INDIANAPOLIS — Miami Dolphins general manager Chris Grier spoke to a small gathering of South Florida media members Wednesday from the NFL scouting combine.
As draft prospects test throughout the week, team executives and player agents engage in constant talks in Indianapolis with free agency two weeks away. A high-priority item for the Dolphins is to strike a long-term contract extension with quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, something coach Mike McDaniel said Tuesday he hopes happens.
“We’ve been in communication since the offseason began. I’m going to talk to his agent here this week,” said Grier, as Tagovailoa is set to enter the fifth and final season of his rookie contract in 2024. “Our goal is to try and see if we can get something done. (Agent Ryan Williams) has been great. Tua’s been great. So we’ll see, but no timeline on it. At the end of the day, you know how these deals get done. They’re complicated deals.”
Grier would not delve deeper into negotiations between he and his quarterback’s agent, but he, like McDaniel, said the Dolphins are hopeful of reaching a deal. He added concussion history would not factor into any decisions, as Tagovailoa completed a full season healthy for the first time in his career.
Miami’s top personnel decision-maker touched on defensive tackle Christian Wilkins’ status as the team’s 2019 first-round draft pick enters free agency. The Dolphins can also choose to place Wilkins on the franchise tag, which costs $22.1 million against the 2024 salary cap at Wilkins’ position.
Grier, at his end-of-season news conference in January, said Wilkins has “earned the right to be a free agent.”
“I think all options are on the table for us,” Grier said Wednesday. “I’m going to meet with Christian’s agent here this week. We’ve had good conversations, but I’m just being very transparent with it. He has earned it. He had a great season, and so, we’ll see what happens here as we talk over the next couple of weeks.”
Wilkins and the Dolphins negotiated last offseason and up until training camp in 2023 before Wilkins put contract talks on the backburner to focus on the season. A stout run defender his first four seasons, Wilkins added an interior pass rush last year, recording a career-high nine sacks.
“We had conversations, and we were close on a deal last offseason and it didn’t come together,” Grier said. “For us, we know what Christian is, the type of person and player, what he brings to the organization.”
The GM said he feels comfortable with the flexibility the team has this offseason, even as it’s currently about $29 million over the salary cap after the release of defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah. The Dolphins can still easily get back into the green by restructuring high-priced contracts like those of wide receiver Tyreek Hill, cornerback Jalen Ramsey and outside linebacker Bradley Chubb, converting their base salary into prorated bonuses that spread out the financial burden over future seasons.
Possibly on Miami’s chopping block this offseason is linebacker Jerome Baker, who has no more guaranteed money on his contract and can either be asked to take less or outright released for $9.8 million in cap savings.
“We’d love to have Baker here,” Grier said, adding that discussions with new defensive coaching staff will play a role in Baker’s fate with the team.
Miami is also set to free up $18.5 million once June arrives, with cornerback Xavien Howard set to be released with a post-June 1 designation at the start of the new league year March 13.
“That was a tough one. Xavien and I had a long conversation because he was the second player I drafted here in 2016,” Grier said. “He and I had been through a lot of stuff. We were just talking about how proud I was.”
The GM added he’s not closing the door entirely on the cornerback who spent eight seasons in Miami possibly coming back at some point.
The 2024 salary cap was announced last week to be $255.4 million, significantly higher than expected. Players could potentially move their price tag up with that knowledge.
Grier said executive Brandon Shore and his team are generally pretty good about forecasting future salary cap figures, but they did not have it going as high as it did.
“It was good, but, end of the day, you can’t let that drive your decisions, still,” Grier said.
With that money, the Dolphins will also have to consider how many interior offensive linemen they can bring back as they have last year’s starting center plus three guards, one being the highly regarded Robert Hunt, entering free agency.
“I love Robert,” Grier said. “He’s a good kid. He works hard. He wants to be good.”
The GM said center Connor Williams is focusing on rehabbing his torn ACL before engaging in contract talks this offseason.
Dolphins left tackle Terron Armstead is contemplating retirement this offseason. Grier said he asked him to let the team know his intentions by the start of the league year and free agency.
“We’re preparing either way,” Grier said.
The Dolphins also have a key offseason in addressing the edge defender position. Outside linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel, who is still recovering from a foot injury, is a free agent, while fellow edge rushers Jaelan Phillips (Achilles) and Chubb (knee) are coming off serious season-ending injuries.
Grier did not commit to selecting a prospect with his first-round pick, No. 21 overall, in the late April draft.
“I think you have to be open to everything,” he said.
Grier mentioned moving up, moving down or trading for “a player that’s a home run for us” as possibilities. The Dolphins have not made a first-round selection since 2021, when they took wide receiver Jaylen Waddle and later Phillips in the opening round. Grier said Wednesday Miami is not going to trade Waddle this offseason.
