Wilkins (and other) decisions looming in a month

Miami must decide by March 5 whether to place the $19.8 million franchise tag on him. But with the Dolphins $51 million over the cap, they would need to clear out $71 million in space by March 13 to use the tag on him.

A long-term deal would lower his 2024 cap number but could average in the $18 million to $22 million range.

Though general manager Chris Grier reported that Wilkins’ camp thought their offer was fair last summer, SI.com reported that Wilkins felt “lowballed” and intends to play “hardball” with the team and won’t report to camp if he’s given the franchise tag.

finfanatic wrote:I wonder...

This looks like a draft with some excellent prospects on the D Line. There is no assurance that a draft pick is going to be good of course, but when you are over the cap, and have not locked up the potential franchise QB, you have to make some hard decisions.

We may look back on this 2024 off season as the one that made or broke the Miami Dolphins under the current regime IMO.

JMP wrote:I've been thinking the same thing, but ultimately I think it makes sense to keep Wilkins given that we are in 'win now' mode.

JEGnj wrote:I love Salt and Pepper and want another 2 or 3 years of them in Miami. Wilkins in the leader on D but if they do extend him he needs to refocus that position as leader. There won't be cameras next year but the focus needs to be 200% on winning and finishing instead of what celebration to do.
Tua I am so stuck on. He is the best QB since Marino and pretty much on of the only one I rooted for besides Griese and Henne. I am hoping he can turn into a QB that leads of to a SB but he despite this season #'s he ain't there.

Should the talks continue to hit a wall, with Wilkins and his camp wanting a certain dollar figure, the Dolphins and general manager Chris Grier have an ace up their sleeve in that franchise tag.

Now, there are different types of franchise tags, which carry very important distinctions. An “exclusive” franchise tag means that the player must be offered a one-year contract for an amount no less than the average of the top five salaries at the player’s position, or 120 percent of the player’s previous year’s salary, whichever number is greater. When tagged as an exclusive franchise player, the player can’t negotiate with other teams. The player’s team has all the negotiating rights to the exclusive player.

On the other side of the coin, a “non-exclusive” franchise player must be offered a one-year contract for an amount no less than the average of the top five cap hits at the player’s position for the previous five years applied to the current salary cap, or 120 percent of the player’s previous year’s salary, whichever is greater.

Non-exclusive franchise players have the ability to negotiate with other teams, but if the player does sign an offer from another franchise, the original team has a right to match the terms of that offer or make the decision not to match and part with the player, which would entitle them to receive two first-round draft picks as compensation.

finfanatic wrote:I wonder...

This looks like a draft with some excellent prospects on the D Line. There is no assurance that a draft pick is going to be good of course, but when you are over the cap, and have not locked up the potential franchise QB, you have to make some hard decisions.

We may look back on this 2024 off season as the one that made or broke the Miami Dolphins under the current regime IMO.

mercury22nathan wrote:what would you rather have...  Wilkins and a huge contract albeit a foundational building block of the defense - or - two 1st round picks should a team be willing (as they would be required) to part with them?

CarsonChris wrote:This team has been broken since Grier has been running the drafts. Sure, he occasionally gets a pick right but more often than not he drafts more failures and mediocre players. This team is broken and Grier keeps fixing it with bandaids(FA).  If we ever want to compete for a Superbowl then the team needs to be built through the draft.

DolFan 316 wrote:I cannot remember the last time any team actually gave up that price for somebody who wasn't a QB though

mercury22nathan wrote:

DolFan 316 wrote:I cannot remember the last time any team actually gave up that price for somebody who wasn't a QB though

wasn't it Tunsil?

September 1, 2019: Traded by Dolphins with 2020 4th round pick (111th overall subsequently traded , Solomon Kindley), 2021 6th round pick (202nd overall subsequently traded , Chris Evans) and Kenny Stills to Texans for 2020 1st round pick (26th overall subsequently traded , Jordan Love), 2021 1st round pick (3rd overall subsequently traded , Trey Lance), 2021 2nd round pick (36th overall, Jevon Holland), Johnson Bademosi and Julie'n Davenport

JMP wrote:I would rather have Wilkins than tag him (putting us even more in the hole with cap space) and hope that some team wants to give up multiple firsts for him (which won't happen anyway).

Ultimately, we'll be able to sign both Wilkins and Tua by maneuvering the cap.  We have tons of flexibility and will be able to make the necessary moves to get under the cap AND have spending money.

CarsonChris wrote:
This team has been broken since Grier has been running the drafts.

JMP wrote:

CarsonChris wrote:
This team has been broken since Grier has been running the drafts.

This is the most successful 4-season stretch the Dolphins have had in 2 decades. We may not be satisfied or happy with the final results of those 4 seasons, but 4 winning seasons in a row, with 2 straight playoff appearances, is hardly "broken".

CarsonChris wrote:

JMP wrote:

CarsonChris wrote:
This team has been broken since Grier has been running the drafts.

This is the most successful 4-season stretch the Dolphins have had in 2 decades. We may not be satisfied or happy with the final results of those 4 seasons, but 4 winning seasons in a row, with 2 straight playoff appearances, is hardly "broken".

Depends how you look at it. 1-6 against playoff teams. The car is still driving but the check engine light is blazing! 

We are in cap hell. We don't have a full slate of draft picks. The QB puts up huge stats against 9 of the ten worst teams and thinks those stats mean he should get paid top five money. The offensive line needs 2-3 new starters. The defense is starting a new system and they aren't sure who will be ready or back this year. It looks like our schedule isn't as patty cake as last year!

JMP wrote:
I'd also argue that the 2024 schedule looks easier on paper than this season's did - but of course it is too soon to tell.

With the league’s window to place a franchise tag opening on Tuesday, ESPN’s Dan Graziano reported on Wednesday that the Dolphins will likely lean that way if they can’t come to a long-term deal.

“The Dolphins don’t plan to let Christian Wilkins leave, and if that means franchising him, that’s likely what they’ll do,” Graziano said on NFL Live. “The problem is the Dolphins are in pretty big cap trouble. As of right now, they’re projected to be $50 million or more over the cap once that cap is finally settled, and they would have to clear that much room just to get under the cap. And, if they tag Wilkins, they have to clear another $20-21 million to get him under the cap. So, [the Dolphins have] a lot of work to do before they can do that. They might be better off signing him long-term before the window ends.”

finfanatic wrote:Well... I went to the OTC Over the Cap website Umix posted and played with the Phins cap some.... If they cut Ogbah, Wilson and restructure a lot of players, they can get the cap money to tag Wilkins. It's not going to leave much room for a Tua extension though.

I am afraid this is going to be one of those seasons where the "WTF!" and "WTH!" and "Shiites!" keep coming for Phins Phans as they see what happens to some players they think the Phins should keep.