Phinsider Question Of The Day and Poll (W/ Live Thread, General Discussion) 05/03/2020

Tonight’s Phinsider Question Of The Day is basically a question of what to do with Albert Wilson. Wilson was of course hurt much of last season but the year before made some flat out spectacular plays at wide reciever. The guy has speed and works well out of the slot but the question is how much is he worth to this club. The rumor out as of this weekend is that the Miami Dolphins are more than happy to pay him what they are paying him to keep him. So to the teams financials, the Miami Dolphins (according to Over The Cap) are sitting at $22,338,149 under the NFL’s salary cap.

This cap number only takes into account the top 51 players on the roster and does not account for those below it, most of who all make much less than the 51 top paid guys on the roster. This of course will work itself out if we ever get to camp where you will without a doubt see some of the older, higher paid members of our roster cut in favor of one of the many guys making less than that now, at present sit outside of the 51, thus lowering our cap number even more. In the NFL there are only 7 teams with more cap space at present than the Dolphins with the team that’s sitting with the most cap space, the Cleveland Browns at $38,450,174 under.

So how does this all come around to poor Albert Wilson, well if you look at the ten top liabilities for the Dolphins in 2020 as it applies to the cap and dollars assigned against it for the 2020 season its a bit more clear. Newly signed CB Byron Jones sits at the top of the list with the cap hit this year at $17,600,000 with 28.4 million in dead cap space if cut so that’s not happening as it won’t to any of these other guys who’s numbers are a bigger hit than they are worth even if they just rode the bench. Next on that list is CB Xavian Howard with a $13,325,000 cap hit and 4.175 mil in dead cap money.

Following the two top paid corners in the entire NFL is newly signed linebacker Kyle Van Noy. Van Noy will count 10.9 mil against the cap with 4.1 mil in dead cap money. Immediately following Van Noy is Albert Wilson. Wilson is the only top ten paid player for the Dolphins where the financial return from cutting him seems like it’s a viable option for the team. They want him but should us fans still want them to keep him at his price? Wilson will cost the team 10.833 million against the cap but if he’s cut they will gain 9.5 million in cap space while only having to eat 1.333 million in dead cap space.

The others in the top ten that would give us cap space are presumptive starting quarterback at the beginning of the season Ryan Fitzpatrick. His cap hit is only 8 million this season and while cutting him would save half of that, 4 million against the cap with 4 million in dead money, paying a guy who can potentially get this thing flowing in the right direction while the presumptive future at the position Tua Tagovailoa recovers and learns, only 8 million a season is a bargain and Fitz is not going anywhere, at least not this season. Outside of Fitz and Wilson in the top ten the only other potential cap savings would be to cut or trade Bobby McCain. McCain has proven some worth and with 5 mil in dead cap money if cut and only a one million gain he will be held onto if for no other reason that it makes smart financial sense.

So do you think the Dolphins should go ahead and hold steady with Wilson or should we save the cap space for someone or something else later down the road?

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