Miami, FL
Actually, the Miami Dolphins’ Offseason Moves Make More Sense Than You Think
The Miami Dolphins entered free agency needing a new starting quarterback, and lacking the cap space to pay one. That was the case despite the team clearing $22.8 million by releasing wide receiver Tyreek Hill last month, with an additional $7 million in savings coming from the eventual release of pass rusher Bradley Chubb. There just didn’t seem to be enough money for the team to be active in the open market. Miami’s last front office, helmed by former general manager Chris Grier, left the new regime, led by first-year GM Jon-Eric Sullivan, in deep shit from a salary cap perspective, and many assumed the new group would spend this first offseason digging their way out of it.
When a team led by a new brain trust inherits a crappy roster and then immediately starts shedding salary, the safe assumption is that they’re preparing to tank. And before noon on the first day of the NFL’s legal tampering period, Miami couldn’t beat those allegations. After failing to garner any trade interest in quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, the team decided to release him for nothing except for a $99 million dead cap hit for the upcoming season. Moving on from Tagovailoa, who was benched last season and whose press conference missteps became a distraction, and resetting the vibes in the locker room may have been worth the cap penalty. They also traded safety Minkah Fitzpatrick to the Jets for a seventh-round pick—and though the 29-year-old may be past his prime, he’s still a very useful player who would fit in any defense. Sending him to a divisional rival in exchange for a ham sandwich and a conditional bag of chips is not a win-now move. But then Miami’s offseason took an interesting turn when the Dolphins gave quarterback Malik Willis a three-year, $67.5 million contract with $45 million in guarantees. Those are some round numbers for a passer who hasn’t played much in the NFL, and it’s not the kind of deal a team that’s actively trying to get worse would make.
Coming off the incoherence of Grier’s nine years at the helm, it’d be understandable if Dolphins fans were triggered by these seemingly mixed messages. During Grier’s tenure, Miami tried the tanking thing but ended up winning too many games to earn the top pick in the draft. (In Brian Flores’s discrimination lawsuit against the NFL, he claimed that when he was the Dolphins head coach in 2019, team owner Stephen Ross offered to pay him $100,000 per loss in order to incentivize him to lose games, but he refused.) Miami also tried the “all in” approach after hiring Mike McDaniel as head coach in 2021, trading for several big-name players over the next few seasons, including Hill, Chubb, and Fitzpatrick. Those bold moves resulted in two trips to the playoffs and zero postseason wins or division titles.
Those two extremes of roster construction are seemingly at odds, but there is a commonality between them: impatience. Tanking teams try to accelerate the process of getting bad enough to land a franchise-saving quarterback at the top of the draft. “All in” teams try to accelerate the process of going from good to great by trading away draft capital and giving up cap space for an injection of talent. The Dolphins failed at both, and now the new front office is taking a more patient approach. But before Sullivan can build up the team, he has to clean up the mess his predecessor left behind. These early moves aren’t signaling a tank or even a naive push for the playoffs; rather, they seem to be signs that Miami doesn’t want to repeat its recent mistakes.
Cutting Hill would have been an appropriate move even if the Dolphins were closer to competing for a playoff spot. He just turned 32, he’s coming off two down seasons and a major injury, and the move cleared $22.8 million in cap space. Hill didn’t seem too happy in Miami over the past two years and was entering the final year of his contract, so he was probably fine with the move, too. Chubb, meanwhile, had a $31.2 million cap hit for the upcoming season. And while he’s a solid player, he collected just 8.5 total sacks over the last two seasons and moving on from him frees up an additional $7.3 million in cap space. There’s no question the Dolphins would have been better off from a financial standpoint by keeping Tagovailoa on the roster for one more year instead of taking on a record $99 million dead cap hit and a loss of $42.9 million in 2026 cap space, but releasing him shouldn’t hurt their on-field product. Tagovailoa was dreadful throughout the 2025 season and was eventually benched for rookie Quinn Ewers—a seventh-round pick who went on to outplay the veteran QB. Beyond the cap implications, these moves give the locker room a fresh start while not really moving the needle on how competitive this team will be next season compared to last.
