Did Dolphins Put Impending Free Agents On Ice?
At least two veterans looking for new contracts from the Miami Dolphins are preparing to play the 2023 season without one.
According to the agent for center Connor Williams and defensive lineman Zach Sieler, both of the Dolphins' starters won’t be signing an extension - at least before the regular season arrives - because neither side is close to getting a deal done.
According to Drew Rosenhaus, who represents Williams and Sieler, getting a deal done with defensive tackle Christian Wilkins, who is slated to play on a fifth-year option worth $10.7 million this season, seems to be Miami’s top priority.
With less than $13 million in cap space available, there isn’t enough spending room to get multiple players whose deals are expiring in 2024 signed. And this could impact offensive guard Robert Hunt, defensive tackle Raekwon Davis, and safety Brandon Jones, who are also all starters playing on expiring contracts this season.
“You’ll see the Dolphins get a few deals done before the season starts….unfortunately, nothing is close with any of our clients with the Dolphins at this time,” Rosenhaus told WSVN’s Sports Xtra, the Sunday sports show he’s been featured on for more than a decade. “Not to say that we won’t try. Knowing the Dolphins they will probably be active before the season and Wilkins is one that I think is a pretty safe bet to get done. After that, I can’t say.”
This isn't uncommon. The Dolphins have typically let impending free agents play out the final year of their deals.
Sieler wants to be properly compensated
“I love Miami. I love it down here,” said Sieler, who in 2020 signed a three-year extension that was worth $8.57 million instead of playing on a restricted free agent tender. “We’re working together to kind of see what we can do, but really my main focus is just playing there, playing as well as I can each year.”
That deal pays Sieler $2.5 million this season, with the potential to earn $450,000, or $26,470 extra for every game he plays this season. Problem is, Sieler has started 32 games for the Dolphins since signing that deal. Last season he contributed 60 tackles, 3.5 sacks, forced two fumbles and deflected another four passes at the line of scrimmage.
He played 877 snaps as a starting defensive lineman for the Dolphins, and his pay doesn’t reflect that level of contribution.
Connor Williams is shooting for top center pay
Williams signed a two-year, $14 million deal with the Dolphins before the 2022 season, and made the transition to center, which he’s thankful for because he feels it's his positional home now.
The top six centers in the NFL all clear $10.5 million in take home salary this upcoming season, and that’s likely the stratosphere Williams, who will make $7 million this season, wants to enter.
His goal this offseason is to be compensated like a top 10 center.
Williams skipped mandatory minicamp, which subjects him to a $93,000 fine, to send the organization a message. But he’s seemingly moved past the business end of football now that training camp has begun.
“It’s about football right now,” Williams said on the first day of training camp when asked about skipping all of Miami’s offseason program lobbying for a new deal. “I’m focused on football, straight on.”
Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel said he’s serving as “good cop” to General Manager Chris Grier’s “bad cop” when it comes to players seeking extensions, which protect them against injuries that could stifle their market in the offseason.
“Mike’s definitely supported me through this,” Williams said. “He has been able to put aside the coach and everything and be human-to-human, which has really helped along the way. I love the guy, I respect him to death and I love playing for him.”
