What Should the Dolphins Do With Their Post-June 1st Cap Space?

What Should the Dolphins Do With Their Post-June 1st Cap Space?

It’s no secret that the Miami Dolphins cap situation is less than ideal. Players like Bradley Chubb and Tua Tagovailoa contribute to a monumental dead cap number of over $179 million. However, it is June 1st, and that means Miami gets some relief, as their top 51 cap space number goes up to over $21 million. 

For those of you who are unfamiliar, the “top 51 cap space number” represents the team’s available offseason salary cap, where only the 51 highest-paid players on the roster are counted against it. This allows the team to be flexible on who they bring in to potentially make the roster, be that rookies or free agents. The total number that the rookie class will count against the cap is quoted as between $10 and $12 million, which gives Miami, give or take, about half of that $21 million to play with. 

So who should the Dolphins bring in to give them a potential boost? Let’s take a look at some interesting remaining free agents. 

Tyreek Hill

Let’s get this out of the way right off the bat: Hill is still not signed after being released by the Dolphins earlier this offseason, and I feel a reunion is unlikely. While his time in Miami was certainly pretty great, he wore out his welcome in Miami by the time he got injured last season. That injury is also likely why no other team has taken a chance on him. There’s just no chance this happens. 

Stefon Diggs

Diggs is coming off a solid year with the New England Patriots, and the Dolphins could use some veteran leadership. The issue with Diggs is he often has off-the-field drama that overshadows his on-the-field production. He’s not the type of veteran you want to bring in when you’re trying to establish a new culture for your team. 

Marshon Lattimore 

The Dolphins cornerback room leaves much to be desired. While they did add Chris Johnson with the 27th overall pick during this year’s draft, they are still in need of a veteran presence. I feel like Lattimore could be a solid addition; he had a decent season with Washington last year after being traded at the deadline. He tallied 31 tackles, 10 passes defended, a fumble recovery, and an interception in his 11 games with the Commanders. 

L’Jarius Sneed

Sneed had some solid years with the Chiefs in the past but struggled to see the field during his two years in Tennessee. He’s certainly not a standout player, but he is a two-time Super Bowl Champion. I believe having a veteran who knows what it takes to succeed in the league could be helpful for the Dolphins. 

Jonnu Smith

Now this is fully fun speculation. Smith was traded along with Jalen Ramsey to the Steelers last offseason. While he had a very quiet year with Pittsburgh, racking up only 38 receptions for 222 yards and 2 touchdowns. We can’t forget the breakout season he had with the Dolphins in 2024, where he went for 88 receptions for 884 yards and 8 touchdowns, breaking team records along the way. Early word out of OTAs is that Greg Dulchich is emerging as a favorite target for Malik Willis, but would it be a bad thing to take a chance on a player who has already had success with the team? 

Let me know in the comments which free agents you’re keeping an eye on for the Dolphins to potentially sign.

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