The Willis signing is the big question mark in all of this, but that might not affect things much either. Willis was very productive in limited action as a backup for the Packers, but he played just 302 snaps in Green Bay and was sheltered by conservative, run-heavy game plans from coach Matt LaFleur. And during his first two NFL seasons in Tennessee, he took just 92 dropbacks and wasn’t good enough to beat out Will Levis in training camp entering his third season. There’s a wide range of potential outcomes for Willis in Miami, where under new offensive coordinator/play caller Bobby Slowik, the Dolphins will be installing a new version of Kyle Shanahan’s offense. There should be plenty of overlap with the offense Willis ran under LaFleur, who coached under Shanahan in previous stops. If Willis picks up where he left off in Green Bay—where he averaged 9.2 yards per dropback—this deal will be viewed as a steal in a year or two. But if he’s bad, the Dolphins can move on quickly and inexpensively.
Willis got what is essentially a two-year, $45 million deal with a team option for a third year. That’s not a massive investment given that the salary cap is up over $300 million now. Willis’s deal will account for about 7.5 percent of that, which isn’t much more than the deal Indianapolis gave Daniel Jones (5 percent) last offseason before his redemption tour. Justin Fields is the only veteran starter from last season who’s making less money per year than Willis’s $22.5 million average. And when accounting for cap inflation, Fields’s $20 million annual salary is on par with what Willis got—and actually carries more long-term liability since the Jets included two void years on his deal. Fields will be on New York’s books through the 2029 season no matter what they do with his contract this offseason. If Miami moves on from Willis after 2027, he’ll be off the books completely.
So the Willis deal won’t prohibit the Dolphins from searching for a long-term option at quarterback. And Sullivan doesn’t strike me as a general manager who is going to be content after making the 26-year-old his first big signing.
“The quarterback position again is the most important position in sports in my opinion, certainly the most important position in football,” Sullivan said when he was introduced in January. “We’re going to invest in that position every year if we can. Now depending on where we are as a football team, it’ll be at different values, but we will draft quarterbacks every year, if not every other year because I think you have to.”
The Dolphins may have guaranteed Willis $45 million over the next two years, but his position as Miami’s QB1 could be tenuous if Sullivan sticks with that strategy. That’s the antithesis of the thinking that convinced the last front office to double down on Tagovailoa and give him the four-year, $212 million contract that put the Dolphins in their current predicament. Miami was paying a steep premium for mediocre quarterback play. At least if they get mediocre play from Willis, they will have paid an appropriate price.
Steven Ruiz
Steven Ruiz has been an NFL analyst and QB ranker at The Ringer since 2021. He’s a D.C. native who roots for all the local teams except for the Commanders. As a child, he knew enough ball to not pick the team owned by Dan Snyder—but not enough to avoid choosing the Panthers.
Miami, FL
Miami biotech executive was followed into his condo by man who allegedly threw him from 25th floor
A Miami biotech executive was followed into the skyscraper where he lived by the man, accused of pushing him off the building’s 25th floor, newly-released surveillance video shows.
Justin Zelin, 35, was seen walking into Miami Beach’s 47-story Akoya Condominium with a bearded man Corey Hutterli, 37, following behind on Feb. 12 — three days before his death, NBC6 reported.
Zelin, who was wearing a casual outfit, threw away some trash in a garbage can before walking up to the entry door in the high-rise condominium’s parking lot, unaware he would fall to his death.
Hutterli, who was wearing a bucket hat, was following closely behind, carrying bottles of alcohol.
Just three days later, Harvard graduate Zelin called 911 to report a disturbance. During the call, he ordered Hutterli to leave the apartment, WPLG reported.
Zelin, who had worked as a biotechnology equity research analyst at BTIG since January 2021, reportedly shouted, “Get away from me Sasha,” using a nickname Hutterli was known by.
