Latest On Texans, Dolphins, Jadeveon Clowney
If the Texans want Dolphins tackle Laremy Tunsil, they’ll have to pay a hefty price for him. The Texans have dangled a first-round pick and Jadeveon Clowney in a proposed deal for Tunsil, but the Fins want even more, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald hears from two NFL sources. 
One of those sources tells Jackson that the Dolphins are seeking a high draft pick in addition to Clowney and a first-round choice. This could be a classic example of the old business adage, “Don’t tell them ‘no,’ tell them how much it will cost.”
The Dolphins’ interest in Clowney is very real, but so is their attachment to Tunsil, who is a quality tackle in a league that is largely devoid of them. There’s also this to consider – the Dolphins would have to give Clowney a hefty deal upon acquiring him, so they want to make sure the deal is worthwhile in total.
Will the Texans meet the sky-high asking price? That largely depends on exactly how desperate they are for left tackle help and how much other interested clubs will fork over for the former No. 1 overall pick.
Colts, Texans, Browns Lead NFL In Cap Space
On Tuesday morning, the NFL released a report of every team’s cap space. The total number accounts for the top-51 cap numbers on every team’s roster. Therefore, these numbers will naturally change before next week as teams set their 53-man rosters (although the 52nd- and 53rd-ranked cap numbers (and beyond) for each team will hardly change anything).
It’s also worth noting that there have been a handful of extensions, trades, signings, and cuts since this report was released. However, there weren’t any significant moves that would drastically alter these rankings.
Why are these numbers important at this time of year? Well, rosters will be trimmed on Saturday, meaning an influx of players will hit the open market. While we can’t imagine any roster casualties earning a lucrative contract from a new team, these numbers can help illustrate the monetary advantage one organization has over another. These numbers are also useful in regards to any potential trades or extensions.
With help from TheMMQB.com’s Albert Breer on Twitter, we’ve listed the league’s cap space totals (as of Tuesday morning) below:
- Indianapolis Colts: $56.6MM
- Houston Texans: $37.0MM
- Cleveland Browns: $34.6MM
- Dallas Cowboys: $26.1MM
- Tennessee Titans: $26.0MM
- San Francisco 49ers: $25.5MM
- Buffalo Bills: $23.3MM
- Miami Dolphins: $22.1MM
- Chicago Bears: $22.1MM
- Washington Redskins: $21.7MM
- Detroit Lions: $21.5MM
- Kansas City Chiefs: $21MM
- Cincinnati Bengals: $19.7MM
- Seattle Seahawks: $19.5MM
- Philadelphia Eagles: $18.6MM
- Jacksonville Jaguars: $18.2MM
- Oakland Raiders: $17.3MM
- Los Angeles Chargers: $16.4MM
- Green Bay Packers: $15.2MM
- New York Jets: $14.9MM
- New England Patriots: $14.1MM
- Baltimore Ravens: $13.4MM
- New Orleans Saints $7.5MM
- Carolina Panthers $5.9MM
- Los Angeles Rams $5.6MM
- New York Giants $5.5MM
- Pittsburgh Steelers $4.9MM
- Minnesota Vikings $4.7MM
- Arizona Cardinals $4.7MM
- Denver Broncos $4.4MM
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers $4.3MM
- Atlanta Falcons $3.4MM
Ryan Fitzpatrick To Be Dolphins Week 1 Starter?
Dolphins head coach Brian Flores still hasn’t officially named his starting quarterback, but all signs are pointing to a Week 1 display of FitzMagic in Miami. As Adam H. Beasley of the Miami Herald writes, the team’s starting offense is not playing in tonight’s preseason finale, but Josh Rosen might.
Although Rosen will not start against the Saints tonight — that honor belongs to Jake Rudock — he is dressed and will go in if Rudock gets injured. It therefore seems clear that the 36-year-old Ryan Fitzpatrick will get the nod to open the season. Cameron Wolfe of ESPN.com (Twitter link) hears that will indeed be the case.
It’s fair to wonder if it’s wise for a rebuilding team like Miami to turn to an aging journeyman under center rather than evaluating what it has in Rosen, who was the No. 10 overall pick in last year’s draft. But while Rosen was said to be closing the gap on Fitzpatrick earlier this month, it seems the bearded veteran has managed to hold off his younger competition.
