The Miami Dolphins needed to get compliant with the 2024 salary cap by 4 p.m. Wednesday.
They did by 6:30 p.m. Monday.
The Dolphins performed contract restructures on four players — cornerback Jalen Ramsey, defensive tackle Zach Sieler, fullback Alec Ingold and tight end Durham Smythe — and cleared a total of $28.78 million toward the cap, according to NFL Network.
As Miami entered Monday $25.1 million over the $255.4 million cap, the maneuvers put the team under the cap ahead of the deadline at the start of the new league year Wednesday afternoon.
Most of the cap relief comes from the conversion on Ramsey’s lucrative deal, which cleared $19.9 million Monday evening.
Such restructures convert a player’s base salary into prorated bonuses over future seasons. It lessens the player’s cap hit for the current year while spreading out the burden over time. The players don’t lose money in the process, but the team ends up spending more, which Dolphins owner Steve Ross is often willing to do.
Miami is also adding more cap room with an adjusted contract for veteran left tackle Terron Armstead. His renegotiated deal was reportedly completed Monday evening after the Sunday news he was coming back for the 2024 season and tweaking his cap hit. That amount is not yet known.
The Dolphins lost four of their own free agents who agreed to terms with other teams earlier Monday as the league’s negotiating period began: defensive tackle Christian Wilkins to the Las Vegas Raiders, right guard Robert Hunt to the Carolina Panthers, outside linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel to the Minnesota Vikings and safety Brandon Jones to the Denver Broncos.
Miami also added veteran linebacker Anthony Walker Jr., who could slide into the role once held by Jerome Baker, starting next to fellow inside linebacker David Long Jr.
