•1. Slash $34 million. This is the first step. Here are the salary-cap casualties (in millions) to free up possibilities: Dannell Ellerbe ($8.45) and Brian Hartline ($5.95) are the two allowable players for post-June 1 savings released before then. The others: Brandon Gibson ($3.26); Cortland Finnegan ($5.48), Randy Starks ($5); Shelley Smith ($2.75); and Philip Wheeler ($3).
•2. Take a chunk of that and sign Ndamukong Suh. Don't keep spending big money for the best player at a position in a free-agent class. Spend big money for the best defensive tackle in the game who's in his prime. That's Suh, 28.
He'd help the rushing defense, the pass defense and make everyone around him better. You can float the idea of Darrelle Revis' deal with New England (effectively one year, $12 million). More likely the starting line for Suh starts at the six years, $96 million Tampa Bay signed Gerald McCoy to.
•3. Don't draft high or pay big for a guard. No chance. Not in the Dolphins' offensive system. The drumbeats are already starting with Exhibit A being Dallas drafting guard Zach Martin and then winning a wild-card playoff game.
Martin was the third, first-round pick Dallas spent on an offensive lineman in four years and one playoff win. Jimmy Johnson built a three-time Super Bowl winner without a first-round offensive lineman.
The bigger issue: The Dolphins aren't a power-running team demanding the big, pile-driving guard that goes early in drafts. The smaller, athletic guards needed also come cheaper. Billy Turner is expected to start. Draft another third-rounder, get a veteran in free agency and get them right.
•4. Study Georgia running back Todd Gurley's repaired knee. If it's healthy, he's a Top 5 talent who could fall to the 14th pick. The Sun-Sentinel's Omar Kelly heard Gurley linked with the Dolphins at the Senior Bowl. Sure, most running backs are interchangeable. But special is special. The Dolphins got by with Lamar Miller last year. They ranked 16th in converting third-and-short rushes into first downs. Gurley and Miller would be dynamic and help Ryan Tannehill's passing game.
•5. Sign free agent Duron Carter. He's the big (6-5), athletic, red-zone target this team badly needs, tore up the Canadian Football League and … what? He just signed with Indianapolis? Oh.
•6. Draft a receiver in the second round at the latest. Depending on the Gurley decision, it could be the first-round pick. You need some roster-building vision here. Hartline is waived for salary-cap issues. Wallace will be a salary-cap casualty next winter when he costs $12 million. Jarvis Landry was taken last year with the present roster and future cap in mind. Same idea here. And hopefully one with size.
•7. Re-work some contracts. Center Mike Pouncey costs $7.4 million in the last year of his deal? Punter Brandon Fields makes $3.1 million? Extend them, spread the money out over the years of the contract and save some salary-cap millions to invest in moderately priced middle linebacker, safety, back-up tackle and cornerback (see below).
•8. Move Dion Jordan to linebacker and find a place for Chris McCain. These are two players that have flashes of greatness. Do they have the discipline? The professional work ethic? Help them out. Have a coach assigned to each this offseason. Challenge them. And by all means find a way to get them on the field.
•9. Cross your fingers that Jamar Taylor and Will Davis are ready in their third year and Michael Thomas stays healthy. Cornerback is a prime concern. It must addressed with another stop-gap free agent or lower in the draft. Maybe it's addressed in the second round depending how everything falls. But the fallout of throwing Vontae Davis and Sean Smith overboard keeps getting falling.
•10. Re-sign Charles Clay. His knee wasn't fit much of last year. That's a concern. The bigger concern is how this offense can work if he's not healthy. Clive Walford if he's somehow available in the fourth round?
So many holes on this team and only so many ways to fill them.
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