The Dolphins have some major belt tightening to do if the team plans to keep last year’s 11-win squad together.
Not only does Miami have until March 13 to clear $37.6 million in cap space by restructuring contracts, extending or releasing players, but the Dolphins also have 28 free agents to address, determining if they’ll make an effort to re-sign talents like Christian Wilkins, Robert Hunt, Andrew Van Ginkel and DeShon Elliott, who are just a few of the starters becoming free agents.
Miami would need to clear substantially more cap space than the $37.6 million deficit to bid on impending free agents, and court — if not sign — veterans the organization feels might help the Dolphins get to the next level as a franchise.
That likely will be the team’s focus once the front office figures and coaches leave Indianapolis, where they are attending the NFL Combine.
General Manager Chris Grier admitted it will be challenging to keep the nucleus of the team together this week because of how competitive free agency can get.
Complicating things is the fact that the Dolphins are navigating their way through a cap crisis, and other teams usually seize opportunities when they sense weakness, and target free agents of teams having financial issues.
