Wilkins Still at the Top of Next Dolphins Extension Candidates

Head coach Mike McDaniel has acknowledged the Miami Dolphins are working on a contract extension for defensive tackle Christian Wilkins

Raise your hand if you had tight end Durham Smythe on your bingo for first Miami Dolphins player to get a contract extension this offseason.

If your hand is up and you're not fibbing, job well done because Smythe certainly didn't seem like a likely candidate to earn that distinction.

No, the front-runner all along has been defensive tackle Christian Wilkins, and he remains the front-runner if we're looking at the next to follow Smythe.

GM Chris Grier said at the scouting combine at the start of the month that the Dolphins wanted to keep Wilkins around for a long time, but he also said that he didn't want to talk about any kind of discussions with player agents.

Head coach Mike McDaniel erased any question, though, in speaking with the Palm Beach Post and South Florida Sun-Sentinel at the owners meetings in Arizona when he said: “That’s a priority of ours, and that’s something that a group of people have to work together to do something that makes the most sense for the individual and the team. That process will be steadfast, but it’s a priority of ours. I know (Grier) and (senior vice president of football and business administration Brandon Shore) are working on that, as well as Christian’s representation.”

A Wilkins extension seemed a given heading into the offseason because the 2019 first-round pick is coming off the best season of his NFL career, he's gotten better every year, and he's heading into the option year of his rookie contract at a cap number of $10.75 million for 2023 — a number the Dolphins can lower with an extension.

Because of that combination of factors, Wilkins stands out as the leading candidate to get an extension this offseason or at some point during the 2023 season.

But what about other Dolphins players heading into the final year of a contract?

Excluding those who signed one-year contracts this offseason and obviously Smythe, those players would be center Connor Williams, tackle Austin Jackson, fullback Alec Ingold, defensive lineman Zach Sieler, cornerback Noah Igbinoghene, guard Robert Hunt, defensive tackle Raekwon Davis, safety Brandon Jones and long-snapper Blake Ferguson.

The list also is limited to players who will be unrestricted free agents next offseason without a new contract.

So we're looking at nine players besides Wilkins who could be looking at their final season with the Dolphins.

When it comes to trying to figure out which of those players are likely to get an extension, the factors at play always involve start with their importance to the team but also include their current cap number (because there's more incentive for the Dolphins to do something now if they can create cap space).

PLAYERS LIKELY TO GET AN EXTENSION

In terms of importance to the team, the three players who stand out here are Williams, Sieler and Hunt, all three of them starters coming off good or very good 2022 performances.

Of the three, Williams has by far the highest cap number for 2023 at $8.4 million, per overthecap.com. That makes him a very good candidate to get an extension if the Dolphins want to move forward with him as their starting center.

Hunt is next at $3.8 million, but given that he'll turn only 27 in August and probably is the team's best offensive lineman outside of Terron Armstead, the Dolphins also figure to prioritize him.

Sieler's cap number is slightly lower at $3.2 million, and extending him would be more about securing a really good defensive lineman than lowering his cap number.

THE OTHER PLAYERS ON MULTI-YEAR CONTRACTS THAT EXPIRE AFTER THE 2023 SEASON

Jackson and Igbinoghene not only are eligible for an extension, but the Dolphins also could keep him locked up for 2024 by exercising their fifth-year option on their rookie contract before the May 2 deadline — though it would be a shock if that happened with either player.

Quite frankly, an extension does not appear likely, either, unless it comes during the season if either player shows a dramatic jump in performance.

The status of the other four players — Ingold, Davis, Jones and Ferguson — is a bit more up in the air as we head into the start of the offseason program April 17.

The latter three all will be playing out their rookie contract in 2023 and their performance next season should dictate whether the team re-signs any of them.