Neither player has lit the world on fire in preseason contests. Rosen has completed 28 of 45 passes for 352 yards and has thrown one interception, while Fitzpatrick has completed 17 of 32 passes for 166 yards and one touchdown.
Latest On Dolphins’ Pursuit Of Jadeveon Clowney
Reports just two days ago suggested that the Dolphins would not trade offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil to the Texans for Jadeveon Clowney, and earlier this week, Miami reportedly assured Tunsil’s camp that the former first-rounder would not be dealt.
However, Adam H. Beasley of the Miami Herald notes that the Tunsil-to-Houston rumors will not go away. It sounds as if Miami is still strongly considering a Clowney trade, but if the team deals Tunsil — one of the best and most-liked players on the team — Beasley says the Dolphins could have a mutiny on their hands.
Beasley’s source said, “[t]he backlash would be amazing. Guys would legit revolt.”
Beasley added the Fins will only include Tunsil in a Clowney trade if they are blown away by the offer. In other words, Houston would have to send back Clowney and premium draft capital if it wants to land the 25-year-old Ole Miss product. The Texans have been persistent in their efforts to pry Tunsil away, but the Dolphins are holding the line for now.
Miami clearly believes Tunsil can be a key component of its next competitive roster, but a package of draft picks could allow the team to assure itself of one of the top QB prospects in the 2020 draft, which would obviously help accelerate the rebuild. If the Dolphins are convinced to part with Tunsil, though, new HC Brian Flores will apparently face the first real chemistry test of his head coaching career.
Dolphins Notes: Clowney, Grant, Alonso
The Dolphins believe they are the favorites to land Texans star Jadeveon Clowney, but Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com believes that Miami would have to increase Clowney’s tag number (currently just under $16MM) to something in the $20MM+ range to land the former No. 1 overall pick (Twitter link). Fitzgerald suggests that the Dolphins may not be interested in giving Clowney the long-term deal he wants and could be looking to trade a second-round pick for Clowney this year and flipping him for a first-rounder next year.
Let’s take a quick swing around South Beach:
- Wide receiver Jakeem Grant‘s extension was reported as a four-year, $24MM pact, but NFL Insider Adam Caplan says the base value is actually $19.7MM (Twitter link). The total value could increase to $24MM with Pro Bowl incentives. The contract includes $7.5MM in guaranteed money, only $3.72MM of which is fully guaranteed.
- The Dolphins are said to be shopping linebacker Kiko Alonso, though rival teams expect him to be cut. Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald writes that head coach Brian Flores was non-committal when asked about the status of Alonso and tight end Dwayne Allen, both of whom have battled injuries this summer. Alonso returned to practice on a limited basis Sunday, and while Jackson says Miami could very well keep him around in 2019, it would not be surprising if both Alonso and Allen were released.
- More from Jackson, who suggests that edge rusher Nate Orchard is on the roster bubble. Though Flores didn’t elaborate, he said “this will be a big week” for Orchard. It sounds as if one of last year’s “Hard Knocks” stars could find his way onto the 53-man roster with a strong performance in Miami’s last preseason game.
- The Dolphins’ QB competition between Josh Rosen and Ryan Fitzpatrick remains open.
Dolphins Consider Themselves Favorites For Jadeveon Clowney
The Dolphins believe they are the leaders to land Texans star Jadeveon Clowney, as Armando Salguero and Adam H. Beasley of the Miami Herald write. We learned earlier today that Clowney has met in person with Dolphins head coach Brian Flores and other members of Miami’s brass, and the team thinks that meeting helped sway Clowney towards South Beach.
As Clowney has not yet signed his franchise tender, he does have some say as to where he gets traded. Sources suggest that Clowney was not initially in love with the idea of coming to the Dolphins, and indeed, today’s report suggested that Clowney prefers the Seahawks or Eagles.
However, the Dolphins believe Clowney is now on board if they can swing a deal with the Texans. Salguero and Beasley say that a potential trade between the two teams would not include a first-round pick heading to Houston, though Miami is also refusing to give up offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil.
In addition to offensive line help, the Texans are in need of a running back, and the Dolphins could package Kenyan Drake or Kalen Ballage along with some draft capital to make a trade work.
