New Dolphins GM wants to take 'pay as you go' approach to finances
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PHOENIX ― Pay as you go.
It's a philosophy that many of us would be wise to at least attempt.
And it's a philosophy new Miami Dolphins general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan is about to try.
Fiscal responsibility. A new approach for the Miami football franchise.
"I think it's being disciplined within your process," Sullivan said at the recent NFL annual meetings.
Sullivan prioritized quarterback Malik Willis in his first Miami free agency cycle. Why? Because nothing is more important than ― at least trying ― to get the right quarterback.
And then, he signed a bunch of players with some pedigree to NFL minimum contracts.
Miami Dolphins roster is in transitional state
"We got've to get back to a healthy spot," Sullivan said. "And then when we get beyond this, we'll stay disciplined. We'll build through the draft. We'll target difference makers and free agency. If we don't land those difference makers, we're not gonna check a box to check a box. We're gonna stay disciplined."
It's the Green Bay Way. And yes, at some point, we'll stop referring to the Packers and just talk about how the Dolphins are doing things a new way.
For example, Sullivan is not a fan of "void years."
Void years are essentially pre-planned dead cap hits for years following the completion of a player contract.
Think of it like this: imagine if you were to lower your car lease payment by agreeing to make a year or two of payments ― after the lease ended and the vehicle was returned.
Not ideal, right? Well, Miami has been doing these void contracts for the last few years.
"I think it's circumstantial, but I'm not a huge fan," Sullivan said of void years. "Again. Pay as you go, right? When you kick all that money out, at some point that can cause problems. I think if we got to a situation where we feel like we're knocking on the door and we have a chance to secure a premium player and we have to do some of that to help us get over the top, that's a conversation."
Willis' contract does have $8.9 million of dead cap money against the cap in 2029 and 2030.
It was done because, well, Miami is totally screwed at the moment financially.
Tua Tagovailoa, others, result in huge Dolphins dead salary cap
Why take enormous cap hits in 2026, including, of course, on Tua Tagovailoa?
"So you can get beyond it, and then you can be active again," Sullivan said. "If you keep kicking the can down the road, you never get healthy. I mean, there's two philosophies that you subscribe to in the National Football League. You pay as you go, or you're living on credit. If we keep living on credit, we're never gonna get healthy. We want the flexibility that paying as you go provides. We can't get there unless we kind of take it on the chin this year."
Sullivan's plan? Draft. And develop.
"I think when you can build through the draft, stay young, you have a lot of really good players on rookie contracts, that allows you to be successful over time," Sullivan said. "You can pay the guys that become difference makers for you, your core players as you will, and then you can be selective in free agency and who you target."
Sullivan's plan? Avoid massive free agent contracts.
"I think anytime you try to build a team in free agency, you're swimming in dangerous waters," Sullivan said. "It's set up to overpay."
Joe Schad is a journalist covering the Miami Dolphins and the NFL at The Palm Beach Post. You can reach him at jschad@pbpost.com and follow him on Instagram and on X @schadjoe. Sign up for Joe's free weekly Dolphins Pulse Newsletter. Help support our work by subscribing today.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: How Dolphins GM plans to get salary cap to 'healthy spot.'
