Nobody is Untouchable on this Dolphins Roster

Nobody is Untouchable on this Dolphins Roster

With the Dolphins moving on from Tyreek Hill, Bradley Chubb, James Daniels, and Nick Westbrook-Ikhine last week, it is clear this 2026 Dolphins team will look vastly different.

While Chubb and Hill were not surprise cuts because of their contracts and the need to create cap space, Daniels and Westbrook-Ikhine were mild surprises.

I mean, in the big picture, it doesn’t truly matter, as Daniels played all of 3 snaps last season, and there are reports he could have returned to the field in 2025 but refused.

And NWI had all of 11 receptions the entire season.

I think the statement, “can’t miss something you never had,” applies to both.

With that said, though, as Jon-Eric Sullivan and Jeff Hafley go through rebuilding this Miami Dolphins roster, don’t think for one minute any player is safe.

There is a Cameron Wolfe report from the NFL Network saying that Miami is not interested in trading De’Von Achane and Jaylen Waddle.

Yeah, and they also had no interest in trading Laremy Tunsil a few years back until an offer came in so good they couldn’t turn it down.

So reports like that are great, but just know their thought processon trading either may change in the blink of an eye.

Sullivan and Hafley didn’t draft any player on this Miami roster.

They have no emotional or professional ties to any of them.

And they are going to want to rebuild thsi Miami Dolphins team in their own vision with “their guys.”

With that said, this Dolphins team has a few talented players, and you don’t just run off talented players.

Unless, of course, you get an offer that is too good to turn down.

There are reports that Miami is interested in trading Minkah Fitzpatrick at this time and is talking to teams about this.

Makes sense on all levels.

Minkah will be 30 in November, and he has no guaranteed money on his contract this season. The final year of his contract.

Why does that matter? Because if they trade or cut him, it opens up around $13 mill of salary cap space.

Which they need badly for when they trade or cut Tua Tagovailoa.

And by the way, by the time Miami is good again, competing for division titles and the playoffs in 2028 or so, Minkah will be even older and not a part of Miami’s long-term plans.

The next two names get some Dolphins fans all in their feelings, and I get it. They are popular players.

Jaylen Waddle and De’Von Achane.

Let’s start with Achane, who is a superstar running back.

He is also entering the final year of his contract, and he won’t participate in OTAs or training camp this year until he gets a long-term contract extension.

His agent won’t let him risk injury before he gets the big-money contract he has earned.

So, Sullivan and Hafley have a decision: give Achane that big-money deal or trade him now and get draft picks back.

I know in the eyes of many Dolphins fans, trading him makes zero sense, but playing chess and not checkers, looking at the big picture, we know how most running backs don’t get paid big bucks in this league.

And if Sullivan believes he doesn’t want to pay big bucks to a running back, it’s best to trade Achane now, when his value is at an all-time high, and get a 1st-round draft pick in return.

I mean, Miami would still have Jaylen Wright and Ollie Gordon on the roster.

Waddle is a little more interesting because his contract is tough, if not impossible, to trade before June 1st.

But Miami’s rebuild will go beyond one offseason, and there will be an NFL Draft in 2027 that Miami can begin to stockpile draft picks for.

A pre-June 1st trade is almost impossible, honestly, as the cap hit would exceed $30 mill of dead money, which Miami doesn’t have right now.

A post-June 1st trade would open up cap space for Miami this year, and a lot next year.

And if you’re questioning why Miami would trade Waddle, he is one of their few good players. Ask yourself this: Is Jaylen Waddle a #1 WR?

If the answer is no or borderline, well, he is being paid like one, and that is a bad deal given out by Chris Grier.

Knowing Miami is going to be rebuilding for at least two seasons, is the smart big picture play to move on from Waddle now, get a 1st or 2nd round draft pick in return, and look to add a true #1 WR?

And if you do that in the draft this year or next, they will be on a rookie contract for 4 or 5 years and be relatively cheap.

And we have reports out of Pittsburgh now that the Steelers are a team to keep an eye on, as they almost completed a trade for Waddle at the deadline and may approach Miami again about trying to seal a deal for him.

You see, the point being made here, Sullivan didn’t draft any of these players.

While they are good players, they aren’t his guys.

And by the time Miami is good again, they may not be on this roster, so if the iron is hot now, it may be time to strike and get the most value for them via trade.

And these are just three players who may draw interest from other teams, but this goes for the entire Miami roster.

Zach Sieler, Jordyn Brooks, and anyone else who may have a market, big or small, on the trade block.

A lot of Dolphins fans want the organization to play Quinn Ewers this year to see what he has, and I get that. But Hafley and Sullivan didn’t draft Quinn, and they aren’t going to hand him anything.

They will bring in another rookie QB, they will sign a veteran quarterback, and Quinn will have to win a quarterback competition.

Because Sullivan and Hafley have no ties to Ewers in any way, they won’t just hand him anything.

NFL free agency starts in a few weeks, and it may be busy for Miami.

Oh, not for signing any players, but for trading away a few players they have, so they are set up for the 2026 and 2027 NFL draft with a treasure trove of draft picks.

Nobody on Miami’s roster is safe.

NOBODY!