The Miami Dolphins are in a healthy cap situation right now, and it could be the team's saving grace for a major reason.
The Miami Dolphins team, under general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan, was one of the busiest during free agency. It was not a matter of big-name signings, but more so the cutting of large contracts to award a better cap situation.
Even though the Dolphins will eat a $99 million cap hit from the release of Tua Tagovailoa, Bradley Chubb, and many other moves, helped put the front office in a very advantageous spot. Per overthecap.com, Miami currently has a little over $12 million in cap space, which will be the saving grace come regular season time.
An immediate bonus of having a healthy cap situation is that the Dolphins have signed all 13 draft picks from 2026, so there is no accounting for that any longer against the cap. This flexibility could lead to a major problem that potentially has to be addressed down the line.
Right now, the Miami wide receiver room is one of the biggest question marks, and could be a sizable issue if the low-cost options that were brought in do not pan out.
Among those low-cost options is Tutu Atwell, Jalen Tolbert, and Jalen Reagor, who are coupled with rookies such as Chris Bell, Caleb Douglas, and returning low-year vets like Malik Washington and Tahj Washington.
Essentially, it is a mish-mash of pass catchers that may or may not work out. The Dolphins are not doing any favors for new quarterback Malik Willis, who doesn't have a true WR1 to dish the ball to. In a new system with players that have also not quite panned out in the NFL just yet, this is a recipe for disaster.
That is just an assumption, as there is training camp and preseason to consider. The benefit of the current cap is that the Dolphins could heavily consider bringing in a free agent receiver should the gaggle of options on the roster not work out.
This is a two-fold solution if the players have not developed good chemistry with Willis, or if Miami shocks the world by being far more competitive than everyone is giving them credit for.
Of the available options, there are some more expensive potentials like Deebo Samuel or Stefon Diggs, but there are also affordable contributors like Keenan Allen, DeAndre Hopkins, and Curtis Samuel.
Miami would be doing a disservice to Willis if adding more receiver help is not a top priority to consider throughout training camp.
Yes, the idea for Sullivan and the roster was to get younger and cheaper, which he has accomplished in a major way, but that should not be the hill that he dies on if more is needed.
The Dolphins have already considered this course of action, as they brought in Reagor, a former first-round pick. His addition also adds to the concern that the current receiver room is not quite up to the par that is needed for Bobby Slowik and the team as a whole.
As much as 2026 is a reset year to determine what the roster looks like with rookies and a ton of low-cost veterans, it also needs to be a chance to truly evaluate Willis. He was given a three-year, $67.5 million deal with the belief that he could be a full-fledged starter.
That will not be the case if he does not have solid receivers to get the ball to. Yes, the Dolphins must stick to their guns when it comes to not buying in on pricy veterans, but that doesn't mean they shouldn't use their current cap health to change the roster for the better.
