With free agency still a few weeks away, Chris Grier and the Miami Dolphins have plenty of work to do just to get under the salary cap.
Miami will need to restructure contracts and make additional cuts, but some players who arguably should be moved are likely to stay. Three players, in particular, appear to be nearing the end of their time, yet the Dolphins continue to hold onto them for now.
With free agency just weeks away, Chris Grier and the Miami Dolphins have plenty of work ahead to get under the salary cap.
Miami will need to restructure contracts and make additional cuts, yet some players who arguably should be moved are likely to remain. Three names, in particular, seem to be nearing the end of their time, yet the Dolphins continue to keep them on the roster.
Given the current roster and the players already set to enter free agency, many fans struggle to understand why certain players still have a spot.
Julian Hill has had two seasons to prove he isn’t the right fit for Miami.
While Hill has potential, it’s clear he shouldn’t be on the 53-man roster. At best, he’s a practice squad player, and if another team were to sign him, would the Dolphins really be losing anything significant?
Miami is so invested in Hill that they released Durham Smythe to free up cap space—a logical move. However, many speculate the front office plans to draft a tight end to develop, with some believing they could target one in the first round if Tyler Warren is available.
Yet, Hill remains on the roster. Cutting him wouldn’t create significant savings, but freeing up $1.03 million with just a $4,000 dead cap hit is still worthwhile.
Everyone except the Dolphins seems to have seen enough of Erik Ezukanma.
While cutting him would only free up $1.1 million in cap space, it would still provide more value to Miami than keeping him on the roster. Releasing Ezukanma wouldn’t leave the Dolphins with any dead money.
Between injuries and struggling to earn playing time when healthy, Ezukanma hasn’t proven he deserves a roster spot over other potential options.
He is easily replaceable, making it surprising that Miami continues to keep him while trying to navigate their tight cap situation. While cutting a player often creates another roster gap, in this case, the impact would be minimal.
Jake Bailey Should Follow Danny Crossman Out of Miami
With Mike McDaniel parting ways with special teams coach Danny Crossman, it’s time for Jake Bailey to go as well. The punter has been inconsistent and unreliable, and he’s set to count $2.52 million against the cap this year. Miami could recover nearly all of that, with only a $550K dead cap hit.
Finding a replacement wouldn’t be difficult—whether through a league-minimum signing or an undrafted rookie. It’s hard to imagine anyone performing worse than Bailey. If the Dolphins are keeping him just because he holds for Jason Sanders, then perhaps they should consider replacing their kicker too.