NFL free agency is underway, and the Dolphins have made a number of moves to improve their roster for 2022 and beyond.
One of the first moves they made during the league’s legal tampering period was to sign former Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Cedrick Wilson Jr. During his time with the Cowboys, Wilson was primarily their fourth wide receiver behind Amari Cooper, Ceedee Lamb and Michael Gallup.
Due to injuries, Wilson saw a large uptick in opportunities last season, jumping from 20% of snaps in 2020 to 46% in 2021. This allowed him to set career-highs in receptions (45), yards (602) and touchdowns (six).
On Thursday, Wilson’s three-year contract worth $22.05 million became official. The deal includes $12.75 million guaranteed, $2.75 million of which is in the form of a signing bonus.
His salaries each year are $4 million (all guaranteed), $7 million ($5 million guaranteed), and $7.3 million. He also has a $1 million roster bonus this year and $500,000 annual incentives for receptions and yards.
Wilson’s cap hits are $5.92 million in 2022, $7.92 million in 2023, and $8.22 million in 2024. While the cap is expected to continue rising in the next few seasons, if the Dolphins aren’t happy with Wilson’s production, cutting him before the 2024 season would only incur $917,000 in dead cap.
For a fourth wide receiver, the money is probably more than most fans are comfortable with, but this is more of a projection. Right now, Wilson would be the third receiver on Miami’s depth chart, meaning he would see close to that 40% playtime threshold. And, when you add in the fact that he’s also completed eight passes and has some history with punt returns, there’s more value there than most would assume.