Everyone is assuming the 2019 Miami Dolphins are going to sell at the trade deadline, if the team is involved in any dealings at all. But there are several young, talented players across the league who would make a lot of sense for the Dolphins to try to strike a deal for — mainly youngsters caught behind veterans or not being given the opportunity to get on the field.
No, the Dolphins shouldn’t be ringing about star left tackle Trent Williams, as the price will be too high. Nor should the Dolphins start exploring any expiring contracts — doing so would be wasteful and a needless exercise at this point in the game. But young players they’ve liked in recent drafts?
The book is out on what the Miami Dolphins felt about Cleveland Browns (and former Memphis Tigers) linebacker Genard Avery, but if the team wasn’t a fan, they really ought to look again. Avery logged 4.5 sacks and 14 QB hits as a rookie for the Browns in 2018 after being selected in the 5th round of the 2018 NFL Draft. Avery logged 686 snaps (nearly 60% of the team’s total) last season, an impressive display from a versatile defender who fell in the draft because of a lack of top-end measurables despite having 21.5 sacks and 44.5 tackles for loss in four years at Memphis.
Fast forward to 2019 and Avery is credited for playing just 2 snaps so far this season. The Browns’ aggressive offseason has netted more prominent players (former Dolphin DE Olivier Vernon is one) and Avery is paying the price. The Dolphins could add another young, versatile defender into their front seven — one with a real chance to stick long-term — if they’re interested. They should be, as the team’s surplus of 2020 NFL Draft capital is already overkill. Yes, the Dolphins need new talent and the draft selections will come in handy, but is anyone going to wring their hands over the hypothetical loss of a 6th-round pick in 2020 if it means acquiring a player like Avery, who has talent and is simply buried on the depth chart?
If the Dolphins want to make this 2019 trade deadline as productive as possible, that’s a phone call they should be looking to place.