There was a bust-up and cops said, “During said physical altercation defendant Hutterli caused victim Zelin to perish due to blunt force trauma.”
Zelin’s body hit a path on the ground floor, according to surveillance video recorded eight minutes after the 911 call.
Hutterli’s defense team claimed Zelin “went over the balcony” after an alleged mental episode.
They claimed Zelin, who was identified as JZ in court documents, screamed at Hutterli in “what can only be described as a complete break with reality.”
“JZ can be heard ranting, claiming that he was killed by a homeless person, and insisting that he is dead.
“During this mental break, JZ ran in and out of the apartment, and then he went over the balcony of his 25th-floor condo and fell to his death.”
But the state of Hutterli’s body suggested something more sinister had happened. He had scratches on his cheek, and a cut on his thumb.
He was also in what “appears to be an excited state, according to police.
“What’s going on?” a shoeless Hutterli asked one officer.
“Somebody, he freaked out, attacked me.”
The cop asked Hutterli if he was alone, to which he replied, “No I don’t know where he is.
“I kept telling him to relax.”
Hutterli then blurted out, “What is the situation? Did he jump?”
Cops then searched the apartment – which had items strewn inside – and they found Hutterli’s bucket hat.
There were blood spatters on the rails, and clumps of Hutterli’s beard hair were also found.
Blood was also found on Hutterli’s shirt – and they found ketamine in his bag.
Hutterli was arrested on April 8 and faces a second-degree murder charge, which carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
Cops were able to make an arrest after Zelin’s DNA was discovered on Hutterli’s jacket.
He also faces burglary with assault or battery, possession of a controlled substance, and drug paraphernalia charges.
Tributes, meanwhile, were paid to Zelin following his death.
“Justin was one of the best biotech analysts I have ever worked with,” friend Amit Jolly wrote on Linkedin.
“His work was rigorous, thoughtful, and deeply coordinated.
“He had a rare ability to see around corners and articulate complex ideas with clarity and conviction.
“Our field has lost an extraordinary mind, and many of us have lost a trusted voice and friend.”
Miami, FL
Miami-Dade condo owners plead for help after weeks-long elevator outrage impacting residents’ health
Condominium owners near Doral are appealing for help after their buildings have been without elevator service for weeks. They are speaking exclusively with CBS News Miami, sharing stories of hardship amid the area’s suffocating heat. Several owners, who are elderly and have disabilities, say they are struggling to climb the stairs.
This is not the first time the issue has plagued Parkwood Condominiums. Last July, CBS News Miami reported that one building in the complex had been without elevator service for more than a week.
Currently, service has been out at 9240 Fontainebleau Boulevard since May 14. The elevator at 9270 Fontainebleau Boulevard has been out of service since May 15, and the elevator at 9180 Fontainebleau Boulevard is also non-functional, though the duration there is unknown.
Ronald Bedenis, who has lived on the fifth floor of 9240 Fontainebleau Boulevard for 31 years, expressed worry for his wife and others.
“It’s terrible. People are having a really difficult time,” Bedenis said. “My wife cannot go out. I have an 80-year-old woman who cannot go down the stairs. Another neighbor is 104 years old, and she is in a wheelchair. How is she supposed to get down and buy food?”
His neighbor, 68-year-old Sandra Hanson, shared her struggle. “It is horrible. It is very bad because my husband is 80 years old and he cannot walk. He is very sick. He is stressed out,” Hanson said.
At 9270 Fontainebleau Boulevard, 77-year-old heart patient Luis Jorge said the outage is impacting his health.
“They put two catheters in my heart before, and I have another operation coming up,” Jorge said. “To go down is not a problem. But to go up is a problem. We called, and there is no one to talk to. I feel like I am in prison”.
His neighbor, Iris Hernandez, called the situation “frustrating”.
“It’s a big hardship, and I am in disbelief,” Hernandez said. “I feel like I am in a nightmare. I would like to see the elevator fixed”.
