The Phinsider
The Miami Dolphins have completely collapsed this season, falling to a 1-6 record to start the year and looking like a team out of sync and without answers. The on-field play has been tough to watch, the play calling has been questionable at best, and the results have been embarrassing. The Dolphins are nearing rock bottom on a year where they should have been able to compete for a wild card playoff position.
As the Dolphins continue to struggle, the NFL trade deadline approaches, and the rumors are starting to swirl. Will the Dolphins become sellers ahead of the November 4 deadline, sending away proven players to begin stockpiling draft picks? Or will they hold on to players in a hope that the team will turn around and save the jobs of head coach Mike McDaniel and general manager Chris Grier?
Whatever route the Dolphins decide they are going to go, Grier is likely to be taking phone calls for several Miami players. According to an ESPN article on Tuesday, Miami might actually have two of the biggest names available on the trade market.
Matt Bowen and Jeremy Fowler put together their list of the top 25 players who could be moving this year. In the introduction to the article, they stress, “Players are ranked here by the potential value they’d provide a new team if traded — not their likelihood of actually being dealt.”
The number two player on the list, trailing only the Cincinnati Bengals’ edge rusher Trey Hendrickson, is Miami wide receiver Jaylen Waddle. Bowen and Fowler see the Pittsburgh Steelers and New York Giants as possible landing spots for Miami’s 2021 sixth-overall draft pick. They only rate the chance of a trade as a 10 percent possibility, but they explain the high ranking, writing:
The buzz: This is a similar situation to Hendrickson; the team does not plan to trade the player but interest is there. While Miami could be tempted to trade players due to its 1-6 record, Waddle is a building block on offense, and he’s due $36.1 million in cash over 2025-26 — reasonable in today’s high-end receiver market. Multiple league execs expect the Dolphins’ no-trade stance to stand barring a surprise. — Fowler
The tape: A rapid accelerator with explosive-play ability, Waddle fits best in a system that schemes catch-and-run targets (crossers, in-breakers, screens) and vertical throws. Over his career in Miami, 16.8% of Waddle’s receptions have gone for 20 or more yards, while he produced 38.6% of his total receiving yardage after the catch. He has 405 yards and three TDs this season. — Bowen
The speculation of a Waddle trade continues to grow, especially with the Giants as a possible landing spot. However, if Miami were to trade Waddle, they would likely expect a huge bounty back for the receiver, who is only 26 years old and has three 1,000-yard receiving seasons in the four he has played....
