Trash the draft.
The Miami Dolphins need to trade tomorrow for today.
Flip the picks.
This roster’s window to win is open now, as in right now, so the franchise that famously stood with a tank-for-Tua idea should complete its trade-for-today philosophy begun with the deals for Tyreek Hill and Bradley Chubb in the past year.
Trade two second-round picks — one this year, one in 2024 — for Los Angeles Rams cornerback Jalen Ramsey, as Pro Football Focus proposed, if it fits new defensive coordinator Vic Fangio’s ideas.
Dangle a third-round pick to other teams in messy salary-cap situations — Tampa Bay, New Orleans, Minnesota — for a veteran offensive lineman to solidify that unit. Tampa Bay guard Shaq Mason? New Orleans’ Andrus Peat? The floor is open for ideas.
Don’t trust the process, in other words. Purge it. The timeline for this team to win began last season when they either (a) were too injured to win more than nine games; (b) fell apart in December and tapped the ceiling by making the playoffs but not advancing.
Now what? They’ve hired Fangio. They’re all-in on quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. And they have a minimalist draft consisting of a second-round pick, two thirds and sixth- and seventh-round picks in this year’s NFL draft.
That’s not much. It’s less when you factor how many non-first-round draft picks start to improve a team starting their second year. Fifth-rounder Zach Thomas starring from Day One is a great story because it’s a rare one.
These Dolphins drafted linebacker Channing Tindall in the third round last spring with the idea he’d learn as a rookie and fill a hole this second season. Ditto for fourth-round receiver Erik Ezukanma. We’ll see how that works.
All the weight of the tank-for-tomorrow blueprint was on general manager Chris Grier. His drafts had to be spectacular for it to succeed. They’ve been OK. Just OK. Good players like defensive tackle Christian Wilkins, defensive end Jaelan Phillips, receiver Jaylen Waddle, safety Jevon Holland and guard Robert Hunt were taken.
But look at the three first-round picks of 2020: Tagovailoa’s career is a Rorschach Test of what you see; Austin Jackson underwhelmed in moving from left to right tackle and has been hurt; and cornerback Noah Igbinoghene can’t get on the field.
The offensive line that needs to protect Tagovailoa this year with his concussion issues? Since 2019, the Dolphins have used a first-round pick, two second-round picks, two third-round picks and a fourth-, sixth- and seventh-round pick on offensive linemen. That’s more than a full draft. The story isn’t over. But the only sure hit so far is Hunt, the 2020 second-round guard.
It hasn’t helped to be on your sixth offensive line coach in five seasons. But the only way they’ve assembled a functioning line was by buying free agent center Connor Williams and left tackle Terron Armstead.
So do you try, try again drafting an offensive lineman on a team that needs immediate help? Or purge that process?
The Dolphins already have gone down the path the Los Angeles Rams did in dumping draft picks to win a Super Bowl. Grier traded nearly a full draft for Hill last offseason: The 15th pick plus a second- and fourth-round pick in the 2022 draft and fourth- and sixth-round picks in 2023. That doesn’t even get into the new contract with the guaranteed $72 million.
You can say Hill was worth all that and the Dolphins crazily overpaid in the same sentence. That’s a trade to make when you’re one player from a ring. They must feel like they are, because they sent another first-round pick to Denver for Chubb last season.
There’s no point getting into the weeds in judging all these deals. The idea is the Dolphins have started down a live-for-today philosophy. Do you stop now?
The danger is the hangover the Rams have while wearing their ring. They’re in salary-cap hell, have no draft picks and need to trade players like Ramsey and his $17 million salary. The Dolphins’ question is whether Fangio’s defense demands two shutdown cornerbacks with Ramsey and Xavien Howard like Brian Flores’ defense did. If not, use the resources elsewhere.
The idea doesn’t change. The Dolphins once tanked for tomorrow. For that tomorrow to come, they need to trash this draft and flip the picks for help today.
