The Miami Dolphins are in a major reset, but the team's reset is leading to a massive change for their 2027 cap space.
One of the biggest storylines the Miami Dolphins have been hit with is the over $185 million in dead cap hit money the team has taken for cutting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, linebacker Bradley Chubb, wide receiver Tyreek Hill, and more.
Despite taking on such a torrid cap space situation, new general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan had to make these tough calls to push the Dolphins into a much better future. That future is already looking brighter, as Miami is projected to be in the top five in cap space for the 2027 season.
The organization needed a major reset due to the overspending and mismanagement of picks and contracts from former general manager Chris Grier and the past regimes. With that cleaned up, the 2026 season was always going to be tough.
The Dolphins could not afford much of anything in free agency, so Sullivan went on a spending spree of bringing in low-cost and potentially high-reward free agents. Miami did not stay quiet during free agency, but many of the players brought in are unknown variables.
There is a good chance that a multitude of the players brought in might not be on the 53-man roster, or could be pushed far down on the depth chart. Still, Sullivan had to work with what he had.
Though the cap space for the Dolphins in 2026 looks dire, the reason for his major reset is to build for the future, which is already looking much brighter.
Per overthecap.com, the Dolphins are projected to have the third-best cap space already. They are projected to have $148 million in available cap, which is clearly due to the roster gymnastics that Sullivan has been engaged in since he took over.
Sullivan and head coach Jeff Hafley preached building through the draft and awarding players they bring in that way, instead of dumping a ton of money on big-name free agents.
That is exactly what has happened thus far, but that is only because the Dolphins did not have the cap space to make a major move in the first place. That is not saying that Sullivan would have played the situation in that manner, but what he is saying about the draft holds true thus far.
With the No. 11 and No. 30 picks in the first round, one of which was secured due to the trade of Jaylen Waddle, the Dolphins are already poised to make a big splash at the draft.
That is also coupled with four third-round picks and a total of six picks in the top 100 selections. If Sullivan can demonstrate being a better talent evaluator than Grier, which shouldn't take much, the Dolphins can start to turn things around in 2026.
Rookie players do not necessarily all work out to be day-one starters, but the players that Sullivan and the front office bring in could make an impact and infuse the team with the kind of young and hungry talent that has been needed for multiple seasons.
With a wealth of draft picks in 2026 and a far better cap situation in 2027, the Dolphins may finally be turning into an organization that can consistently win, and even snap their unfortunate 25+ year record of not winning a playoff game.