The Miami Dolphins were rumored to be major sellers ahead of Tuesday’s NFL trade deadline, with many analysts expecting the team to fully enter rebuild mode, trading away current players for draft picks and future prospects. Other than a Monday trade of linebacker Jaelan Phillips to the Philadelphia Eagles, Miami remained quiet throughout a day that featured several major trades around the league. What happened that the Dolphins did not jump into the fray?
Essentially, Miami stuck to their guns when it came to expected return value. Maybe the Dolphins eventually regret not negotiating, taking a little less in a deal to at least acquire something for a player who may no longer be in the team’s long-term plans. Even if they do come to have come regrets, the team seems confident in their valuation of their players and they were not going to be moved off the asking prices, no matter what.
ESPN released a longer article on Wednesday taking a look back at the moves that happened around the league on Tuesday, but included a section on trades that did not materialize. The Dolphins took a center stage in that portion of the round table discussion. Analysts Jeremy Fowler and Dan Graziano explained Miami’s quiet Tuesday, stating:
Graziano: I also heard the Dolphins got a lot of calls on wide receiver Jaylen Waddle — along with many of their other players — but that Miami told teams it would take a first-round pick to get Waddle, which no one was willing to give up.
Fowler: Waddle’s situation was compelling. I was told the Broncos were among the teams that explored a deal for him, as an elite wideout at age 26 with a reasonable contract was enticing. The Steelers, the Giants and others either had interest or would have had interest if not for the steep price tag, which, depending on what team you asked, fluctuated between a first-round pick or a one-plus (a first-rounder and more). Some teams had a tough time getting a read on Miami’s intentions at the deadline, which is understandable four days removed from general manager Chris Grier’s firing.
Graziano: The Dolphins feel like they’re in some kind of awkward in-between phase. Firing Grier, who had been with the team a quarter-century and had apprenticed under the previous three Dolphins GMs, felt like ownership signaling a desire for an entirely new vision and organizational philosophy. We don’t know if the Dolphins will also move on from the head coach or even the starting quarterback in the offseason, and I thought they’d make more moves to accumulate draft capital as they pivot into whatever they decide is their future.
Instead, only edge rusher Jaelan Phillips was dealt, and the Dolphins seem like they’re still trying to make something out of their season at 2-7 while chasing the 7-2 Patriots and the 6-2 Bills. Unlike the Bengals, the Fins don’t have reason to feel like they can win their division, and I wonder if Miami will regret not making more moves.
Was Miami right in holding on to Waddle unless a team made a huge offer for their 2021 sixth-overall pick? Should they have pulled the trigger on a deal, getting something in exchange for a player who may be leaving his prime when the team is ready to compete again? Did the timing of moving on from Grier, handing personnel decisions to interim GM Champ Kelly, impact Miami’s ability to get a trade completed?
How do you read what happened yesterday? Is Graziano correct in suggesting the Dolphins may come to regret not making more deals? Or were they smart to hold on to their veterans if a team was not willing to match their demands?
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