Analysts around the league keep throwing around the most dreaded word in sports to describe the Miami Dolphins upcoming season: “rebuild”. For the optimistic fan, this word pierces ear drums and enacts full body cringe. While some say with the duo of Mike McDaniel and Tua Tagovailoa a playoff push is always on the table, Bleacher Report’s Alex Kay is not convinced.
“Hill didn’t breech the 1,000-yard receiving mark and missed the Pro Bowl for the first time ever, failing to earn a spot on the All-Pro team after two consecutive appearances,” Kay wrote. “Moving on from Hill represents significant cap savings for a Dolphins team that could be trending toward a rebuild.”
Kay is absolutely correct in his assessment of the Dolphins cap situation, which is a nightmare. Per OverTheCap, the Dolphins have the fifth least effective cap space in the entire NFL. Two of the four teams below them are the AFC’s premiere challengers, the Kansas City Chiefs and the Buffalo Bills. This makes sense considering that, in a perfect world, money spent carries a direct correlation to on field wins.
Kays proposal frees up $15 million in immediate cap space and reads as such:
Miami Dolphins receive: 2026 third-round pick, 2026 fourth-round pick
Arizona Cardinals receive: WR Tyreek Hill
Why The Arizona Cardinals Might Be Trade Partners
The Cardinals are entering year two of the Jonathan Gannon experience. In season one, Gannon got his starting quarterback, Kyler Murray, back from an ACL tear the season before and improved the team’s record from 4-13 to 8-9. Despite the immediate improvement, the Cardinals still finished in the bottom half of the NFL in passing yards.
“The receiving corps still needs a jolt, however, as Arizona avoided making any major splashes in free agency or the draft at the position,” Kay wrote.
A jolt is exactly what Hill provided when he arrived in Miami three seasons ago, tallying more than 1,700 yards in each of his first two seasons with the Phins. The Dolphins went from the 18th ranked passing attack in the league in 2021 to the 4th ranked unit immediately following Hill’s arrival.
“While the Cardinals have a foundational pass-catcher in Marvin Harrison Jr. to build around for the long haul, adding Hill would give quarterback Kyler Murray the weapons he needs to contend in wide-open NFC West races this coming year and over the next few seasons,” Kay concluded.
Updated 2026 Draft Picks
I’ll be honest, I’m not ready to write the Phins out yet. In fact, I’m far from it. I believe they will have a league best front four, I believe De’Von Achane is a super star, and I believe McDaniel, Tua, Hill, Waddle, and Smith is one of the best 7-on-7 lineups you can roll out.
However, should things turn south and a rebuild is in order, the addition of two draft picks in 2026 would put Miami in control at least 10 selections. There is speculation that the Jacksonville Jaguars’ decision to sign Emmanuel Ogbah could lead to another pick coming in the form of a compensatory third or fourth rounder.
“So the Jacksonville Jaguars did the Miami Dolphins quite a favor by agreeing to a deal with Emmanuel Ogbah that was officially finalized Monday, just before the deadline,” Adam Stites wrote for USA Today. “It wasn’t until Over The Cap revealed details of the contract later in the week that the ramifications of the Jaguars’ favor were unveiled. The one-year, $3.25 million deal is projected to be just enough to count in the compensatory calculations.”
