We're now a little less than two weeks away from the NFL trading deadline, which means the Miami Dolphins have to get busy.
They need to trade for an offensive lineman, they need to trade for a cornerback, they need to trade for a running back, they need to trade for ... somebody, right?
At 3-3 and on a three-game losing streak, it's obvious the Dolphins could use some help and it shouldn't be that difficult for them to pull off a trade, especially when they have a tradeable asset like Mike Gesicki they can offer in return.
That's how it works in fantasy land, where details such as the salary cap or a team willing to give up a player good enough to make a difference often get (very conveniently) ignored.
So it could well be that the Dolphins will do absolutely nothing in terms of a trade between now and Nov. 1, though it certainly doesn't mean GM Chris Grier won't be working the phones.
So what could go down?
NFL PLAYERS WHO ARE/COULD BE AVAILABLE?
Well, if we're talking about players rumored to be available or on the block, we first turn to the Carolina Panthers because it's an obvious target after the firing of head coach Matt Rhule.
But even then, we all need to slow down because it's not like the Panthers are just going to trade every good player they have just to build draft capital for the next coach. Yes, this is where someone might point out that the Dolphins kind of did in 2019 when they not only got rid of high-priced veterans but also young stars Minkah Fitzpatrick and Laremy Tunsil, but there were extenuating circumstances with those two (personality clash with Fitzpatrick, offer too good to refuse for Tunsil).
So, yeah, sure, the Panthers might be willing to entertain offers for, say, edge defender Brian Burns, defensive tackle Derrick Brown or cornerback Jaycee Horn, but what exactly would it take to pry any of them loose?
There's also tackle Taylor Moton, a popular name among Dolphins fans because of the issues on the offensive line. The only problem there is that the Panthers reportedly restructured Moton's contract in the spring, making it more painful to trade him from a cap standpoint.
That brings us, of course, to Christian McCaffrey, who no doubt is a talented running back, but also one with a long injury history. He's played in all six games this season, but missed 23 games the past two years.
It's interesting to note that the Dolphins are listed second as the likeliest destination for McCraffey if he gets traded, per odds from BetOnline.ag. The Dolphins are listed at 5/1, behind the favorite Buffalo Bills at 9/5.
On a FOX pregame show, NFL Network analyst Peter Schrager said the Panthers were looking for at least two first-round picks to trade McCaffrey. To that, we say, good luck, Panthers.
McCaffrey's multiple skills obviously could help the Dolphins offense, but the Dolphins' biggest issue right now is keeping their players healthy and the pass protection, nothing that he could help.
Other players around the NFL who have been reported to be on the trade market are Steelers WR Chase Claypool, Bears edge defender (and former Dolphins player) Robert Quinn, Raiders safety Johnathan Abram, Seahawks cornerback Sidney Jones and Commanders cornerback William Jackson III.
Based on the Dolphins' positional needs, the one who makes the most sense here just might be Sidney Jones. Yes, Jackson is a bigger number and a former first-round pick, but his advanced stats in four games this season (121.9 opponent passer rating when targeted) don't exactly suggest he'll be a major upgrade for the Dolphins.
Jones has been relegated to a backup role in Seattle, but his opponent passer rating last season when he started 11 games was a very respectable 84.3. Jones also has a lot more reasonable contract.
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THE GESICKI SITUATION
Of course, if we're talking trade talk, we have to mention tight end Mike Gesicki.
His name has come up for the obvious reasons, his diminished snaps, his fit in the new Dolphins offense and his status as a pending free agent.
But, like the Panthers, the Dolphins aren't going to trade him for the sake of trading him and they're not going to give him away, either.
As the Dolphins make their push for a playoff spot past the trading deadline, it's obvious they'll have a better shot at it with Gesicki on the team than without, while at the same time understanding the organization just isn't likely to give him a lucrative long-term contract next spring.
If the Dolphins do hang on to him and lose him in free agency next year, they should be able to get a decent compensatory draft pick through the NFL's very complicated and mysterious system — but it also might depend on their total free agent activity next offseason.
REALISTIC TRADE DEADLINE EXPECTATIONS FOR THE DOLPHINS
The Dolphins showed this offseason they're not afraid to pull off a big trade because getting Tyreek Hill for two first-round picks and three other picks is about as big as it gets.
But that was the offseason.
This is the middle of the season, and the reality is trades in the middle of the season just don't happen very often.
Here's how rare it is for the Dolphins to acquire a veteran through an October (or early November) trade: Since 2000, that number is four.
DeAndre Washington, Aqib Talib, Bryant McKinnie and Cleo Lemon. That's it. That's the list.
Washington was a backup running back; Talib was on IR at the time of the trade and he stayed on IR the rest of the season as a salary move by the Rams; McKinnie was a quality tackle at the end of his career; and Lemon was a backup acquired for another backup quarterback, A.J. Feeley.
The reality is the Dolphins actually have more often traded away veterans than acquired them at or around the trade deadline.
Their list of players shipped off in October since 2000: KR Jakeem Grant, WR Isaiah Ford, RB Kenyan Drake, RB Jay Ajayi, WR Chris Chambers, RB Jesse Chatman, and the aforementioned Feeley.
So the bottom line here is simple: Yes, the Dolphins will explore the possibility of adding a veteran via trade before the Nov. 1 deadline, but there's probably not even a 50-50 likelihood of anything happening.
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