NFL dominoes are falling and validate the Dolphins’ recent stance on one player in particular right ahead of free agency
It’s a tough market already.
And so it begins. The Miami Dolphins and the rest of the NFL are going to start moving chess pieces on the board in preparation of next week’s opening to free agency.
It’s hard to believe we’ve already reached the tipping point for the start of the league year, but indeed here we are. And with the need for teams to have salary cap space to operate this month, there’s going to be a whole bunch of roster shakeup across the league. Some of those moves won’t interrupt the Dolphins in the infancy of their rebuild. But one move the Dolphins sound keen on executing based off the quotes from the NFL Combine seems like a wise maneuver based on the early action on Monday morning.
Dolphins right to want to keep Austin Jackson (with conditions) amid right tackle moves across the NFL
The big news first thing Monday morning was that former first-round offensive tackle Tytus Howard was on the move — traded to the Cleveland Browns for a fifth-round draft choice while collecting a $21 million per year extension in new money from Cleveland. But Chiefs right tackle Jawaan Taylor was also a headline; the Chiefs plan to release him barring a trade at the start of the league year.
How does this impact the Dolphins?
Because Miami’s own right tackle, Austin Jackson, was considered to be a roster bubble player before Miami’s general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan stated at the NFL Combine that he would “like” to have Jackson back. Sullivan did make it sound as though there were some conditions to a return in Miami, kicking off some speculation that a pay cut negotiation may be looming.
Jackson could have been a piece the Dolphins considered dangling via trade. He’s owed $11.5 million in compensation this season, nearly half of what Howard is going to get in new money annually from the Browns. But consider Jackson’s current stock as a player. He’s missed more games than he’s played in the last two seasons.
If Miami was going to try to put Jackson out onto the market, the presence of these other moving pieces certainly wouldn’t help their cause to try secure compensation for his services. It’s the Tua Tagovailoa issue — just at right tackle instead of quarterback. Tagovailoa’s stock, as a player who Miami is documented as exploring trade options for, is cut down by so many other readily available veterans. Kirk Cousins will be released. Kyler Murray is expected to be released. Geno Smith, as the Raiders hold the No. 1 overall pick, feels like a cut candidate as well with over $25 million in compensation this season.
The market has to be right. And any chance Miami had at getting a favorable market for Jackson appears to be shut amid other pieces that can stay on the field more consistently. That makes their (assumed) position to retain him for the year and try to navigate a conversation around cost the right one.
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