Would the Dolphins Really Trade Jonnu Smith?

The report of the Miami Dolphins having discussions with the Pittsburgh Steelers regarding a trade involving Pro Bowl tight end Jonnu Smith added more drama to an offseason previously dominated by the adventures of Jalen Ramsey and Tyreek Hill.

It also raised all sorts of questions.

Why would the Dolphins even think about moving on from a tight end who set franchise records for the position last year?

Why would the Dolphins play hardball and want to trade Smith instead of giving him his desire contract extension, particularly after they paid so many of their stars last year?

As always, it's probably not as simple as it might appear.

SMITH AND HIS CONTRACT

That Smith would want a new deal certainly isn't surprising considering he's scheduled to make about $4 million in 2025 in the second year of a two-year deal that was, to put it mildly, very team-friendly.

Let's also remember that Smith wasn't an unrestricted free agent when he signed with the Dolphins in the 2024 offseason, but rather had been released earlier by the Atlanta Falcons. Because of that, the Dolphins got Smith on the cheap and he then outperformed his contract.

It's not rocket science — or football science — to realize that Smith is massively underpaid at $4 million given he made the Pro Bowl (albeit as an alternate) last season and put up the numbers he did.

The question, though, is exactly what is Smith's true value, and we're going to suggest it's somewhere between what the Dolphins would be willing to pay and what Smith (through agent Drew Rosenhaus) would be willing to accept.

Hence the impasse.

While fans are quick to jump on the Dolphins and complain that they should pay up to make sure another high-profile player doesn't leave, it's not like they should obligated to give Smith whatever he wants.

For one thing, Smith is turning 30 in August, he's a receiving specialist at a position where the Dolphins would like complete players, and perhaps most importantly of all he probably ranks down the list in terms of impact players on offense — his 2024 numbers notwithstanding.

Another important question is whether the Dolphins made any promises when they signed Smith in 2024 to revisit his contract if he outperformed his salary.

If they didn't, the Dolphins technically don't have to do anything because he's under contract for another year. If they did, then obviously it's a different story.

Another issue is that the Dolphins have other players deserving of extensions and/or raises, with Zach Sieler and Jordyn Brooks the first two who come to mind.

And then there's the issue of the Dolphins maybe being wary of handing out new contracts to players under team control after what happened with Hill and Ramsey.

HOW BIG OF A LOSS WOULD SMITH BE?

Another part of the issue here is what happens to the offense, if anything, should the Dolphins make a move with Smith.

On one hand, he's the best receiving tight end on the roster at this time, and there's not a close second.

But what will his number of targets look like in 2025 with new wide receiver Nick Westbrook-Ikhine added as a complement to Hill and Jaylen Waddle, not to mention the hope that Hill and Waddle will stay injury-free after difficult 2024 seasons?

The bottom line is the question of how valuable Smith is to the offense.

We also should not forget that a trade rumor doesn't mean it's automatically going to happen.

But just the idea of it was enough to cause a stir, maybe a stir the Dolphins didn't need right now.

SMITH'S STRONG FIRST SEASON WITH THE DOLPHINS

Smith's production as a receiver last season was critical, given the statistical drop of both Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle.

Tight ends coach Jon Embree said last week the Dolphins could get more from Smith, both from a blocking standpoint and because he left yards on the field.

Smith finished with 88 catches for 884 yards last season, easily topping his previous career highs of 50 receptions and 582 yards, both accomplished with the Atlanta Falcons in 2023. After a slow start last year, Smith's production took off starting with the game against the Indianapolis Colts in Week 7.

He had two 100-yard games — against the Las Vegas Raiders and Green Bay Packers — and was the key player in overtime in the 32-26 victory against the New York Jets at Hard Rock Stadium in December with all three of his catches for 44 yards, including the game-winning touchdown.

Moving Smith would leave the Dolphins without a proven pass-catching tight end, though we should remind everyone that the Raiders were looking to move former second-round pick Michael Mayer earlier in the offseason. Perhaps the Dolphins could ask for him if the Raiders wanted to trade for the disgruntled cornerback Jalen Ramsey and the two teams could work out the financial details.

The Dolphins tight end group includes Julian Hill, free agent acquisition Pharaoh Brown, Tanner Conner, Hayden Rucci, and rookie free agent Jalin Conyers.

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