Agent Discusses Dolphins Clients

Defensive lineman Zach Sieler is in line for a contract extension; linebacker Elandon Roberts hoping to return as free agent

Super agent Drew Rosenhaus, as is often the case, will be a big player when it comes to the Miami Dolphins offseason, so it's always significant when he does a media appearance to discuss his clients.

Rosenhaus represents 10 players on the Dolphins roster, including defensive tackle Jaylen Twyman, who was signed to a future contract, and he offered some insight on three of them when he speak with Joe Rose on WQAM on Wednesday morning.

The three players he discussed and the topics were Emmanuel Ogbah's fit with the new Dolphins defense, Elandon Roberts' pending free agent, and a possible contract extension for defensive lineman Zach Sieler.

ZACH SIELER IN LINE FOR AN EXTENSION

We'll start with the last player first, and that's Sieler because his status might be the most significant based on his standing on the team and the uncertainty of his situation.

Sieler is about to enter the last year of a three-year contract extension he signed in 2020 and is quite the bargain at a 2023 salary of $2.5 million and a cap number of $3.225 million, per overthecap.com.

Based on the way he has developed and just gotten better since joining the Dolphins late in the 2019 season, Sieler looks like somebody definitely in line for a new deal — and not simply to lower his cap number since it's already low.

"We really have made that a priority in our discussions with the Dolphins," Rosenhaus said. "It doesn't take a cap expert to look at how valuable Zach is and he's really outplayed his contract. I don't want to speak for the Dolphins, but they've acknowledged that that'll be a project that we'll be working very hard on this offseason. He's an important part of the defense. And certainly it'd be important, I think, to the organization, obviously to Zach that we get his contract in line with with his play."

ROBERTS' STATUS UP IN THE AIR

Roberts, meanwhile, is a unique player in that he's spent the past three seasons with the Dolphins, all of them after signing a one-year contract as an unrestricted free agent.

Roberts arguably is coming off his best season in Miami, setting career highs in 2022 in tackles (107), sacks (4.5) and tackles for loss (10).

"I don't have a prediction right now on that other than there's mutual interest," Rosenhaus said in regards to Roberts. "When Elandon was a free agent last year we got it worked out with the team, so hopefully we can do that again. He loves it here."

Roberts first joined the Dolphins in 2020 when he came over from the New England Patriots, where he had played for Brian Flores, so look for the Minnesota Vikings as a possible destination for Roberts now that Flores has taken over as that team's defensive coordinator.

OGBAH'S ROLE IN THE NEW DEFENSE

When it comes to Ogbah, there's not much uncertainty about his status given that he signed a new long-term contract last offseason and his $15 million base salary is fully guaranteed for 2023.

The only question is what kind of fit he'll be in Vic Fangio's new scheme, which incorporates 3-4 and 4-3 looks — much the same way the previous scheme did.

"He's a guy that works in with incredible versatility," Ogbah said. "He can play on the edge, the same way that (Jaelan) Phillips and (Bradley) Chubb does, he can also play defensive line when they go to a four-man defensive line, along with guys like (Christian) Wilkins and Sieler. he fits in there. He's just an incredibly versatile player who can do a lot of things.

"In my discussions with the Dolphins, they've made it clear how much they like him. He's a very unselfish player. At times he wasn't starting and he would come in and do whatever the team asks, whether it's a 3-4 or 4-3. Under Vic Fangio, they're gonna play a blend defense. There's no 3-4, 4-3 exclusive; you go back and forth and Ogbah gives you tremendous versatility. Phillips and Chubb are outstanding players, but you really need to have three because the rotation is very important. Injuries and whatnot, that's the most important spot on your defense is pass rushers."

ROSENHAUS' OTHER DOLPHINS CLIENTS AND OUTLOOKS

Along with Ogbah, Roberts, Sieler and Twyman, Rosenhaus also represents Tyreek Hill, Jerome Baker, Myles Gaskin, Duke Riley, Connor Williams and Jeff Wilson Jr.

Of those, Gaskin, Riley and Wilson are scheduled to become unrestricted free agents next month.

That means Rosenhaus will be having a lot of discussions with Dolphins officials in the offseason involving his pending UFAs but also possibly discussions about a possible contract restructuring for Hill (cap number of $31.4 million in 2023, per overthecap.com) and a possibly restructuring or pay cut for Baker, whose $12.8 million cap number for 2023 also might make him a potential cap casualty.