The 4 players pictured above are most likely as good as gone. Whether they’re cut, or traded, the Dolphins need to create cap space just to get to back to being in the black as far as the cap is concerned. In the recent press conference with Sully, obviously he couldn’t just come out and say “Tua is gone”. To his credit, he came about as close as you can to saying it without actually saying it. The Dolphins would love to get some kind of return, and that’s still on the table at the moment, but they have to find the right team and the right situation where even if they have to pay a large amount of Tua’s salary, that they get at least a decent draft pick or player(s) in return. Draft compensation would be best because they will count less against the cap. The other question is if the Dolphins can’t find a trade partner, do they keep Tua on the roster? Do they give him an opportunity to compete for the starting job or maybe just keep him around for when a contending team loses their QB and there’s Tua Tagovailoa sitting right there to be had? That could happen too, and I wouldn’t be against that. Obviously, he would then not be playing, because no one here wants careful IDGAF Tua playing, and they don’t want him getting injured either, so Ewers and the drafted QB would compete to play while Tua hangs around looking pretty.
WR Tyreek Hill be the first to go, and he is almost certainly just going to be released. Tyreek has a $51M cap hit, but only (Only!!!) $28M dead cap hit. I can’t imagine any team trading for him with that salary, so figure Tyreek is cut ASAP. OLB/DE Bradley Chubb is a different story. He can immediately help a team, he’s a good player who is healthy and I expect there will be multiple teams interested in acquiring Chubb. Minkah Fitzpatrick is another player who is tradable. He had a nice season last year, and I once again point out the irony of the possibility that Minkah might actually want to stay and here and be a leader of this defense, but in a complete turnaround from when he was here in his 2nd season, the Dolphins would like to see Minkah go and get a decent return for him to save cap money. I think without a cap, the Dolphins would love to have Minkah back, but Grier really turned this situation into a total clusterfuck, so Minkah will be gone this season.
Once again, the easy QB connection of Malik Willis and former GB execs and coaches Sully and Haf are linked constantly to their former backup QB. Willis is an UFA in 2026, and he and his agent will be looking for the best deal, translated as the most money. The Dolphins are in no place to offer that, so you can probably scratch him off the list. Unless Malik is the rare player who may see a good situation, a legitimate opportunity to start immediately and grow with a young building team. Don’t bet on it, players run to the $$$ y’all! We see it every year, the supposed hometown discount is like the dodo bird or the dinosaurs, it’s extinct.
I hope we can secure a few draft picks for the players above, we need to get some kind of compensation for the players that will make an impact for other teams. I’d rate Chubb as the best chance, followed very closely by Minkah, and then if we get anything, and I mean anything for either Tua or Tyreek, take it and never look back. I think Tyreek is a physical specimen, and I wouldn’t put it past him that he actually contributes a good amount to some team this season. We saw Tyreek’s teammate Jaelan Phillips rehab from from two devastating injuries and Tyreek is at least at the same level or higher as a workout freak. Tyreek may not be available early in the season, but I do think he’ll be ready in time to help a team. I’m also totally intrigued to see where Tua lands if he’s either traded or cut outright, and how he does wherever he lands. Will Tua at any point decide to get really serious about his physical condition, get himself in excellent shape and find a renewed attitude where he’s just going to go out and ball and if he gets hurt doing so, so be it? We know he didn’t do it here the last 2 seasons, but maybe this will be a wakeup call for him. Whatever happens, I’ll be pleased if/when he’s gone because I don’t feel he gave us his best the last 2 years and I didn’t appreciate his stay healthy at any cost attitude which absolutely reflected not only in his play but the teams failures.
GO DOLPHINS!!!
Finsmob Unleashed 
2026 NFL franchise tag window opens today
Not that it matters to us, lol
Heard this morning that Tyreek still needs another surgery on his knee. He may not be able to play this season or at least all of the season
it was a pretty bad injury
https://x.com/profootballdoc/status/2023561468562870484?s=46
Is Waddle next???
I hope not
For a 1st and take on the extra 11m cap hit and I would consider it.
Not this season. We will owe an additional 11M in dead cap if we trade or cut him this year. He has void years in his contract for 2029 ($6.059M) & 2030 ($3.083M)
He has ANOTHER $23.39M become fully guaranteed on the 5th day of the league year this season too according to the contract notes, but I think Spotrac just didn’t remove that note when he restructured?
His cap hit if we keep him is $33.8M in 26 and $37.2M in 27.
Potential “Out” in 2028 with a 9.7M dead cap charge.
We don’t need a cap. Trade him! We can sign UDFA’s all over the place. Get a 1st RD pick for Waddle
just because we are “under” the cap right now does not mean we don’t need more cap space. we would be negative again if we traded Waddle.
You can ask that team to take on that extra 11m cap hit in the trade.
BBM they can ask for the TWO first round pics it took to select him too, but they aren’t going to get that either.
His cap hits for 26 & 27 are $33M and $37M
No matter how much you try to restructure those, he as a #2 WR is NOT worth it.
So what you suggest is that the Dolphins trade Waddle with two stupid salary years AND ask them to eat the EXTRA 11M on top of that?
$40.5M per year (to start negotiations with him!) in order to have him under contract for 2 years?
NOBODY in their right mind will make that trade. Even for a 7th round pick.
one more try
✂️🗡️🪓🪚🔪
Are you saying you want to trim, stab, chop, cut and hack?
Per Kyle Crabbs, Chubb’s release has not been formally announced. The other 3 in Tyreek, NWI and Daniels have been formally announced. This possibly means either they are still trying to trade Chubb or he is going to be designated a post 6/1 cut. A post 6/1 cut will clear 20m instead of about 7m on a pre 6/1 cut. That would mean we would still have some dead money on Chubb in 2027 if it is a post 6/1 cut. The dolphins can use that 20m to sign the rookies and have operating money throughout the season.
The cuts of Tyreek, Daniels and NWI still have us under the cap by 3.1m so we are good for now. We still need more to fill out the 90 man roster though UDFA’s signed won’t count against the top 51 unless they give a signing bonus to the priority UDFA’s.
The $33M and $37M in 27′ and 28′ is what we are on the hook for on Waddle not the team trading for him.
Waddle will only cost the team trading for him 1.8m this year. Certainly you could ask that team to take on more of the cap hit.
In 2027 the team trading for him will be on the hook for 24m and 27.3m in 2028. I don’t know where this 40.5m per year comes from??? We don’t even owe him that much if he stays. That team gets waddle for 3yrs at 53.2m, roughly 17.7m per year.
Waddle only has 1 salary guarantee left for 2027. Trading team can cut Waddle after 2027 with no dead cap. They can have Waddle for 2026 and 2027 for 25.8m or 2yrs at 12.9m per year.
If they take on the 11.6m dead cap they would have him for 2yrs at 18.7m per year.
If they trade for Waddle and take on the 11.6m dead cap, they still get him for 3yrs at roughly 21.6m per year if they decide to keep him.
Waddle is currently #12 highest paid WR on per year average.
Again, a team that trades for Waddle and takes on the 11.6m dead cap in addition will have him for 3yrs at 21.6m per year. That won’t even put Waddle in the top 20 in per year average. After free agent signings are done, that 21.6 probably won’t even put Waddle in the top 25.
Also, per Kyle Crabbs, he was not surprised OG Daniels was cut. The Dolphins and MM felt he was ready to play toward the end of the season. Crabbs said Daniels basically refused to play since we were out of the playoffs. Daniels had already created bad blood with the previous staff and holdover Slowick.