10 Things on Dolphins New GM Jon-Eric Sullivan's To-Do List

New Miami Dolphins general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan has a busy offseason ahead.

The Dolphins are in need of a roster overhaul, have a ton of their own free agents, and lack cap space. On the bright side, the team is slated to have five top-100 picks. Either way, that’s a lot of work for Sullivan.

With that in mind, we’re outlining the top 10 things that are likely on Sullivan’s to-do list now that the team has hired Jeff Hafley as head coach. While Sullivan will likely be involved in hiring a new coaching staff, that will fall more on Hafley, so we’re leaving it off this list.

In no specific order, here are 10 things on Sullivan’s to-do list.

1. Decide on Tua Tagovailoa

This decision has been analyzed to death, but Sullivan making a call on Tagovailoa’s future early in the process is a domino that has to fall before diving into deeper issues.

We’re expecting the Dolphins to release Tua with a post-June 1 designation, spreading out his $99 million cap hit across the next two seasons. That will make things a bit painful in 2026, but set the Dolphins up nicely for a bounce-back year in 2027 (cap-wise, at least).

2. Retain (or not) Internal Free Agents

The Dolphins have 29 internal free agents this offseason. We ranked all of them a few weeks ago, and frankly, we’re not too keen on bringing most of them back.

That said, players like Greg Dulcich, Rasul Douglas, Jack Jones, Larry Borom and Cole Strange are at least worth considering. Someone has to man those spots next season, and the Dolphins won’t have enough money to sign 30 free agents.

3. Scout Dolphins Current Roster

This might sound like an odd step in the offseason process, but new general managers need to have opinions on every player on the team’s roster. This includes cut candidates and players who are likely here to stay.

For example, Sullivan’s opinion on Jonah Savaiinaea could have consequences for whether the team cuts other offensive linemen (we’ll get to this) and if the team pursues one in free agency.

Chop Robinson is another big one. Does Sullivan (and Hafley) view him as a scheme fit? If not, the Dolphins might be even more aggressive for edge rushers than they already need to be.

What about Quinn Ewers? Sullivan's opinion on the young QB will determine how agressive Miami gets in the QB market. Ewers played well enough in his three starts, but he was very much a Mike McDaniel player. A new staff might want a different low-cost QB.

Savaiinaea, Robinson, and Ewers aren’t going anywhere this year, but the GM who drafted them is gone. We can’t just assume they're in the new regime’s plans, especially considering neither player performed well last season.

4. Make Needed Roster Cuts

Speaking of money, the Dolphins need to make a few obvious roster cuts this offseason. Tyreek Hill and Bradley Chubb would free up a decent amount of cap space.

The decision for Sullivan will be more about which player is designated for release post June 1. Teams can only use two of those per offseason, and the Dolphins will likely use one on Tua.

There’s also an outcome in which the team releases Hill after June 1 and then works with Chubb to restructure his contract. Chubb is a good leader, and the Dolphins’ edge room is barren, so it’s not out of the question.

Regardless, the Dolphins will cut Hill and Chubb’s contracts off the books in some capacity.

5. Consider Some Less Obvious Cuts

Chubb and Hill are no-brainers, but Sullivan will have some harder decisions to make on other players. Right tackle Austin Jackson, right guard James Daniels, kicker Jason Sanders, and wide receiver Nick Westbrook-Ikhine all have incredibly easy-to-cut contracts.

Jackson and Daniels have health concerns; Riley Patterson looked like a viable kicker this offseason, and Westbrook-Ikhine didn’t play well at all this past season. That said, none of these players will save significant space.

It all adds up, sure, but is using a post-June 1 cut on Jackson worth opening another roster hole? We’ll see what Sullivan decides.

6. Consider Extensions/Restructures

The other side of this coin is opening up space through extensions and restructures. We mentioned the possibility of Chubb’s contract getting restructured this offseason, but the team also has a bunch of extension candidates.

All-Pros Jordyn Brooks and Aaron Brewer are both heading into the final year of their contracts. If Sullivan views them as long-term pieces, extending them now could free up cap space this offseason.

Safety Minkah Fitzpatrick is another extension candidate. He pushed for one last offseason, and it would help the Dolphins lower his cap hit in 2026.

Lastly, don’t be surprised if the team explores restructuring Jaylen Waddle’s contract. Paying out a portion of his salary as a signing bonus would open some space this offseason.

7. Extend De’Von Achane?

We’re putting Achane in his own category because extending him wouldn’t be about opening cap space in 2026 — he’s barely making anything this coming season.

However, he’ll no doubt push for an extension this offseason as a young running back coming off a career year.

Achane is one of the Dolphins’ few young building blocks, but Sullivan wasn’t the GM who drafted him, and Hafley wasn’t the coach who emphasized speed over everything. Still, extending Achane this offseason would allow Miami to stay ahead of the market.

8. Build a Free Agency Board

After the team deals with all the internal question marks, it's time to look outward at free agency. The Dolphins will likely retain some number of their 29 free agents, but it won’t be all of them.

Through the decisions Sullivan makes on the previous checklist items, we’ll have a better idea of how aggressive Miami will be. However, we know Sullivan wants to build through the draft.

With that in mind, it’s fair to assume Miami will be looking to sign younger players on prove-it deals — sort of like last offseason. We recently reviewed some players from the Packers who could fit the Dolphins.

9. Build an NFL Draft Board

Once the free agency plan is settled, a more specific draft plan can start to take shape. The Senior Bowl starts in nine days, which is sort of the official kickoff to draft season.

The Dolphins want to be a draft-oriented team, which is why they hired Sullivan, a long-time scout with a winning organization. The team has five picks in the top-100, which is a ton of ammo.

Some of the team’s top needs? Quarterback, Edge rusher, cornerback, wide receiver, and safety. You could argue the only premium position missing from that list is offensive tackle, which could become a need depending on Jackson’s fate.

10. Fill Out the Front Office Staff

This one will probably fly under the radar for most fans, but Sullivan needs to assemble the rest of his front office staff. GMs make the decisions, but scouts (pro and college) provide crucial information for those decisions.

The Dolphins have already let go of several high-ranking personnel members since Chris Grier was fired on Halloween, so Sullivan has plenty of open spots to fill.

It can be hard for front offices to come together and assemble a free agency and draft boards in just a few months — those things are typically multiple years in the making.

Don’t be surprised if the team keeps interim GM Champ Kelly around until after the draft to help integrate Sullivan and his new staff with the information Miami’s old staff already collected on players.

Kelly did that at his last stop when he was the Las Vegas Raiders interim GM.

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