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fs (and eventually a win in Super Bowl 50) behind Peyton Manning during the 2015-2016 season Jesse Davis Jersey , Brock Osweiler was viewed as one of the league’s up-and-coming young quarterbacks before a disastrous tenure with the Houston Texans sent his career spiraling in the wrong direction. Now that he’s had a taste of being the starter once more, he has no intention of letting that go without a fight.Osweiler has started the past three games for the Miami Dolphins following Ryan Tannehill’s mysterious shoulder injury and has played better than most expected. He led the Dolphins to a surprise victory over a dangerous Chicago Bears defense and has kept Miami competitive in games against Detroit and Houston, two playoff contenders. He’s also held Miami’s offense afloat while the defense has all but collapsed over the past few contests.According to Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald, Osweiler has approached each of these games with the mentality that he is playing for a starting job and much more. “Every single week, in my eyes, is the Super Bowl. Every single week is the biggest game out there because this sport is so special and you never know when you’re going to get another opportunity. So when you do get the opportunity, shoot, I play every single play like it’s my last. I put laser focus on every single play, and I’m playing as hard as I possibly can so hopefully I never have to go back to the bench.”Through three games, Manning’s former understudy has put up statistical production that overshadows Tannehill’s despite an inferior win-loss record. Osweiler has led Miami’s offense to 25.0 points per game, 283.0 passing yards per game, 411.0 total yards per game and a 43.9 3rd down conversion rate, though his win-loss record sits at 1-2 due mostly to Miami’s collapse on the defensive side of the ball.For comparison, through Miami’s first five games of the season,Tannehill commanded an attack that put up just 19.8 points per game, 192.2 passing yards per game, 288.2 total yards per game, and a 30.9 3rd down conversion rate, though Tannehill’s win-loss record was a superior 3-2.Osweiler further elaborated on his wish to retain his starting role, saying, “I think your mentality in this league is when you get your opportunity to play, you never give that guy his job back. That has to be your mentality, and if that’s not your mentality, then you’re just in the wrong business. And that’s nothing personal against anybody. But if you don’t have that competitive spirit, this isn’t the league for you.”Whether or not Tannehill returns from injury and jumps back in to captaining this ship could depend heavily on Osweiler’s performance this week against the New York Jets, a game for which Tannehill has already been ruled out due to his shoulder ailment. Then again, if Tannehill fails to recover properly, Osweiler could remain the starter by default. The Miami Dolphins are focusing on the 2019 season, starting to develop their plan for the offseason including free agency and the NFL Draft. While the team is now stuck waiting until after the S..."The Miami Dolphins are focusing on the 2019 season, starting to develop their plan for the offseason including free agency and the NFL Draft. While the team is now stuck waiting until after the Super Bowl to hire New England Patriots linebackers coach Brian Flores as the tenth full-time head coach in Dolphins history Kenny Stills Jersey , that does not stop the preparations from general manager Chris Grier and the rest of the front office.The Dolphins head into the offseason with the fifth-lowest amount of salary cap space in the league, but they have a clear method to quickly create cap space if they choose. Using numbers from OverTheCap.com, Miami currently is $14.0 million under the projected 2019 base cap of $190 million. The only teams with less space than Miami are the Philadelphia Eagles ($14.5 million over the cap), Jacksonville Jaguars ($3.53 million over the cap), Minnesota Vikings ($6.65 million under the cap), and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers ($12.2 million under the cap). At the other end of the spectrum, the Indianapolis Colts have the most cap space, with $117.4 million in space, followed by the New York Jets ($93.8 million in space), Buffalo Bills ($83.9 million in space), Cleveland Browns ($82.5 million in space), and the Oakland Raiders ($71.1 million in space). The league rules for the offseason changes how spending against the salary cap is accounted. During the season, every dollar the team spends on a player’s base salary plus bonuses, as well as the salary of the practice squad, are a part of the cap. During the preseason, training camp, and preseason, the league only accounts for the top 51 salaries for each team. That does not impact the Dolphins right now, as they only have 49 players under contract for 2019, but it will come into play as players are re-signed or once free agency begins.Dolphins 2019 roster (49 players): Ryan Tannehill - $26.6 millionReshad Jones - $17.2 millionRobert Quinn- $12.9 millionKenny Stills - $9.75 millionDeVante Parker - $9.39 millionAndre Branch - $9.00 millionAlbert Wilson - $8.33 millionKiko Alonso - $8.27 millionJosh Sitton - $7.00 millionBobby McCain - $6.34 millionT.J. McDonald - $6.00 millionDanny Amendola - $6.00 millionLaremy