It's expected that a deal will ultimately get done between the sides, though general manager Chris Grier suggested that talks weren't particularly active for the time being. The draft is likely putting a hold on things, though ultimately Tagovailoa could get a deal comparable to Justin Herbert or Jalen Hurts, each of whom got five-year contracts worth around $50 million annually.

Jordan Love is employing the same tactic with Green Bay, although negotiations between the Packers and their franchise quarterback are thought to be further along than talks between the Dolphins and Tagovailoa. Tua's attendance during Miami's offseason program was spotty as he tried to put pressure on the front office to get a deal done, but if he actually held out from training camp and the preseason, he would be subject to fines.

During an appearance on ESPN on Sunday, Hill acknowledged that while the offseason eruption in the wide receiver market has perhaps made him underpaid relative to players like Justin Jefferson, he's content to let that situation play out rather than pressuring the front office to work out a new contract right away. "The contract, it'll come, and whenever it does I'll be happy," Hill said. The wideout still has three years left on the four-year, $120 million extension he signed in March 2022, so he may simply be recognizing his current lack of leverage in any negotiation.

Hill added that he felt Tagovailoa should be "one of the highest-paid quarterbacks in the league." The speedy wideout has enjoyed no shortage of success while catching passes from the 2020 first-round pick during Hill's two seasons in Miami, but Tagovailoa heads into training camp set to play out the final year of his rookie contract, absent an extension.

The market for quarterbacks at Tagovailoa's level is well established in terms of annual salary at around $50 million per season, and it's unlikely either side is asking or offering anything out of that range. Miami could be offering something in the vicinity of the $113.6 million in fully guaranteed money that Jared Goff received from Detroit, while Tagovailoa is probably looking for something more like the $142 million that Trevor Lawrence got from Jacksonville. Given that gap, it might make financial sense for Tagovailoa to hold out of training camp and the preseason, even if he incurs fines of up to $5 million.

Despite playing alongside Kyle Pitts in Atlanta last season, Smith had a career year with 50 catches on 70 targets for 582 yards and three touchdowns. Smith signed a two-year deal with the Dolphins in March, and he is slated to be the top tight end ahead of Durham Smythe. Ciely notes that Smith's athleticism causes matchup problems for linebackers, and with Hill and Waddle sure to command most of the attention from opposing defenses, the eighth-year tight end out of Florida International should see plenty of looks as the third option for quarterback Tua Tagovailoa in the passing game.

Edholm notes a case could naturally be made for Tua Tagovailoa, but the analyst believes there's not a player more vital to the Dolphins' success than Hill. The fact the veteran speedster averaged over 110 receiving yards per game last season and forces defenses to game plan for him makes him the top choice in Edholm's eyes, and Hill's back-to-back 119-catch, 1,700-yard seasons with Miami corroborate that sentiment.

Tagovailoa reportedly wants a deal within the market range set by Trevor Lawrence and Jared Goff this offseason, who signed for $55 and $53 million annually, respectively. However, the Dolphins reportedly aren't willing to make that type of offer, leaving the parties at a stalemate. It has long been assumed that the Dolphins would give in to keep Tagovailoa as one of the faces of the franchise, though that's become less clear as the negotiation process drags on.

Brooks rightly points out Achane would have already enjoyed a full breakout season as a rookie in 2023 had injuries not helped limit the explosive running back to 11 regular-season games. However, assuming full health in 2024, Brooks envisions Achane boosting his averages of 90.6 scrimmage yards and one touchdown per game a year ago as his role expands and head coach Mike McDaniel implements innovations he likely conjured up with Achane's skill set in mind this offseason.

Shook actually isn't focused solely on Tagovailoa's contract situation, which is currently a hot topic with the 2020 first-round pick set to enter the final year of his rookie deal. He adds that Tagovailoa still has plenty to prove on the field despite an impressive 2023 that disappointingly ended in a wild-card loss to the Chiefs. Specifically, Shook emphasizes Tagovailoa needs to prove that both his numbers and good health weren't one-year outliers -- and do so in even more noteworthy fashion in 2024 -- to fully eliminate any lingering doubts about the fifth-year signal-caller.

Tagovailoa admitted that the process has taken longer than expected, but the quarterback is still confident that he'll have the security of a multi-year deal by the time the 2024 season kicks off. He's currently set to play under the fifth-year option on his rookie contract in 2024. He missed at least four games in each of his first three seasons but played in all 17 games in 2023 while throwing for a league-high 4,624 yards.

Tagovailoa's contract situation is the more pressing one for his team, as he's heading into the final year of his rookie deal while Lawrence has two more years left on his, but there's a strong chance both quarterbacks get extended this offseason. Tagovailoa is coming off a career-best campaign and led the NFL in 2023 with 4,624 passing yards, and he's likely looking for a contract in the neighborhood of the $53 million average annual salary that Jared Goff received from the Lions in May.

Justin Jefferson re-set the wide receiver market Monday with a four-year, $140 million deal that includes $110 million guaranteed, making him the highest-paid non-quarterback in the league. Hill's current contract contains no guaranteed money past 2024, while fellow Miami wideout Jaylen Waddle signed an extension of his own just a few days ago, which potentially means the team will be looking to move on from Hill after this season. For his part, Hill has said he wants to retire a Dolphin, but cap realities might prevent that from happening if he's not willing to accept a hometown discount.

The contract is for three years and worth $84.75 million overall. Louis-Jacques reports the $28.25 million average annual value of the extension is the fourth highest among wide receivers, while the guaranteed portion checks in behind only those of A.J. Brown's $84 million and Amon-Ra St. Brown's $77 million.

