The Miami Dolphins made two moves at the NFL trade deadline on Tuesday that could help in the run game, and allow for more playing time for several receivers on the roster.
The Dolphins sent third-year receiver Isaiah Ford in a unique trade to their AFC East rival, the New England Patriots, while acquiring fifth-year running back DeAndre Washington from the Kansas City Chiefs shortly before the 4 p.m. deadline.
The Dolphins dealt Ford, a receiver they helped cultivate the past three seasons, in part to get more playing time for rookies like Malcolm Perry and Lynn Bowden Jr. and third-year receiver Antonio Callaway, who finished serving an eight-game suspension this week, while also evaluating rookie starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa this season.
Washington is a former fifth-round pick who could get significant playing time with the Dolphins, who hope to improve on the NFL's fifth-worst rushing offense, which averages 98.0 yards per game this season.
The Dolphins will receive a seventh-round pick in the 2022 NFL draft for Ford, according to a report by the Boston Globe.
The Dolphins will also receive a 2021 seventh-round pick in addition to Washington, while sending Kansas City a sixth-round pick in the same draft, according to the NFL Network.
Washington, who played at Texas Tech with Dolphins receiver Jakeem Grant, spent his first four seasons in the NFL with the Oakland Raiders before joining Kansas City. But he could not find adequate playing time buried behind Le'Veon Bell and Clyde Edwards-Helaire in the Chiefs backfield.
Washington has 285 carries for 1,127 yards and seven touchdowns on the ground, while catching 89 passes for 615 yards and a touchdown in his career. He has only three carries for 5 yards and a 2-yard catch in one game for the Chiefs this season.
Washington will vie for playing time in Miami with leading rusher Myles Gaskin, who has 100 carries for 387 yards and two touchdowns this season, and two veteran offseason additions who have been impactful in spurts.
Matt Brieda has 37 carries for 128 yards in seven games, while Jordan Howard had 18 carries for 14 yards and three rushing touchdowns in the first four games this season. Howard has been inactive for the past three games.
Ford, a 2017 seventh-round pick who has 41 career catches for 428 yards in his career, was Miami's fourth-leading receiver this season with 18 catches on 29 targets for 184 yards. He is set to become a restricted free agent after making $750,000 in base salary this season.
The Dolphins' leading receivers are DeVante Parker (30 catches, 367 yards and three touchdowns); Gaskin (30 catches, 198 yards); tight end Mike Gesicki (19 catches, 289 yards, two touchdowns); Preston Williams (14 catches, 151 yards, three touchdowns) and Jakeem Grant (14 catches, 184 yards).
By parting with Ford, who has 18 catches for 184 yards this season, the Dolphins can get more playing time for Bowden, Perry and Callaway.
Bowden, a third-round pick acquired in a trade with the Raiders before the season, has played in four games as a slot receiver and Wildcat running back. He has four carries for 9 yards, and a catch for a loss of a yard.
Perry, former quarterback at Navy and seventh-round pick by Miami, made his debut last week with two snaps in the Wildcat formation, one that included a run that lost 5 yards, and a 10-yard catch.
Callaway, a former Miami Booker T. Washington High and University of Florida standout, will be eligible to join the Dolphins roster from the practice squad this week after joining the team in September and serving his suspension.
Callaway has 51 catches for 675 yards and five touchdowns in 20 games, and has not played since Week 4 in 2019. He was drafted in the fourth round by the Cleveland Browns in 2018.
The Patriots, who are third in the AFC East, needed help at receiver with Julian Edelman recently undergoing knee surgery, and relied on the second-place Dolphins for it. Both teams trail the Buffalo Bills in the division standings.
