Dolphins Trade WR Tutu Atwell Back To Rams

At first glance, this is an odd deal from multiple angles. The Dolphins have one of the league’s thinnest pass-catching corps after trading Jaylen Waddle to the Broncos in March. Atwell was by far the most proven receiver on the roster with 105 receptions and 1,535 receiving yards in his career. The Rams, meanwhile, just used a fourth-round pick to draft Hunter out of Auburn 18 months ago. In fact, they traded up to do so. In a behind-the-scenes look at the team’s draft process, head coach Sean McVay pushed for the trade, saying after that Hunter was his “top player” for Day 3 of the 2025 draft. General manager Les Snead called Hunter his “favorite running back.”

But Atwell struggled to carve out a role in Miami during training camp, according to ESPN’s Marcel Louis-Jacques, pushing the Dolphins in the direction of their younger receivers, such as 2024 sixth-round pick Malik Washington. The team also added Chris Bell, Caleb Douglas, and Kevin Coleman Jr. in the second, third, and fifth rounds of April’s draft, respectively. None especially excelled in their first two preseason games, but they must have shown new Dolphins head coach Jeff Hafley and offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik enough in training camp to earn more opportunities moving forward.

Hunter, meanwhile, failed to establish himself in Los Angeles as a rookie. He appeared in the team’s first five games as a rookie, but played just 22 snaps exclusively on special teams. He was a healthy scratch for the rest of the year with McVay preferring to have Ronnie Rivers active on game days behind Kyren Williams and Blake Corum. This offseason, Hunter was unable to make up any ground. Recently, McVay reiterated his “trust” in Rivers, signaling the veteran’s on the RB3 job and Hunter’s potential expendability.

For both Atwell and Hunter, their apparent lack of value to the teams that traded them away is also indicative of their likely role in their new home. Atwell, originally a Rams second-round pick in 2021, is familiar with McVay’s scheme and can provide depth behind Puka Nacua, Davante Adams, and Jordan Whittington. However, his target share collapsed from 11.8% in 2023 and 2024 to just 2.6% last year, indicating he will remain on the periphery of Los Angeles’ offense.

In Miami, Hunter will still be buried behind competition, just on a different depth chart. De’Von Achane will take the lion’s share of the workload with Jaylen Wright and Ollie Gordon still jockeying for the backup job. That will leave Hunter facing off against Carlos Washington and Donovan Edwards for the fourth running back roster spot – if there is one. Dolphins could also be planning to release Hunter with the hopes that he clears waivers and can re-sign to their practice squad.

The move has minimal salary cap impact on both sides, per OverTheCap. Atwell’s $188k signing bonus will go on the Dolphins’ 2026 cap sheet as dead money. The Rams will inherit his $1.2MM veteran-minimum salary, of which just under $1.1MM is guaranteed. $250k of Hunter’s rookie signing bonus will be charged to Los Angeles this year with another $499k hitting in 2027. Miami will take on the remaining three years and $3.36MM of his contract, none of which is guaranteed.