Dolphins Mock Trade Season in Full Swing

We don't need to tell anyone about the countless mock drafts that already have begun surfacing and will continue to surface until late April, and let's just say the number of those will reach the thousands.

But there's another annual exercise that comes with the start of the offseason, and that's the good old trade speculation.

Based on just an early glance at national media outlets, the Miami Dolphins will be trading Tyreek Hill this offseason and it could be to the Los Angeles Chargers, Dallas Cowboys or any number of teams. And then there's this one hypothetical trade where the Dolphins will be sending outside linebacker Bradley Chubb to the Green Bay Packers in exchange for a seventh-round pick.

Yet another outlet is suggesting the Dolphins will trade Hill and then replace him by trading for Deebo Samuel, who's asked for a trade from the San Francisco 49ers.

Let's point out here these are not reports based on sources indicating teams have been discussing trade parameters, but rather either suggested trades or trades some writers would like to see.

THE IDEA OF TRADING TYREEK OR CHUBB

In the case of Chubb, the only reason to trade him — especially for such a low return as a seventh-round pick — would be to clear cap space. The Dolphins would reduce his cap charge for 2025 by $20 million by trading him after June 1, though he'd still count some $9 million against the cap while playing for another team.

The cap savings for the Dolphins would be the same if they were to release him with a post-June 1 designation, which would allow for Chubb to sign with any other team in March but Miami not have the freed cap space cleared until June.

And Chubb has a base salary of more than $19 million in 2025 that isn't guaranteed, and the idea of any wanting to pick up that contract as is is dubious at best considering he didn't play at all this past season.

And if Chubb is willing to restructure his contract to accept less money, why wouldn't that be done with the Dolphins?

As for Hill, the reasons for trading him would be very obvious, except we have the NFL Network report from Tom Pelissero indicating the team does not plan on trading him. And that report is based on sources, not writer speculation.

We've already explained here why the idea of trading Hill is a dangerous one, and one factor that shouldn't be overlooked is that if the Dolphins decide that Hill isn't worth the trouble anymore, why would another team decide to take the chance by giving up a big return.

And does it really make sense for the Dolphins to give him away for a below-market return unless bridges have been burned and there's no going back?

The bottom line is that these hypothetical trades definitely are eye-catching, but they rarely come to fruition and they all need to be analyzed to make sure they actually make any sense.