, which also convert payments into prorated signing bonuses but add void years, which do not extend the contract and are used as placeholders for the prorated bonus.
Players under contract who can clear room with a restructure include wide receiver Tyreek Hill ($18.9 million), outside linebacker Bradley Chubb ($14.7 million) and left tackle Terron Armstead ($12.6 million).
Who is next in line for an extension?
The Dolphins also could free cap space by extending players who have one or two years remaining on their contracts. A likely candidate is defensive lineman Christian Wilkins, who has outplayed his rookie deal and led all players at his position in tackles the last two seasons. Wilkins has a cap hit of $10.7 million for the fifth and final year of his contract, which only constitutes a fully-guaranteed base salary. That figure could be lowered by a few million dollars with a long-term deal that offers a significant signing bonus spread out over four to five years and lowers his base salary in Year 1.
Offensive lineman Robert Hunt, safety Brandon Jones and defensive lineman Zach Sieler are other players who are entering the final year of their deals but could free cap space with an extension.
Where does Byron Jones stand with the team?
Byron Jones’ injury was the biggest mystery of the 2022 season. He underwent offseason leg surgery in March and was expected to be ready for the start of training camp. Instead, he never returned to the field again, as McDaniel fielded weekly questions about when Jones would come back.
A league source told the Miami Herald Jones’ recovery stopped progressing in August. Grier said Jones did everything he could to try to get back but declined to answer whether he remains in the team’s plans.
From a contract standpoint, Jones’ contract is one that’s hard to get rid of. If cut or traded before June 1, the Dolphins would get a cap savings of about $3 million with $14 million in dead money. If traded or cut with a post-June 1 designation, Miami would receive a cap relief of $13.6 million, but wouldn’t be able to use the money until way past the start of free agency in mid-March.
The fact that Jones, who turns 31 in September, hasn’t played since the 2021 season might also make finding a trade partner difficult. At this point, much remains a mystery, from the state of his rehabilitation and how the team views him.
