28. Miami Dolphins
Current cap space: $89,390,424
Primary free agents: CB Aqib Talib, OG Evan Boehm
The idea for the 2019 Dolphins was to tank without admitting to tanking; to open up as much salary cap space as possible for a total rebuild. Not a bad idea after two straight seasons under Adam Gase where things got worse and worse, but the Dolphins took the remodel to a different level.
When all the moves were made, including trading left tackle Laremy Tunsil and receiver Kenny Stills to the Texans for a host of draft capital and offloading defensive back Minkah Fitzpatrick to the Steelers, Miami had three picks in the first round of the 2020 draft — the fifth, 18th and 26th sections — and the start of a new era. What the Dolphins also found out is that first-year head coach Brian Flores appeared to be the rare former Patriots assistant with a knack for the head coaching game. Flores’ team started 0-7 and looked as bad as you’d expect for a while, but consecutive wins over the Jets and Colts told a different story. In the end, the Dolphins finished 5-11 with season-ending wins over the Bengals and Patriots. Last season was a rough one, but the Dolphins clearly have the pieces in place at the top. Now, they just have to go and make the rebuild real.