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When the Miami Dolphins announced the trade of DE Charles Harris to the Atlanta Falcons on Friday, it marked the third roster vacancy on the Dolphins’ expanded 91-man offseason roster. NFL teams typically carry 90 in the aftermath of the NFL Draft, but Miami sits at 88 and, courtesy to a roster exemption for an international talent, have room to add three potential contributors to the fray. Should we expect to see any splashy plans from Miami regarding those spots?
Probably not. As a matter of fact, the Dolphins are probably more likely to trade away more fringe talent than they are to trade a big asset for a standout player or sign another big-money free agent. The Dolphins have strategically built out their salary cap to bloat in 2020 — a status that has typically been inadvertently problematic for the Dolphins in the past. But Miami’s cap structure is different now in relation to years past in that the guaranteed money is paid up front instead of deferred to later seasons, meaning that Miami will have a vast expanse of cap room again in 2021 despite not having tons of cap at their disposal in the here and now once they get their rookies signed.
And that is why we probably shouldn’t expect to see these Dolphins sign for DE Jadeveon Clowney, trade for DE Yannick Ngakoue or make any other splash moves. Perhaps a savvy old veteran who can be had for on the cheap and who is willing to serve in a mentor role might make some sense. Former Philadelphia Eagles left tackle Jason Peters (38 years old) would make sense as a mentor to 1st-round pick Austin Jackson if the rumors of a return to Philadelphia prove to be false.
But that’s about as splashy as it seems realistic to expect from the Dolphins at this point in the offseason. Any big, monumental move would be an upset and a surprise.