DONE DEAL: The Miami Dolphins have completed the pro players agreement.
The deal was simply too excellent to pass up.
Under normal conditions, the Dolphins would never consider dealing Laremy Tunsil, their brilliant left tackle.
However, these were not ordinary conditions.
The Miami Dolphins were offered a fast track to their future by the Houston Texans. They accomplished this with three high-value draft picks: two No. 1s and a No. 2. Yes, the Dolphins sent Tunsil, wide receiver Kenny Stills, and a fourth and sixth round pick to the Texans in exchange for those draft picks, offensive tackle Julin Davenport and cornerback/special teams standout Johnson Bademosi.
But, let’s be honest. The draft picks were what made this the finest of trades.
Consider this. Due to the compensatory allocation for losing Ja’Wuan James, the Dolphins will now have two picks in each of the first two rounds next April, and presumably two picks in the third round as well.
But it’s not just the draft in 2020. The move also means that the Dolphins will have two first-round picks and two second-round picks in 2021, giving them four first-round picks and four second-round picks over the next two years. Wowza!
What this trade also gives them is the flexibility to maneuver up and down the draft board – yes, for the next two years – if so desired. This can prove invaluable if there is one specific player (quarterback?) they target.
You get that kind of offer, even having to give up Tunsil and Stills, and you’ve got to swallow hard and proceed. See, you need to remember that the Dolphins need more than a top-tier left tackle to turn this around. They need an infusion of talent on both sides of the ball. They need elite players.
They need draft picks. Lots of draft picks. Now they have them. Now they have an opportunity to accelerate the process and to punctuate the influx of young players already on this roster with additional upgrades.
Sometimes you have to take one step back to take two steps forward. The Dolphins appear to have done just that.
“I felt this trade would help this team and this organization,” said coach Brian Flores, who emphasized that winning, and that includes this year, will always remain his top priority.
But in this league, you rarely get an opportunity to reap the type of return the Dolphins received from the Texans. The Cowboys pulled off a much bigger deal years ago in the Herschel Walker trade. Turned out pretty good for them, for those who recall. More recently, the Bears gave up two No. 1s and a few other picks to the Raiders for linebacker Khalil Mack. So it’s not like this is unchartered territory. But it isn’t traveled very often.
Yes, it’s painful giving up Tunsil. There is no disputing what he is and what he might become. If the Texans didn’t see that they wouldn’t have parted with as much as they did to get him. They could very well look at him as their final piece.
That wasn’t the case with the Dolphins. They need more pieces. Many more. This trade will give them just that. As previously stated, it was an offer that was simply too good to turn down.
Leave a Reply