3 Moves the Dolphins Need to Make to Get Under the Salary Cap by March 15

The Miami Dolphins aim for more success in the 2023 NFL season after returning to the playoffs for the first time since 2016. Improving on the current roster won't be easy, though, considering that the Dolphins are projected to be around $12.78 million over the upcoming salary cap, according to Spotrac.

The team's financial situation means that general manager Chris Grier needs to find areas where he can free up some cash. Whether that means cutting certain players or restructuring unfavorable contracts, Grier must exhaust all resources so that Miami can make some moves when free agency opens in exactly one month.

Here are three moves that the Dolphins need to make to get under the salary cap by March 15.

Dolphins Offseason Rumors

1. Restructure Tyreek Hill's Contract

Tyreek Hill was everything the Dolphins hoped he'd be and more last season. The speedy wideout finished the year with career-highs in both receptions (119) and yards (1,710), playing a big role in his finishing ninth in NFL MVP voting. Despite how good Hill is, it's hard to ignore that he carries a $31.45 million cap hit in 2023 — 13.86% of the Dolphins' entire cap. Miami can free up a lot of room by converting a chunk of Hill's hit into a bonus and that new money can be used to fix any holes in the lineup.

2. Cut Jason Sanders

Jason Sanders has been the Dolphins' starting kicker for the last five seasons, but it might be time to move in a different direction. Since being named first-team All-Pro in 2020, Sanders hasn't come close to reaching those heights. His struggles were highlighted by a career-worst 93.2% extra-point percentage in 2022, as well by the fact that he's only hit four of his 12 field-goal attempts (33.3%) of 50-plus yards on his last after going 8-of-9 in that regard in 2020 (88.9%). With the Dolphins able to free up $3.775 million in cap space by cutting him, it's clearly in Miami's best interest to move on in favor of a cheaper kicker.

3. Cut Durham Smythe

Durham Smythe showed promise in the 2021 campaign, turning 34 catches into 357 receiving yards in 17 games (12 starts). Unfortunately, Smythe regressed in 2022. Despite starting more games (15) than the previous campaign, the 27-year-old tight end only finished with a 15-129-1 stat line while also playing 159 fewer offensive snaps. While Smythe could always bounce back, the Dolphins will save $3.5 million by cutting him, which is a lot of money for a cash-strapped team. With their likely being cheaper and more proven TE options in free agency, don't be shocked if Smythe isn't on the roster next month.

Devon Platana is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Devon Platana also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username PepeSilvia0. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.