Fresh Perspective: Building the 2022 Miami Dolphins – Roster Cuts

With the Miami Dolphins projected to have anywhere between $67 and $75 million in salary cap space, the franchise is set to be a big player in free agency. Generally, the Dolphins haven’t fared well in years where they “win the offseason,” but this upcoming year has different circumstances.

In spite of the way the season ended, the talent on the roster is worth building on. Brian Flores got them going too late, allowing a 7-game losing streak. But that doesn’t mean the players are necessarily bad. There’s a good core to work with. There was enough talent to drag the team to a second consecutive winning season at 9-8. Brian Flores being fired had everything to do with outside factors, not his on-the-field coaching prowess.

Miami interviewed several different coaching candidates, and the winner turned out to be former 49ers offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel. Already, McDaniel has made it a point to build a rapport with quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, which indicates that the Dolphins will be focusing on building a system around the former Alabama standout. With his innovative football mind and strong emphasis on building a running game, McDaniel seems to have a plan in mind to make that happen.

However, before the Miami Dolphins can start adding new pieces, they need to trim some of the fat. There are at least a few players on the roster that are expendable.

As always, this roster build is strictly based on personal assessment. Perhaps Mike McDaniel has plans for these players, or perhaps he will see things the same way as here. Regardless, it is time for this offseason series to begin, starting with roster subtractions.

Roster Cuts

Assuming the cap space will be on the low end, that gives Miami $67 million dollars to use in free agency. However, there are a few players who the Dolphins could cut ties with to give themselves even more room.

The first and most obvious choice would be to release players who contributed little or nothing to the 2021 season. Right off the bat, WR Allen Hurns and TE/FB Cethan Carter are easy cuts.

This is the second season in a row that the veteran Hurns has been a non-factor for the Dolphins. There’s no point in keeping him around a third year. As for Carter, he rarely ever saw the field. He played in all 16 games but he made only two catches for 16 yards all season. Plus, with the drafting of Hunter Long in 2021, Miami doesn’t need so many tight ends.

By cutting both Hurns and Carter, the Dolphins save $5.1 million with only $433,334 in dead cap. That puts Miami at $72 million.

Now the next move is a tougher call, but it may be time to move on from Eric Rowe. Brian Flores brought him in from New England to help establish his defense. Rowe has the 5th highest cap hit on the team next season with a little over $5 million, and now Flores is no longer here.

Releasing Rowe gives the Dolphins $4,550,000 in savings with only $525,000 in dead cap. So a net gain of just over $4 million. Rowe’s snaps on defense dropped dramatically near the end of the season, as rookie Jevon Holland came on strong and Brandon Jones started making plays. Between the two of them, Rowe could be expendable. This move puts the team at $77 million for 2022.

Jevon Holland is my favorite NFL player and we're like nine games into his career. pic.twitter.com/qFlJ8Zg9DH

— Brett Kollmann (@BrettKollmann) November 18, 2021

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At last, the final roster change is in regards to Jesse Davis. It’s clear that Davis is not cut out to be a starter. But that wasn’t what he was supposed to be in the first place. He was supposed to be a utility backup who can fill any spot in an emergency. Much like the Dolphins did with Jakeem Grant and Albert Wilson, they can try to convince Davis to take a pay cut for the final year of his contract. His current cap hit is $4,610,000. Chop that in half, and Miami saves another $2.3 million. Or, cut him if he refuses, and they save $3.6 million.

As a result of these moves, the Dolphins find themselves at $80 million dollars in cap space after cutting just a little bit of dead weight. That amount of cash to throw around makes Miami’s roster tantalizingly flexible. There is so much room for improvement through free agency, and one more strong draft from Chris Grier could put the Dolphins over the edge into the playoffs at last.

With that in mind, the next story will start the fun part of the offseason. This is the part that Madden players everywhere enjoy most of all.

Adding new pieces to the Miami Dolphins.

Luis Sung has covered the Miami Dolphins for numerous outlets such as Dolphins Wire for seven years. Follow him on Twitter: @LuisDSung

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