The Dolphins could be sellers at the trade deadline — and Miami has several in-house options not named Chris Grier who could and should lead the charge

If the Miami Dolphins want to make the most of a potential trade deadline window to offload a few players, it's hard to envision current sitting general manager Chris Grier being the right person to execute it. Grier has done well historically with trades during his tenure with Miami — it's been one of his greater strengths to find value on the trade market. He did well with the awful situation the team was in with Jalen Ramsey this summer and he rarely takes a trade in the NFL Draft that doesn't see Miami on the upper side of the value exchanged.

But selling at the trade deadline isn't about maximizing your value. It's about getting what you can for players who aren't going to be apart of the next chapter of your story as a team. That, in and of itself, creates a conflict from Grier's usual standard of seeking trades. Grier's shaky status as a long-term piece of the football operation doesn't help either. Sure, the Dolphins upper bands of management, such as Stephen Ross, Tom Garfinkel, and Brandon Shore could hand down a directive to sell. But actually doing so with your bags halfway packed doesn't feel like the right kind of incentive to make the most of the opportunity. And allowing someone who presumably is not a part of the Dolphins future to decide which players are and aren't a part of the Dolphins' future? That doesn't track.

And Chris Grier should not be allowed to execute a hypothetical selling window at the trade deadline. So who should? Miami has three sensible candidates in-house: a recent arrival with experience, the long-term mainstay in football operations, and the administrative heavyweight. Those personalities bring different options to the table for how Miami can proceed if the losses keep seeping through.

Dolphins general manager Chris Grier's career by the numbers

• General manager by title since 2016, full control of football operations since 2019
• 53-52 regular season record since 2019
• Four consecutive winning seasons
• Zero playoff wins (0-2 in postseason since 2019)

The Experienced Interim: Champ Kelly

You could, potentially, argue that Champ Kelly landed with the Dolphins for an opportunity exactly like this. He arrived in Miami this spring as a Senior personnel executive. It was an intriguing hire at the time as Kelly has looked to climb the ladder. Just two years ago, Kelly was named the interim general manager of the Las Vegas Raiders in 2023. That change, which came on November 1st of that year, put Kelly in position to manage Las Vegas' roster through the end of an 8-9 season.

Kelly's work amid a strong finish that season saw him retain his 'Assistant general manager' title in Las Vegas through 2024 before leaving Las Vegas in early 2025.

This is a man who carries a strong reputation across the league and he's come to Miami with a fresh perspective after time in Las Vegas and, before that, Chicago. He's served as an interim general manager before and could use the opportunity to try to sell himself to ownership as a viable long-term answer. And a successful assessment and execution of a trade deadline could go a long way in building a case.

The Long-Term Mainstay: Marvin Allen

Allen has been Grier's Assistant General Manager since Grier took full control of football operations back in 2019. His prior stops included time in Buffalo and Kansas City — so he's been around the block with successful programs in addition to spending his time since 2019 here in Miami. The most attractive part of Allen's candidacy to run a trade deadline window is that he's best versed in who should be considered the long-term pieces on the roster. The ones worth NOT trading.

Allen's been here for the acquisition of all of them at this point. He, like Kelly, would likely love a chance at the helm. He's put in the sweat equity to earn it, too. The argument against Allen? It would likely be his proximity to the status quo under the direction of Grier. The same thing that would be his best strength in assessing the talent on the roster could be perceived as a weakness in trying to maximize what's left of 2025.

The Administrative Heavyweight: Brandon Shore

I don't believe the casual fan understands how much is on Brandon Shore's plate. He is the "money guy" — the team's primary negotiator of contracts. He's been referred to often amid big contract discussions for players such as Tua Tagovailoa for having a very hands-on role. Per his own biography page on the team website, Shore's involved in plenty more than just contracts, too.

"Brandon Shore serves as senior vice president of football & business administration for the Miami Dolphins, a role he has held since 2021...Shore works directly with General Manager Chris Grier and Head Coach Mike McDaniel on all aspects of football operations. He oversees day-to-day football administration, team and training facility operations, video, football analytics, equipment, athletic training, team security and player engagement. He also serves as the team's lead negotiator for player contracts, manages the salary cap and club compliance with the NFL's Collective Bargaining Agreement, and acts as the organization's liaison on labor relations and league matters."

— Brandon Shore's biography page on the Dolphins' website

Make no mistake about it. This is a heavy hitter in Miami's operation. And given his proximity to football operations, it could be very feasible that he could be perceived as a viable option to make decisions with the help of the other members of the front office — especially if personnel men like Kelly and Allen were to do the legwork before ultimately collaborating with Shore on a decision.

Shore could have a hand in how this deadline plays out even if the team doesn't formally dismiss or re-assign Chris Grier, too. Shore is already a part of the collaborative operation and is another top of the food chain presence who answers to Stephen Ross. If Miami's losses keep piling up and no formal football operation move is made, Shore should be charged with overseeing the management of team assets through the first week of November to ensure opportunities worth acting on aren't being missed for the sake of "optimal value".

window.addEventListener('message', function (event) {if (event.data.totalpoll && event.data.totalpoll.action === 'resizeHeight') {document.querySelector('#totalpoll-iframe-426').height = event.data.totalpoll.value;}}, false);document.querySelector('#totalpoll-iframe-426').contentWindow.postMessage({totalpoll: {action: 'requestHeight'}}, '*');