Trading Tyreek Hill and 3 bold moves Dolphins could make before NFL Draft
The Miami Dolphins have watched free agency trickle down to a crawl as draft season officially gets underway. GM Chris Grier has work to do and could make some rather big splashes.
There are several holes left to fill on the Dolphins’ roster, and it won’t be easy to put great players in those spots, especially given the current salary cap situation Grier has to work with. It doesn’t matter who is at fault for the cap mess; it is still one man’s job to solve it.
The Dolphins haven’t made many bold moves over the last several seasons. The last big swings the Dolphins made were the Tyreek Hill and Bradley Chubb trades.
That likely won’t change this offseason, but some outside-the-box possibilities have slipped under the radar.
4 bold moves the Dolphins could still make this offseason
Dolphins should still consider trading Tyreek Hill
No, the Dolphins won’t get a first-round pick for Hill, but they could get a second-rounder. The Baltimore Ravens would make a lot of sense, as would the Los Angeles Chargers. Any team looking to go deep into the playoffs and challenge the Kansas City Chiefs, Buffalo Bills, and Philadelphia Eagles should have a real interest.
Hill is explosive, but he is the entire offense and shouldn’t be. The Dolphins’ offense could improve without Hill, as the defensive focus would become broader as other weapons get the first looks instead of Hill. If the Dolphins could get an offer of a second-round pick and an offensive lineman, they could solve two issues immediately. Eventually, Hill will be gone, and it will be much easier to fill his role on the team than it has been to fix the offensive line.
Dolphins could ignore needs and draft a playmaker at No. 13
Jonnu Smith had a great season in 2024, but that shouldn’t be enough to warrant not making another move. Two offensive weapons in this year’s draft stand out: running back Ashton Jeanty and tight end Tyler Warren. The Dolphins don’t need either position, but either would help Mike McDaniel’s offense level up.
Jeanty makes sense, but Miami has two capable backs in De’Von Achane and Jaylen Wright. Adding Warren to the roster would give Tua Tagovailoa another difference-making target. Miami could easily run two-TE sets with Smith and Warren, giving defenses nightmares. Throw in Achane out of the backfield, Nick Westbrook-Ikhine on the outside, and Jaylen Waddle on the other side, and good luck stopping the Dolphins’ offense.
Dolphins could trade future draft capital to move back into the first round
No one wants the Dolphins to sacrifice future picks to fix this year’s roster, but it would be an exceptional move to find a way to get two mid-first-round selections. Warren at No. 13 and Michigan defensive lineman Kenneth Grant in the 20s? That’s a power-move flex by Grier.
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Filling a huge need on defense and adding a playmaker on offense sends a message, but it could also be viewed as Grier throwing in the towel on his future. Of course, trading Hill would give them more draft capital to make a trade-up.
Dolphins could sign Brandon Scherff and finally fix the offensive line interior
The Dolphins’ offensive line is not good. Signing James Daniels will help, but there is still a void that, as of now, will be filled by Larry Borom or Liam Eichenberg. Neither player elicits excitement, but Brandon Scherff would immediately fix that problem.
Scherff has been in the NFL for 10 years, playing for the Washington Commanders and Jacksonville Jaguars. He has not missed a single game in the last three years and would be a slam-dunk signing at right guard.
The Dolphins need stability and availability, and Scherff checks both boxes. He has time left in his career and would give the Dolphins flexibility for another couple of seasons before overhauling the line.
Dolphins Linked to Five-Time All-Pro Offensive Tackle
The Miami Dolphins have plenty of holes along their offensive line. While they have signed James Daniels and Larry Borom to address the issue, the consensus is that they are not done addressing the unit. Christian D’Andrea of For The Win recently revealed that the Dolphins could be a potential landing spot for five-time All-Pro offensive tackle Tyron Smith, writing:
Smith hasn’t played a full season since 2015. He could opt for retirement after a 10-game 2024. But if he sticks around to further bolster his Hall of Fame case, he’d be a proven protector for as long as he can stay on the field, per Christian D’Andrea of For The Win Smith has been among the best offensive tackles when he can stay on the field. He was named a second-team All-Pro as recently as 2023 and posted a 73.7 PFF grade in ten games played last season. The offensive tackle spent the first 13 seasons of his career with the Dallas Cowboys after the franchise selected him ninth overall in the 2011 NFL Draft. He joined the New York Jets last off-season before a neck injury ended his
season prematurely. Although he was unable to stay on the field last year, he was a mentor for the Jets’ young offensive linemen Olu Fashanu and Joe Tippman, another positive that Smith can bring to a team. Smith has played in just 40 out of 84 games since 2020, however, he would be a big addition for a Dolphins offensive line that is expected to lose Terron Armstead to retirement. He has earned five-All-Pro and eight Pro Bowl selections in his 14-year career.
