The Miami Dolphins are spending $255.78 million in 2022, the 10th-most in the NFL, according to Spotrac. That doesn’t get done without having some rather large contracts on the books.
General manager Chris Grier has spent this offseason managing the Dolphins’ salary cap situation and has done so rather impressively. With all of the agreements that the team has at this point, two were listed by Pro Football Focus’ Brad Spielberger among the most team-friendly deals in the league.
Left tackle Terron Armstead’s five-year, $75 million contract ($43.37 million guaranteed) came in at No. 10, and linebacker Melvin Ingram’s one-year $4 million contract ($1.65 million guaranteed) was listed at No. 28.
Here’s what Spielberger wrote about Armstead and his contract:
“Armstead’s inclusion here is particularly notable because he just signed a new contract as a free agent this offseason after nine stellar years with the New Orleans Saints. He has earned pass-blocking grades of 80.0 or better in every season since 2015 and is a huge improvement on the left side of the Dolphins’ line, which has been a revolving door over the past few years.
Armstead has also graded out well as an outside-zone run blocker, earning an 82.8 grade on such plays over his career, making him a good fit in new head coach Mike McDaniel’s offense. We’ve seen tackles play at an elite level well into their 30s, and if Armstead can maintain his health, this new deal could look like a huge bargain in hindsight.”
There are some high expectations for Armstead this year, as he’ll be tasked with anchoring a young offensive line with his performance and leadership/coaching ability. That’s a lot to ask for a player who’s struggled to stay on the field in recent years.
Ingram’s deal is much more of a low-risk, high-reward type move. If he doesn’t succeed with his play, his leadership and experience should be helpful for a group that’s growing.
However, the names on these lists are often team-friendly for a reason. Last year, Will Fuller’s one-year, $10 million deal (fully guaranteed) was the Dolphins’ only consideration, and he didn’t live up to that deal with his injury keeping him out most of the season.