Dolphins Won’t Give Up Laremy Tunsil In Jadeveon Clowney Trade
The Dolphins are interested in Jadeveon Clowney, but they’ll only go so far to get him. The Dolphins are unwilling to part with offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil in any potential trade with the Texans, Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle (on Twitter) hears. 
[RELATED: Jadeveon Clowney Wants To Join Eagles Or Seahawks]
That could be a potential roadblock for the Dolphins in their pursuit of Clowney, since the Texans are in need of offensive tackle help. But, as Wilson notes, the Texans could also use assistance at running back after losing Lamar Miller to a season-ending injury. If the Dolphins are willing to discuss tailbacks like Kalen Ballage, that could give them ammo in a Clowney deal.
Clowney, still only 26, has 29 career sacks despite playing in just 60 of 80 possible career games. Most of those missed games came in his rookie season and he has missed just three games in the last three years.
Texans’ Jadeveon Clowney Wants Trade To Seahawks Or Eagles
Jadeveon Clowney wants the Texans to trade him, and he has a couple of destinations in mind. The standout edge rusher views the Seahawks and Eagles as his preferred destinations, Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle (Twitter link) hears. 
Meanwhile, Clowney has also met in person with Dolphins head coach Brian Flores and other members of Miami’s brass, sources tell Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Wilson hears the same thing, though he notes that the Dolphins are not his first-choice destination. On the flipside, the Dolphins would be open to working out a lucrative extension with Clowney, once he’s eligible.
As an unsigned franchise player, Clowney does have some leverage in this matter. The Texans have been unwilling to commit to him for the last few offseasons and he might have enough juice to force a trade to the Seahawks, Eagles, or another contender.
The Texans, ideally, would like to keep Clowney, though they’ve previously set an asking price. In the spring, it was believed that Clowney could be had for a second-round pick (Twitter link via Albert Breer of The MMQB).
After firing his agent on Tuesday afternoon, it appears that Clowney is serious about landing the long-term deal he desires.
AFC East Notes: Jets, Dolphins, Rosen, Bills
The Jets‘ talent search is underway, as ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini writes. GM Joe Douglas and his staff have been studying preseason tape from around the NFL and Cimini expects Gang Green to take advantage of having No. 3 waiver priority this weekend.
Their key needs, at this point, have been well documented – The Jets badly need help at cornerback and outside linebacker. However, they could also target wide receivers, kickers, kickoff/punt returners, and tackles with experience to provide depth up front.
While the Jets continue to do their homework, here’s more from the AFC East:
- Speaking of the Jets‘ kicking situation, Zach Braziller of the New York Post notes some good news for Taylor Bertolet. With his conversions from 48 and 56 yards out on Saturday night, the kicker just might have saved his job. It was a big game for the 26-year-old, who missed two extra point tries in the previous game against the Falcons.
- Dolphins head coach Brian Flores says the quarterback competition between Josh Rosen and Ryan Fitzpatrick remains open (Twitter link via Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald). Fitzpatrick and Rosen traded off starts in the first three games of the preseason, with each player having their moments.
- Bills head coach Sean McDermott says wide receiver Robert Foster has been working through a toe injury that he suffered in the spring (Twitter link via Joe Buscaglia of The Athletic). So far, Foster has looked sharp in practice, so he’s still likely to make the roster.
Dolphins Cut Jordan Mills, Clive Walford
The 53-man roster deadline isn’t until Saturday, but the Dolphins are getting ahead of the game. On Tuesday, the Dolphins released tackle Jordan Mills and tight end Clive Walford with injury settlements. The club also cut defensive tackle Akeem Spence and waived/injured linebacker Chase Allen. 
Mills, a free agent acquisition, was disappointing in minicamp and was leapfrogged at right tackle by Jesse Davis. The Dolphins gave him a shot at redemption in training camp, but he was unable to regain his footing.
Walford was most recently with the Jets, but New York decided to non-tender him earlier this month, leading him to the Fins. He had two stints with the Jets and one stint with the Colts in 2018, appearing in only a single game. Walford showed some promise during his first two years in the league, hauling in 61 receptions for 688 yards and six scores across the 2015-16 seasons with the Raiders.