Miami Dolphins

Miami carries $172.8M in dead money, the heaviest burden in the league, leaving only $21.5M to work with now, but a projected $175.1M in next-year cap room offers a genuine financial reset on the horizon.

26 contracts expiring

Madden Tools Analysis

Eleven starting spots have weak depth behind the starter.

Eight picks in the current draft including four first-rounders and a second-rounder, plus 22 picks over three years with three first-rounders among them, gives Miami the raw material to rebuild multiple positions from scratch.

• Acquired: Round 7 from Giants, this draft
• Acquired: Round 5 from Steelers, this draft
• Traded away: Round 7 to Steelers, this draft

The roster's top strength is its offensive line interior anchored by Aaron Brewer at 90 overall, while the weakest spot is a receiver room that ranks last in both starter and depth quality across the entire league.

• CBhigh

  The cornerback room ranks dead last in both starter and depth quality league-wide, with Chris Johnson (76 overall) as the top option ahead of Darrell Baker Jr and JuJu Brents.

• FBhigh

  DJ Herman (66 overall) starts at fullback but ranks only 13th at the position, and the depth behind him is occupied by players listed primarily at TE.

• FShigh

  Michael Taaffe (71 overall) is the starter but ranks last among all free safeties in the league, making this an urgent upgrade target.

• LEDGEhigh

  Chop Robinson starts at LEDGE but the unit ranks 30th in starter quality and 27th in depth, leaving little margin for injury.

• QBhigh

  Malik Willis (74 overall) starts but ranks 27th among all starting quarterbacks, and the backup and third options behind him are Kyle McCord and Brady Cook, both well below starter quality.

• REDGEhigh

  Joshua Uche (76 overall) is the starter, but depth ranks last in the league with Robert Beal Jr and Andre Jones Jr both at 63 overall behind him.

• RGhigh

  Jonah Savaiinaea (68 overall) starts at right guard and ranks last in starter quality league-wide, representing one of the most glaring line vulnerabilities.

• SShigh

  Kyle Louis (71 overall) starts at strong safety but ranks last among all starting strong safeties, a critical weakness in an already thin secondary.

• TEhigh

  Greg Dulcich (70 overall) starts at TE but the position ranks last in both starter and depth quality, with Justin Joly and Will Kacmarek as the only backups.

• WRhigh

  The wide receiver room ranks last in both starter and depth quality across the entire league, with Malik Washington and Jalen Tolbert both at 73 overall leading the group.

• MIKEmedium

  Jacob Rodriguez (80 overall) holds the starting spot but depth is 29th in the league, with Jackson Woodard and Shaka Heyward as thin backups.

• RTmedium

  Austin Jackson (73 overall) starts but the position ranks 24th in starter quality, and depth beyond Caedan Wallace is a concern.

• 66Zayne AndersonSSZayne Anderson is the third strong safety behind Kyle Louis and Dante Trader Jr, and releasing him frees $1.2M against only $180K in dead money, making him a clean cap casualty.Frees $1.2M · $180.0K dead
• 60Shaka HeywardMIKEShaka Heyward sits third on the MIKE depth chart at just 60 overall, and his release is a no-cost move that clears $900K with zero dead money.Frees $900.0K · $0 dead
• 63Robert Beal JrREDGERobert Beal Jr is the second REDGE behind Joshua Uche at 63 overall, and cutting him recovers $1.1M against only $50K in dead money at a position needing better depth anyway.Frees $1.1M · $50.0K dead
• 63Malik HerringLEDGEMalik Herring is the third LEDGE at 63 overall and releasing him costs nothing in dead money while freeing $1.1M that can be redirected toward upgrading the edge group.Frees $1.1M · $0 dead
• 63Andre Jones JrREDGEAndre Jones Jr sits third at REDGE at 63 overall, and his release is a clean $1.0M savings with no dead-money penalty.Frees $1.0M · $0 dead

Miami hands you one of the most layered rebuilding challenges in the league. The offensive core has genuine pieces: De'Von Achane is a dynamic, 24-year-old Superstar at running back, Aaron Brewer is an elite center, and Patrick Paul gives the left tackle spot a young foundation. But the quarterback room is a serious liability with Malik Willis starting at 74 overall, and the skill positions around him are the weakest in the league at both WR and TE. Defensively, Jordyn Brooks and Zach Sieler provide real quality, and a young defensive line featuring Chop Robinson, Kenneth Grant, and Jacob Rodriguez at MIKE has legitimate upside with Star dev traits. The secondary is a different story, ranking last at both safety spots and at cornerback overall. The cap situation is historically constrained, with $172.8M in dead money, the most in the league, and only $21.5M available this season. The $175.1M in projected next-year cap room is the most encouraging financial signal, but getting there requires patience and careful roster management. With 22 picks over the next three years including three first-rounders, there are resources to rebuild, but this roster needs significant additions at multiple premium positions before it can compete.

The Dolphins were founded in 1965 as an AFL expansion team by Joe Robbie and Danny Thomas, beginning play in 1966 under head coach George Wilson; on their very first play, Joe Auer returned the opening kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown against Oakland. Miami joined the NFL in the 1970 AFL-NFL merger, and the hiring of Don Shula from the Baltimore Colts that year transformed the franchise. Shula lost Super Bowl VI to Dallas, then authored the greatest season in NFL history, the 1972 Dolphins went 14-0 in the regular season and 17-0 overall, capped by a 14-7 win over Washington in Super Bowl VII, still the only perfect season in league annals. Miami repeated in Super Bowl VIII, beating Minnesota 24-7 with fullback Larry Csonka named MVP, powered by Csonka and Mercury Morris, the 'No-Name Defense' led by Nick Buoniconti, and Hall of Fame QB Bob Griese. The Dan Marino era (1983-1999) redefined the passing game, Marino set single-season records with 5,084 yards and 48 touchdowns in his 1984 MVP season and reached Super Bowl XIX, but never won a title despite ten playoff appearances. After Marino, Miami leaned on the Jason Taylor-Zach Thomas defense before sliding into a decades-long wilderness; its last playoff win came after the 2000 season and its last AFC East title in 2008. The Mike McDaniel-Tua Tagovailoa era brought back-to-back playoff berths (2022, 2023) and the NFL's top offense in 2023, but road and cold-weather failures, injuries, and a 2024-2025 collapse ended it. McDaniel was fired in January 2026, launching a rebuild under first-time NFL head coach Jeff Hafley.