The Facts: Dolphins owner Steve Ross wrote Tannehill a check for $16.7 million on Wednesday, converting most of his 2018 salary into a signing bonus to create $11 million in cap space for the franchise.

Diehards Line: Reworking Tannehill’s base salary for this season should provide the Dolphins the cap space they need to improve the team in free agency. Tannehill is the second contract the Dolphins restructured before the NFL’s first official day of the league year started on Wednesday. The Dolphins also re-worked safety Reshad Jones’ contract, turning all but $970,000 of his $9,341,000 contract in 2018 to a signing and roster bonus. Restructuring those two contracts creates $17.6 million in cap space for the previously cap strapped Dolphins, who were $19 million over the projected salary cap last week.