To say the Zach Sieler contract extension was a surprise wouldn’t be entirely true — the Miami Dolphins have made a good habit out of hand selecting high-performing players and rewarding them with contracts to keep them locked into the team’s future for the foreseeable future. We saw that materialize with CB Xavien Howard and the team also made sure to lock in OL Jesse Davis and WR DeVante Parker before the end of the 2019 season on new contracts as well.
So with Miami surpassing expectations, which players on the team could be next in line to hear their name called for an extension with the team? Here are some of the more obvious candidates.
QB Ryan Fitzpatrick
Fitzpatrick won’t have a future in Miami as a starter — but if he is at peace with the way his starting tenure in Miami ended and wants to continue playing football beyond this season, Miami would likely love to have him. The Dolphins got the best version of Ryan Fitzpatrick for the year and a half he served as the team’s starting quarterback before making the change to Tua Tagovailoa. With no clear backup quarterback in the picture, Miami would benefit greatly from keeping Fitzpatrick in the picture as a mentor and backup to their young franchise quarterback.
WR Mack Hollins
Hollins won’t get paid for his offensive prowess but his special teams ability is certainly going to move the needle for a team that is thriving thanks in large part to good special teams play. Hollins is a very successful gunner and kick coverage option and will get to show over the next month or so that he’s capable of contributing more on offense, too. In the immediate absence of Preston Williams, Hollins has already caught one clutch pass for the Dolphins: a game-tying score against Arizona.
C Ted Karras
Karras’ play has been hit or miss on a week to week basis and some of Miami’s run-game struggles do seem to stem from a lack of consistency in securing interior gaps. But Karras has played next to three guards this season and without the typical training camp and preseason effort, chemistry was always going to have hard to come by for the Dolphins offensive line with four (and sometimes five) new starters this season. Karras has been proficient in pass protection, he’s a well respected presence on the line and he’s an intelligent player — all things that build his case to stay in Miami and potentially be the fixture in the middle up front.
DE Emmanuel Ogbah
If you could only pen one to a new deal, this would be the one. Emmanuel Ogbah has been a steal for the Dolphins and he’s performing at a high level, especially as a pass rusher. Ogbah’s length is a huge asset for him and it has helped him not just finish sacks off the edge but also get his hands on passes in the pocket and disrupt throwing windows. Ogbah has already set a career high in sacks (8.0) with seven games left to play and given his positional value, Miami will likely look to lock him in sooner rather than later. The good news for Miami? Ogbah is here on a two-year deal, so they don’t need to worry about him hitting the market this upcoming spring.
But expect a deal done before then anyway.
DL Davon Godchaux
This is a challenging one for Miami — as Sieler has now just been locked into place and the presence of Wilkins and rookie Raekwon Davis could create a crowded mess inside for Miami. This one likely comes down to the dollar amount for Miami; Godchaux is a great presence in the South Florida community and appears to be much of what Miami wants out of players in their program. But if Godchaux is looking for a big pay day, Miami may opt to go a different direction — as he doesn’t make a high number of splash plays up front to warrant a big financial commitment.
LB Elandon Roberts
As the season has gone on, Roberts has become a more positive contributor between the tackles as a plug linebacker. He still struggles in space and his value to Miami will be limited as a result. But Roberts’ physicality and his relationship with the Dolphins’ coaches make him a candidate to continue to serve a depth role or, if Miami likes their linebackers by committee, a specialist role on defense. Roberts is at his best on early downs attacking gaps between the tackles; if Miami can find that role for him long-term in South Florida, they can move on an extension.
P Matt Haack
Haack is having the best season of his NFL career thus far and it isn’t even close. Miami’s successes come in large part because of successful special teams play and Haack has flipped the switch this season, booming kicks inside the opposing 20-yard line with frequency and avoiding some of the head-scratching kicks of years past.
