Dolphins get bad draft news due to something totally out of their own control
The Miami Dolphins had a couple of key players leave in free agency in the offseason that they could realistically do nothing about. Guard Robert Hunt and defensive tackle Christian Wilkins both left to sign nine-figure contracts with the Carolina Panthers and Las Vegas Raiders, respectively. Obviously, the Dolphins would have loved to have found […]
The Miami Dolphins had a couple of key players leave in free agency in the offseason that they could realistically do nothing about. Guard Robert Hunt and defensive tackle Christian Wilkins both left to sign nine-figure contracts with the Carolina Panthers and Las Vegas Raiders, respectively.
Obviously, the Dolphins would have loved to have found a way to have kept them in town, but there was no way they were keeping them in town with those kinds of offers on the table, particularly with their cap situation at the time.
However, one of the side benefits of losing certain free agents is that the former team is entitled to draft pick compensation the following year when players meet certain requirements. In the case of Hunt and Wilkins, both were capable of the Dolphins qualifying for compensatory picks at the end of the third round.
That worked out for Hunt this year, as he has played in 99.4% of the Panthers' snaps this year. Accordingly, the Dolphins are set to get a third-round compensatory pick for him.
However, according to Nick Korte of OverTheCap.com, Wilkins' snap count has fallen below the minimum 25% threshold necessary to maintain a third-round pick and has thus dropped a round to the end of the fourth round.
Wilkins underwent surgery back in early October for a foot injury and has been out since. As such, he won't return to the field this season, so his snap count isn't going to go up such that he could help elevate his snap count above the 25% threshold – and thus elevate the Dolphins' pick. That's ironic, given the fact Wilkins managed to largely avoid injury during his five seasons with the Dolphins.
The primary factors that determine the levels (rounds) of compensatory picks are largely based on the average annual value of the contract and the percentage of snaps played with their new team. Year-end awards, such as All-Pro votes, can add points to the system. However, given Wilkins' absence for most of this year, it appears no further bump will be coming.
As Korte notes, the Dolphins appear set right now to add compensatory picks in the third, fourth, and seventh rounds. But having one of those in the fourth rather than both being in the third stings a bit for a team that should be looking for multiple new starters on the interior of their offensive line as well as at least one starting safety.
The NFL typically announces compensatory picks for in March of each year.
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