The Miami Dolphins kicked off the week by signing tight end Durham Smythe to a shiny new extension, a two-year extension for $7.750M, with $5.5M fully guaranteed. I like the move; I think Smythe is a well-rounded player who has proven his worth as a blocker and pass catcher from the tight end position. He’s progressed well year-over-year, and the extension actually gives the Dolphins an extra $1.1M in cap space. This got me thinking of all the other potential extensions that can be given out this off-season. It would give the front office even more cap space and flexibility to work with while also helping the team retain some key role players beyond next season. Here are five other players I think the Dolphins should consider extending this off-season:
Christian Wilkins
This one feels obvious; Wilkins has been a key contributor to this team since Miami drafted him back in 2019. Wilkins is in the final year of his rookie deal and is coming off the best season of his career. He’s been an integral part of the Dolphin defense for a couple of seasons now. He is an important piece for that defense going forward under new defensive coordinator Vic Fangio.
I do think the Wilkins contract extension will ultimately happen this off-season. From what we’ve heard from the team and the front office, it appears to be on their radar. Head coach Mike McDaniel was quoted earlier in the week as saying the team has “made progress” on an extension and that the two sides have been in “constant conversations.”
Extending Wilkins is just a good move all around; on top of locking up a key contributor for the next several seasons, a contract extension for Wilkins could open up another $5M in cap space giving the front office more flexibility going forward.
Robert Hunt
This one definitely feels a little less obvious, but Robert Hunt, much like Wilkins, has been a solid starter for this team since he was drafted in 2020. He’s easily the best offensive lineman Chris Grier has drafted since Laremy Tunsil fell to him back in 2016. On an offensive line that is still looking for long terms solutions at other spots, I don’t think it’d be wise to roll the dice and allow Hunt to hit free agency next off-season. An extension would also open up another million in cap space for the team to work with, and Hunt has played well enough that I think an extension would be more than justified.
Connor Williams
Another key contributor entering the final year of his deal, Williams was brought in on a two-year deal last year to become the team’s starting center. Williams excelled at the center position and helped stabilize an offensive line near the bottom of the league before guys like him and Terron Armstead came along. I think it’s important to keep him on the team moving forward; that being said, a case can be made for letting him simply play out the contract and revisit this discussion next off-season if he continues to excel in the role. For me, though, I see more value in paying him now; of the linemen we currently have Williams is easily top two or three, and an extension would open up even more cap space for a team that definitely could use it. A contract extension for Williams would grant about another $4M in cap savings. When you couple this with other potential extensions and the cap space the Dolphins have coming June 1st by way of the Bryon Jones release, Miami could end up with a decent chunk of change to sign or trade for another big name should one come available post-June 1st.
Alec Ingold
It’s no secret that Dolphins Head Coach Mike McDaniel loves to utilize fullbacks; during the season we saw starting fullback Alec Ingold get a ton of action. He was everywhere; whether he was out in the flat catching passes, serving as a lead blocker downfield, or running in for a goal-line touchdown, McDaniel made sure to have his guy on the field. Ingold was brought in on a two-year deal a year ago, and while I don’t think an extension is guaranteed for him, I do think he’s an integral part of what the team does on offense, and I think he should at least get some consideration on a new deal.
Zach Seiler
The last player I want to mention briefly is Zach Seiler; he’s been a part of the team since 2019 and is currently entering the final year of the three-year, $8.04 million contract he signed back in 2020. Seiler has made steady progress with his development, and it feels like this past season may have been his best so far. I see Seiler as one of several defensive players I believe can leap under new defensive coordinator Vic Fangio. Seiler, as a defensive tackle in this scheme, eating up blocks and wreaking havoc as a run stuffer is something that just feels like the perfect fit for Fangio and company. In my opinion, I think locking him down now before the season might be the best move and would create a little more cap space for the team as well.
On top of locking up multiple key role players for the team, these contract extensions would give Miami much more flexibility to round out the rest of this roster. The most exciting part of all this for me is the spending power the team can potentially have come June 1st. As I mentioned earlier, when the Bryon Jones cap savings finally kicks in on June 1st, the Dolphins will see their cap space grow from $3M to $16.4M. Add some or all of these extensions I mentioned, and that number can potentially go up to $28M. There is plenty of money to spend on another big name, trade, or multiple signings to add depth to the roster. In any case, it’s been a fun off-season, and I’m excited to see how the rest of it goes.
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