Coach Mike McDaniel spoke about Achane's development Tuesday, specifically noting that the back has had more of a chance to digest the playbook in his first full offseason. He also noted that the team isn't looking for Achane to use his speed in a one-dimensional way; instead, the Dolphins will now use him in different run schemes and unique pass routes. He will still rotate touches with Raheem Mostert and potentially rookie Jaylen Wright, but the team seemingly has big plans for Achane in his sophomore campaign.

Tagovailoa bulked up to avoid injury in 2023, but he felt that the additional weight hurt his agility and his ability to avoid pressure. He isn't concerned about potential injury from slimming down because he feels he's learned how to absorb contact in a safer way, thus avoiding harder hits to the head that cost him time in 2022. Tagovailoa has been present at Miami's OTAs despite seeking a long-term contract extension.

The quarterback sat out some voluntary workouts earlier this offseason as the two sides continue negotiations, but Tagovailoa's presence at OTAs suggest he's happy with the progress that's been made. The 26-year-old is likely to get a new deal comparable to the $53 million annual average salary that Jared Goff just received from the Lions.

Wilkins signed with the Raiders in the offseason after posting 9.0 sacks with the Dolphins in 2023. Hand didn't play much as a backup in 2023, but he excelled when on the field according to Pro Football Focus' metrics, posting an overall grade of 87.6 out of 100. That strong play could earn Hand a starting role as Wilkins' replacement on the defensive line.

Tagovailoa will be poised to play on his fifth-year option in 2024, which will pay him $23.171 million, unless a contract extension is reached. Tagovailoa has therefore opted to skip the "majority" of voluntary offseason work since the Dolphins began such activities April 15, and if his absences were to linger into training camp, he'd be subject to a $40,000 daily fine.

Beckham missed the entire 2022 season while recovering from a torn ACL, and while he rarely popped up on the injury report in 2023 on account of knee issues, the veteran wide receiver's effectiveness as a member of the Ravens was limited, due in part to an ankle injury. The 31-year-old Beckham believes he's back to full health heading into 2024, and he'll try to prove he still has something left in the tank as a complementary option in a Dolphins passing game that relies primarily on wide receivers Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle.

Speed is the name of the game for head coach Mike McDaniel, and the Dolphins proved that philosophy by selecting Wright in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL Draft, 120th overall. Wright ran a 4.38-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine, and Bowen notes that the Tennessee running back recorded 35 rushes of 10-plus yards last season. Whether Wright will see consistent touches in a log-jammed backfield remains to be seen, but he could be utilized as a return specialist on kickoffs and punts. In his final season with the Volunteers, Wright turned 137 carries into 1,013 yards and four touchdowns, averaging 7.4 yards per carry.

The 30-year-old's current contract runs through 2026 and has over $120 million in potential salary remaining on it, although Miami could release Hill after the 2024 campaign with a manageable dead cap hit. Given his importance to the Dolphins' offense, however, it seems unlikely that the club would simply cut him loose rather than trying to reach an extension that would reduce his cap hit if needed. Hill hauled in a career-high 1,799 yards last season over 16 regular-season games with 13 touchdowns, adding 62 yards and one more score in a wild-card loss to the Bills.

Tagovailoa is still very likely to primarily rely on his dynamic top-two receiver duo of Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, who saw a total of 275 targets in the 30 combined games the two played during the 2023 regular season. However, if Beckham can win the No. 3 receiver job, he'd certainly represent the most accomplished option Tagovailoa has had in that role since first stepping into the starting role during the 2020 season.

Waddle drew 104 targets in 2023 despite missing three games, and although Beckham could impact the former's target share a bit more than recent No. 3 receivers in Miami, it shouldn't be to a drastic degree. Beckham has also played just 35 games since the start of the 2020 season due to a host of injuries that includes a torn ACL, so the chances Waddle outpaces him in overall participation level this coming campaign is also high.

Beckham reportedly agreed to a one-year deal worth up to $8.25 million with incentives. However, the base salary is just $3 million, which speaks to the complementary role Beckham is fully expected to fill. Even if he manages to avoid the injury bug that's plagued him to varying degree since 2020, Hill's team-leading 31.3 percent target share doesn't figure to take much of a hit, although Beckham could potentially draw some defensive attention away when the two share the field.

It's fair to say the union was about two months in the making, considering Beckham and the team first met in March. The addition of the big-name receiver gives the Dolphins quite the top three receiving trio on paper, considering the presence of Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle. However, due in large part to injuries, Beckham hasn't eclipsed 50 receptions or 600 receiving yards since 2019, his first season in Cleveland.

Phillips will remain with the Dolphins through the 2025 season by having a fifth year tacked on to his four-year rookie deal. The 18th overall selection in the 2021 NFL Draft has been trending in the wrong direction, as Phillips had 8.5 sacks as a rookie, seven in 2022 and just 6.5 in 2023. That 2023 total came in just eight games before Phillips tore his Achilles' tendon, but the injury hasn't deterred Miami from planning to keep him in the fold for an additional season.

The team announced Tuesday that they will pick up the fifth year of Waddle's rookie contract, which will keep him in Miami through 2025. However, the team is hoping to also get a contract extension done, and the recent three-year, $75 million deal signed by DeVonta Smith is likely a starting point for a potential deal with Waddle. Through three seasons, he's managed 251 receptions, 3,385 yards and 18 touchdowns.

It's expected that a deal will ultimately get done between the sides, though general manager Chris Grier suggested that talks weren't particularly active for the time being. The draft is likely putting a hold on things, though ultimately Tagovailoa could get a deal comparable to Justin Herbert or Jalen Hurts, each of whom got five-year contracts worth around $50 million annually.