The Miami Dolphins have begun their OTAs and are now in the dog days of the off-season before training camp starts. The Dolphins must now sign their draft class and keep looking at other possible free agents to upgrade the roster. More importantly, the Dolphins should reach out to their core players, whose contracts are coming up, and sign them to long-term deals.
There’s been a lot of talk about quarterback Tua Tagovailoa’s contract and how little progress has been made, but who knows what is true and isn’t with those contracts? The quarterback is the biggest contract and most expensive if you feel you have a franchise quarterback, but don’t forget about the other players.
Safety Jevon Holland, whose contract expires after the season, was asked about his contract and his reply was he’s on the backburner with Tagovailoa’s contract. That is probably true, but it shouldn’t be. The Dolphins should try to engage in contract talks with Holland, especially with his deal expiring after the season.
The Dolphins can’t let what happens this off-season next year, as well as losing a player in his prime that they drafted and developed.
After drafting these guys within the last five years, the Dolphins lost Christian Wilkins, Robert Hunt, Brandon Jones, and Andrew Van Ginkel this off-season.
Sure, there are reasons they lose these players. Wilkins was asking for a price the Dolphins weren’t willing to meet. Hunt wanted to test the market and got more than anyone could have imagined. Jones got a contract that I don’t think the Dolphins expected. In Van Ginkel’s case, the Dolphins had Bradley Chubb and Jaelan Phillips under contract and, despite the injuries suffered last year, are part of the Dolphins’ long-term plans, so they figured they would lose him.
The problem is the Dolphins don’t have a great history of resigning their own players they drafted in their prime. Sure, they took care of Xavien Howard.
Still, they let guys like Olivier Vernon, Lamar Miller, Ja’Waun James, and others walk as free agents because they didn’t get ahead in their contract talks or underestimated their value. That’s one thing that concerns me for the next few years. Jaylen Waddle, Holland, and Phillips contracts are coming up soon.
Waddle and Phillips have the 5th year option next, but the Miami Dolphins should still try to get ahead of the curve. Phillips’ deal will be complicated coming off the torn Achilles Tendon, but he is a pass rusher, and that’s a premium position.
To their credit, the Dolphins signed defensive tackle Zach Seiler and offensive tackle Austin Jackson to deals before they hit the market last year. However, they must be more aggressive with their core players’ contracts than the role players.
The Dolphins have a great history of being aggressive in free agency and trades, signing guys to big contracts like Mike Wallace, Ndamukong Suh, Byron Jones, Chubb, Tyreek Hill, and others. So why can’t they do the same for their own guys? The Dolphins want to draft and develop their players, but they also should retain their own players.
