5 Offseason Predictions for the Dolphins

Predicting what the Miami Dolphins will do has become an exercise in futility on par with trying to lose weight by going on a 0.1-mile run every day. 

Dolphins general manager Dennis Hickey must be taking cues from New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick when it comes to giving as little information as possible to the media when he is at the podium. 

The Dolphins have a lot of issues on their plate this offseason, including big salary-cap numbers for the likes of wide receiver Mike Wallace and linebacker Dannell Ellerbe, as well as some major impending free agents in tight end Charles Clay and defensive lineman Jared Odrick. There's also a question of what they will do with the No. 14 overall pick in the 2015 NFL draft.

We may not get them all right, but let's at least take a stab at guessing what the Dolphins will do this offseason.

The Dolphins Will Release Dannell Ellerbe

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Dolphins linebacker Dannell Ellerbe finished the 2014 season on injured reserve after sustaining a hip injury in Week 1. With a $9.85 million cap hit for the 2015 season, according to Spotrac, and the potential for $7.65 million in cap relief, the Dolphins may be inclined to let Ellerbe walk.

That's especially true considering the fact that it was former general manager Jeff Ireland who signed Ellerbe to a five-year, $35 million contract in 2013, not current GM Dennis Hickey. 

At the very least, the Dolphins will probably look to restructure Ellerbe's contract to provide some cap relief and some insurance in the event that Ellerbe does not fully recover from his hip injury. Either way, it would be a surprise for Ellerbe to come back at his current cap number.

The Dolphins Will Part Ways with Mike Wallace

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Speaking of big cap numbers, Dolphins wide receiver Mike Wallace is set to count for $12.1 million against the salary cap in 2015. The Dolphins could save $5.5 million in cap space if they released Wallace outright, and with a heap of receiving talent (Jarvis Landry, Brandon Gibson and Brian Hartline), it's conceivable that they will do just that.

Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald has reported that Wallace will not be open to taking a pay cut, so whether it's by trade or release, it seems that the Dolphins will be getting rid of Wallace in some way. A release seems like the more likely outcome—what team is going to be chomping at the bit to add an overpaid receiver with attitude problems? 

Hickey and Wallace had a "good conversation" when the two finally met for dinner, according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, but the Dolphins GM remained noncommital about Wallace's future. In all likelihood, the Dolphins will cut Wallace, and will watch him sign with another team this offseason.

The Dolphins Will Not Use the Franchise Tag

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The Dolphins have 14 unrestricted free agents, but only a couple of them make sense for the franchise tag. 

The first is tight end Charles Clay, who is expected to command $6 million per year, according to Adam H. Beasley of the Miami Herald. With the tight end franchise tag number expected to be around $8.33 million, according to Albert Breer of NFL.com, the Dolphins would be better off if they could reach a long-term deal with Clay.

The other possibility is defensive lineman Jared Odrick. Andrew Abramson of The Palm Beach Post reported that there is a "growing belief" that Odrick will test the open market. The franchise tag number for Odrick would be $11.17 million for the 2015 season, but there would be a strong interest in Odrick from other teams in what is a pretty light class of defensive tackles, especially if the Detroit Lions and Denver Broncos are able to agree to terms with Ndamukong Suh and Terrance Knighton, respectively.

The franchise tag numbers are simply too high to justify using it on either Clay or Odrick, and without any other realistic options, it seems more likely that the Dolphins would just avoid using the tag altogether. 

The Dolphins Will Draft a Linebacker in the 1st Round

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UCLA linebacker Eric Kendricks could be a first-round target for the Dolphins.

With some question marks at linebacker concerning both Philip Wheeler and Dannell Ellerbe, the Dolphins may be looking to revamp their defense at the second level.

What better way to get started with that process than with a first-round selection? The 2015 NFL draft presents multiple opportunities to add a top prospect to the linebacker group, be it an outside or inside defender. Players like Florida outside linebacker Dante Fowler Jr., Clemson linebacker Vic Beasley, UCLA inside linebacker Eric Kendricks and others could all be objects of the Dolphins' affection. 

With linebacker Koa Misi already signed to a deal that lasts through 2018, the Dolphins have the freedom to draft a linebacker at just about any position, as Misi can move freely between the different linebacker positions. 

The Dolphins Will Add at Least 2 Cornerbacks This Offseason

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At 31 years old, cornerback Cortland Finnegan's best days are behind him. On the other side of the coin, young cornerbacks Jamar Taylor, Will Davis and Walt Aikens have yet to realize their fullest potential.

Brent Grimes is a fixture on one side of the field, but the Dolphins pretty desperately need a surefire starting-caliber cornerback to put opposite him. 

The 2015 NFL draft is pretty deep at cornerback, with CBSSports.com giving at least a third-round grade to 14 different cornerbacks. The free-agent class is also fairly loaded, with the likes of Antonio Cromartie, Brandon Flowers, Walter Thurmond, Tramon Williams, Ike Taylor and Darrelle Revis all potentially hitting the open market.

The Dolphins already have some youth at cornerback, but they will need to add at least one cornerback who already is a starting-caliber talent, and more depth couldn't hurt, given the development troubles the Dolphins have already had. 

Unless otherwise noted, all contract and salary-cap information provided by Spotrac.