CBS News Miami contacted Atlas Property Management Services in Doral and received a statement from Joaquin Alvarez, the property manager.
Alvarez reported some progress at 9270 Fontainebleau Boulevard, where a damaged property edge was repaired, but they are waiting for a control card. At 9240 Fontainebleau Boulevard, Alvarez said the elevator had a damaged valve, and he expected a new one to be installed by the end of the week. He confirmed the Condominium Association had authorized repairs.
For 9180 Fontainebleau Boulevard, Alvarez said the problem involves a defective control board, which the elevator company is working with the manufacturer to resolve. He noted the issue has been ongoing “for a while” but did not provide a repair completion date for that building.
South Florida developers knocked out a combined $115 million in construction loans for Miami condo towers that are nearly sold out, as the demand for hospitality-branded residences heats up in the region.
North Development paid off a $70 million loan to Forman Capital and Core Capital for Domus Brickell Park, while Rosso Development and Midtown Development paid off a $45 million mortgage to Arkansas-based Bank OZK for The Standard Residences, Midtown Miami.
The projects have hit major milestones.
North’s 172-unit Domus Brickell Park recently opened and has posted 120 closings, while Rosso and Midtown’s 228-unit Standard Residences is nearing completion with only five units left to sell.
North Development, a partnership between Ricardo Dunin’s Oak Capital and Juan Carlos Tassara’s Edifica, paid off its loan in April for the building at 1611 Southwest Second Avenue.
The project offers a mix of studios, one-bedroom and two-bedroom units that are short-term rental friendly. Units were marketed from the $600,000s to $1.2 million.
Zyscovich Architects is the architect, and Urban Robot Associates is the interior design firm. Amenities include the Peacock Room, which Dunin previously described as an activated lobby with food and beverage concepts, a market, and co-working spaces for guests and the public that were inspired by the ACE hotel in New York.
The payoff comes as North pushes ahead with Domus Brickell Center, another short-term-rental-friendly condo tower nearby. The developer said that 35-story, 579-unit project at 1034 Southwest Second Avenue is more than 50 percent sold and ahead of schedule. Less than a year ago, the project secured $220 million in financing, consisting of $180 million in C-PACE funding from Coral Gables-based Bayview PACE and a $40 million mortgage from Core Capital.
A few miles north, Rosso Development and Midtown Development paid off a $45 million construction loan for The Standard Residences, Midtown Miami, the first standalone residential project from the lifestyle hospitality brand. Another Standard-branded residential tower is under development in Brickell by Newgard Development Group and Two Roads Development.
Designed by Arquitectonica, the 12-story Midtown project includes 228 residences and more than 34,000 square feet of amenities, featuring a rooftop pool, pickleball court, coworking spaces and several food-and-beverage offerings, including a Juvia Group restaurant on the rooftop.
Units range from 432 square feet to 965 square feet, and include studios to two-bedroom condos. Owners will be able to rent their units out for terms as short as one month. In October 2023, fewer than 35 units remained, priced between $500,000 to $1 million.
A JLL Capital Markets debt advisory team led by Brian Gaswirth and Jimmy Calvo arranged the financing in 2023. According to JLL, the loan was paid off ahead of schedule.
Bank OZK is one of South Florida’s most active condo construction lenders. The bank also provided PMG’s state record-setting $668 million construction loan for Waldorf Astoria Residences Miami, which is expected to become the tallest residential tower south of New York City.
Even as interest rates have gradually come down in recent years, the environment is still relatively high, and construction costs continue to climb.
Read more
Juvia to open rooftop restaurant at Standard Residences in Midtown
Development
South Florida
Standard Residences in Midtown Miami scores $45M construction loan
Residential
South Florida
Ricardo Dunin, Juan Carlos Tassara land $220M financing for Domus Brickell Center
Development
South Florida
Ricardo Dunin, Peruvian partner score $70M loan for Domus Brickell
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