One trade, cut, signing Miami Dolphins should make
The Miami Dolphins were tagged as “pretenders” throughout the 2023 season and ultimately justified the criticism in their deflating wild-card round loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. Now entering year three under HC Mike McDaniel, the pressure is at an all-time high for Miami to make a deep playoff run.
With that in mind, here are a trade, cut and signing the Dolphins should make in the coming months.
TRADE: Move back in the 2024 NFL Draft for additional assets
While Miami should explore trading cornerback Xavien Howard, it’s likely the four-time Pro Bowler won’t be moved until after June 1, when the team can save $18.5M in cap space. However, with a cap situation that will only worsen once QB Tua Tagovailoa eventually signs his contract extension, the Dolphins must round out their roster with as many rookie contracts as possible.
Moving down in or entirely out of the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft might be the best course of action for Miami to accomplish this goal. The Dolphins hold the 21st overall pick in the first round of April’s draft and six 2024 selections in total, tied for the fewest among teams.
Since Miami would have to wait for 101 players to be selected between its second and third picks unless it acquires additional draft capital, it should probably pursue trades that would net it a third or fourth-round selection.
CUT: Edge-rusher Emmanuel Ogbah
The Dolphins have the third-worst cap situation in the NFL (-$51.9M), so they will make several cuts this offseason, and releasing Ogbah is perhaps the easiest decision GM Chris Grier has to make. Despite posting back-to-back seasons with nine sacks in 2020 and 2021, a significant biceps injury suffered in 2022 and a rough transition to former DC Vic Fangio’s scheme has made Ogbah expendable.
Although he racked up 5.5 sacks in 2023, Ogbah played in just 25% of Miami’s defensive snaps, which is far from ideal for the player with the highest base salary on the team. According to Over the Cap, the Dolphins would save $13.7M in cap space for 2024 by releasing Ogbah before June 1 while incurring a $4M dead cap hit.
SIGNING: Edge-rusher Denico Autry
Aside from the fact that Ogbah will likely play elsewhere in 2024, the Dolphins desperately need to find pass-rushing help since Bradley Chubb (knee) and Jaelan Phillips (Achilles) will be coming off late season-ending injuries. Miami won’t be able to afford premier edge-rushers such as Brian Burns and Danielle Hunter, but the 33-year-old Autry is someone worth targeting.
The former undrafted free agent has been one of the more underrated edge defenders in the NFL over the past decade and consistently generates pressure for whatever team he’s on. Over the last four seasons, Autry has registered 36 sacks, the 14th-most in the NFL in that span, and he just set a career-best mark in that category in 2023 (11.5).
If he’s willing to leave Tennessee, Autry should come at a bargain for the Dolphins, as Pro Football Focus projects him
