Miami Dolphins trying to restructure Ndamukong Suh, Cameron Wake contracts

With only days remaining to shave $3.56 million from their 2016 salary cap, the Miami Dolphins are scurrying to restructure deals with two of their highest-paid players: defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh and outside linebacker Cameron Wake.

Suh counts $28.6 million against the 2016 salary cap but his deal includes a provision that would allow for the Dolphins to tack an extra season onto the deal for cap-balancing purposes. That move serves only to delay the cap issues - similar tactics served the Pittsburgh Steelers and Dallas Cowboys in recent years - but would save more than $18.5 million on the 2016 cap. All teams must be in compliance with the 2016 salary cap before the start of the league year on March 9, and Miami is over the cap as of Thursday morning.

These are the burdens the Dolphins took on in making Suh the highest-paid defender in the NFL in free agency last spring, when Suh bolted Detroit to sign a six-year, $114 million deal.

Wake is recovering from a torn Achilles and has a $9.8 million cap hit. However, only $1.4 million of that total is guaranteed. His salary could be converted to a signing bonus, but the Palm Beach Post reported Thursday Wake is not necessarily amenable to a deal that doesn't include new money.

The Dolphins tied up $12.734 million in transition player Olivier Vernon, and the defensive end will count against the cap unless another team signs him to an offer sheet. Based on the cap corner the Dolphins are painted into, it's unlikely the Dolphins would be able to match a deal from another team.