Tunsil - $3.96 millionMinkah Fitzpatrick - $3.74 millionCharles Harris - $2.96 millionAkeem Spence - $2.50 millionDaniel Kilgore - $2.40 millionTed Larsen - $2.29 millionXavien Howard - $1.95 millionMike Gesicki - $1.50 millionWalt AIkens - $1.40 millionRaekwon McMillan - $1.28 millionNick O’Leary - $1.1 millionKenyan Drake - $1.02 millionJerome Baker - $897,800Cordrea Tankersley - $849,572Brice Butler - $805,000Jakeem Grant - $755,095Durham Smythe - $728,058Kalen Ballage - $717,295Davon Godchaux - $695,487Vincent Taylor - $683,607Chase Allen - $648,334Torry McTyer - $647,500Matt Haack - $646 Reshad Jones Jersey ,334James Burgess - $645,000Cornell Armstrong - $599,602Jason Sanders - $592,800Jeremiah Valoaga - $570,000Isaiah Ford - $570,000Luke Falk - $570,000Jalen Davis - $570,000Jamiyus Pittman - $570,000Quentin Poling - $495,000Kendrick Norton - $495,000Connor Hilland - $495,000Chris Lammons - $495,000Sam Eguavoen - $495,000Also factored into the salary cap number for each team is their “dead money.” This pool of money is bonuses already paid or guaranteed base salary in a contract for a player who is released from the roster. This money can come from a player released this year, or after June 1, it can be spread over the current year and the next season. The Dolphins already have three players counting against the 2019 salary cap due to dead money, including the second-half of Ndamukong Suh’s huge dead money number from last year. Dead Money:Ndamukong Suh - $13.1 millionLeonte Carroo - $175,097Isaac Asiata - $130,400The Dolphins could release players to add to the cap space. This could create dead money if there are still guarantees or signing bonus money which needs to be accounted for in the cap, but it would also provide some cap relief for Miami as well.Potential cap cuts (cap savings at least $1 million):Ryan Tannehill - Cap savings: $13.2 million; Dead money: $13.4 millionRobert Quinn - Cap savings: $12.9 million; Dead money: $0Kenny Stills - Cap savings: $4.25 million; Dead money: $5.5 millionDeVante Parker - Cap savings: $9.39 million; Dead money: $0Andre Branch - Cap savings: $7.00 million; Dead money: $2.00 millionKiko Alonso - Cap savings: $4.75 million; Dead money: $3.53 millionJosh Sitton - Cap savings: $5.00 million; Dead money: $2.00 millionDanny Amendola - Cap savings: $6.00 million; Dead money: $0Akeem Spence - Cap savings: $2.50 million; Dead money: $0Daniel Kilgore - Cap savings: $2.40 million; Dead money: $0Ted Larsen - Cap savings: $1.88 million; Dead money: $416,668Xavien Howard - Cap savings: $1.29 million; Dead money: $664,189Walt AIkens - Cap savings: $1.40 million; Dead money: $0Nick O’Leary - Cap savings: $1.00 million; Dead money: $100,000Quarterback Ryan Tannehill could be designated a post-June 1st cut, which would spread his dead money over two years. The Dolphins would not see the relief from the cap until June 2, but it would allow him to be off the roster prior to any bonuses he could have triggered into his contract as well. If the Dolphins use the post-June 1 cut option, they would see $18.75 million in cap space created this year, with $7.86 million in dead money this year, then another $5.56 million in 2020. A post June-1 cut could also be used on Reshad Jones, who would create $15.2 million in dead money this year, with a $2 million in cap space Minkah Fitzpatrick Jersey , with another $8.09 million in dead money in 2020 - a scenario not likely to be used, but one which could provide some cap space if Miami becomes desperate at some point this year. The Dolphins will have several decisions to make as Flores comes to the team and the front office begins making their first moves for the offseason. There is money to be had for the Dolphins, but every cut also means they have to sign someone to re-fill that spot on the roster. This also does not account for players like Cameron Wake, William Hayes, Ja’Wuan James, Frank Gore, MarQueis Gray, John Denney, David Fales, Brandon Bolden, Travis Swanson, Mike Hull, Leonte Carroo, A.J. Derby, Isaac Asiata, and Jesse Davis who are among the team’s soon-to-be free agents as their contracts expire in March. Miami could look to re-sign some or all of those players, potentially using some of the cap space they create. If the Dolphins were to make all of the moves above - releasing all the players straight out without using the post-June 1 cut - Miami would gain nearly $73 million in cap space. They could also re-work contracts and find other ways to create space - including the $5 million in additional space designating Tannehill as a post-June 1 cut - which could push them toward the $100 million in cap space mark. But, again, every cut means another player they need to sign.Miami seems to be focused primarily no building through the draft and looking toward the long term health of the franchise rather than the win-now, free-agency focused team they were over the past several years. If that is truly the case, they will not be looking for big-name free agents to sign, which means they can save some of their cap space this year, rolling it into 2020, or beyond, so they can eventually find the one piece that completes the rebuild they are starting. The Dolphins’ salary cap situation is not pretty, but it is not a complete mess either. Yes, they are going to have to spend a year resetting it, but it appears that the team can quickly rebound.