Welcome to the Miami Herald’s live blog for Day 3 of Dolphins free agency.
Please keep checking back for updates:
Offense takes shape
12:05 p.m. update: While the Dolphins defense remains something of a blank canvas, the offense is starting to take shape.
Maik Willis will be the starting quarterback and Quinn Ewers the backup.
The running back room looks set with De’Von Achane, Jaylen Wright and Ollie Gordon II. A fullback must be added to replace Chargers-bound Alec Ingold; the Dolphins have said they see a role for a fullback in this offense, which will have many similarities with Mike McDaniel’s former Dolphins offense.
Miami is set at tackle (Patrick Paul and Austin Jackson) and center (Aaron Brewer).
Greg Dulcich gives the Dolphins a serviceable starting tight end, with a decision pending in the next few hours on Julian Hill, who must be tendered at a pricey $3.5 million (or agree to a new deal before) for Miami to retain his rights.
Still unresolved: Two guard spots among Jonah Savaiianaea, Andrew Meyer and whoever is added in free agency and the draft process. One option: draft UM tackle/guard Francis Mauigoa if he’s available at 11, play him at guard this year, and potentially move him to right tackle in 2027 if Jackson moves on.
And three receivers are needed to fill out a room with Jaylen Waddle, Malik Washington and potentially Theo Wease.
Gonzalez deal disclosed
12 pm update: The Dolphins gave kicker Zane Gonzalez a one-year, $1.49 million deal with a $100,000 signing bonus, as NFL writer Aaron Wilson noted. He replaces Giants-bound Jason Sanders and Riley Patterson, who remains a free agent after Miami bypassed re-signing him.
Britt moves on
11: 55 a.m. update: Former Dolphins linebacker KJ Britt agreed to a one-year deal with the Patriots. Britt and Willie Gay Jr. were Miami’s backup inside linebackers last season. Gay remains unsigned.
Jordyn Brooks and Tyrel Dodson remain the starters; both are under contract for 2026.
Jackson agrees to new deal
8 am update: Right tackle Austin Jackson agreed to a pay cut as part of a new contract on Wednesday, meaning he will remain part of the team’s offensive line for at least one more season. The move allowed the Dolphins to become cap compliant before teams were required to do so by 4 p.m. Wednesday.
Jackson agreed to a one-year, $7 million deal -- a cut from the $11.5 million he was scheduled to earn -- in a move that created $8.5 million in cap space for the team. The contract includes a $5.26 million signing bonus.
Jackson reduced his 2026 salary by $4.5 million and in return had $5.475 million guaranteed, including a $4.26 million signing bonus. Another $1.5 million of the new contract is tied to per game bonuses. Before the restructure, none of his 2026 money was guaranteed.
Jackson is now under contract through 2026, as he had been before the restructure. The Dolphins became cap compliant by creating four void years in his contract, meaning years that the team will take a cap hit but he won’t be under contract.
The cap hit for the 2027 void year is $12.9 million, per overthecap.com.
Miami preferred to keep Jackson with a new deal than cut him, and that path also came with a cap benefit, provided he took a pay cut.
Jackson, whose salary this season was non-guaranteed before the restructure, was set to have a $15.8 million cap hit in 2026. Instead, it will be $6.8 million under terms of the new deal.
If the Dolphins had decided to part ways, his cap hit would have been $13.8 million if the Dolphins released or traded him before June 1, but just $4.3 million after June 1 (with a $9.5 million hit in 2027).
But Miami wanted to keep Jackson and preferred having the cap space now.
The Dolphins are now positioned to use their two permitted post-June 1 cut designations on Tua Tagovailoa and likely, Bradley Chubb.
On June 2, Chubb’s cap hit on Miami’s 2026 books would thus drop from $31.2 million to $10.9 million, offsetting some of the Tagovailoa post-June 1 cap hit and giving Miami space to sign June/July free agents and a draft class.