The Dolphins made a splash just before the 2022 NFL trade deadline on Tuesday, moving their remaining 2023 first-round pick, a 2024 fourth-round pick and running back Chase Edmonds for Broncos edge-rusher Bradley Chubb.
It’s a move that signifies Stephen Ross — whose tampering cost the Dolphins their own 2023 first-round pick — is hedging his bets on Tua Tagovailoa to lead a deep NFL playoff run. Considering that, it makes sense Miami would make a move to shore up its pass-rush, considering the team averages just 1.9 sacks per game.
Chubb, the fifth overall pick of the 2018 NFL Draft, has 5 1/2 sacks on the season this year, providing an immediate upgrade on paper to the Dolphins’ pass rush. Whether he can impact the defense enough to help lead a playoff run remains to be seen.
Regardless, Miami’s trade for Chubb represents the end of one of the most lucrative and long-running trades in NFL history: sending offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil to Houston in exchange for several Texans draft picks.
By leveraging the picks gained in that trade, Miami used Tunsil to build a potential playoff-caliber team by adding receivers Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle and, now, Chubb. As noted by Albert Breer of The MMQB:
The Dolphins got three first-rounders back in the deal the 49ers did with them to go up for Trey Lance. Miami traded all three of them.
• ’21 pick packaged to trade up for Jaylen Waddle.
• ’22 pick sent to Chiefs for Tyreek Hill.
• ’23 pick sent to Broncos for Bradley Chubb.— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) November 1, 2022
That’s a pretty good return on investment. The Sporting News breaks down how Miami leveraged its trade with Houston through the 49ers to put on a masterclass in team building:
Dolphins trade Laremy Tunsil to Texans
Miami’s acquisition of Chubb in 2022 has its root in a September 2019 trade with the Texans, in which the Dolphins sent Tunsil to Houston in exchange for several draft picks.
Dolphins received:
- OT Julién Davenport
- DB Johnson Bademosi
- 2020 first-rounder (No. 26 overall)
- 2021 first-rounder
- 2021 second-rounder
Texans received:
- WR Kenny Stills
- OT Laremy Tunsil
- 2020 fourth-rounder (No. 111 overall)
- 2021 sixth-rounder
MORE: 2022 NFL trade deadline grades
Dolphins trade picks with 49ers, Eagles
The Dolphins’ decision to move Tunsil paid off in the 2021 NFL Draft, as Houston’s struggles landed Miami the third overall pick. Instead of using the pick, however, Miami leveraged its position to stockpile even more draft capital from the 49ers, who used the pick to take Trey Lance:
Dolphins received:
- 2021 first-rounder (No. 12 overall)
- 2022 first-rounder
- 2022 third-rounder
- 2023 first-rounder
49ers received:
- 2021 first-rounder (No. 3 overall)
Following that trade, the Dolphins made a deal with the Eagles to move back up in the draft, to No. 6 overall. They used that pick on Alabama receiver Jaylen Waddle, reuniting the speedster with his former quarterback from college.
(Also of note: Miami used its 2021 second-round pick from Houston to draft safety Jevon Holland at No. 36 overall. The second-year player already is a promising young cornerstone of the team’s secondary).
Dolphins received:
- 2021 first-rounder (No. 6 overall)
- 2021 fifth-rounder (No. 156 overall)
Eagles received:
- 2021 first-rounder (No. 12 overall)
- 2021 fourth-rounder (No. 123 overall)
- 2022 first-rounder
While Miami would be without its own first-rounder for the 2022 NFL Draft, it still owned a first-rounder in each of the 2022 and 2023 NFL drafts, courtesy of the 49ers. They traded each of them for immediate-impact players.
MORE: Bradley Chubb trade details: Dolphins pay premium draft-pick price for Broncos pass rusher
Dolphins trade 49ers’ picks for Tyreek Hill, Bradley Chubb
The Dolphins, sensing a need to provide Tagovailoa with more offensive weapons ahead of the 2022 seasons, sought a proven commodity at receiver as opposed to risking a pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. So Miami used the second of San Francisco’s first-round picks (and more) to land Hill from the Chiefs:
Dolphins receive:
- WR Tyreek Hill
Chiefs receive:
- 2022 first-rounder (No. 29 overall)
- 2022 second-rounder (No. 50 overall)
- 2022 fourth-rounder (No. 121 overall)
- 2023 fourth-rounder
- 2023 sixth-rounder
The trade has proven wildly successful for Miami eight games into the 2022 season. Hill leads all NFL receivers with 961 yards through eight games, while Waddle is fourth with 727 yards. The two have combined for 111 receptions for 1,688 yards and seven touchdowns, helping elevate Tagovailoa’s play amid a 5-3 start.
Tagovailoa’s success leading the Miami offense seems to have sparked confidence in his ability to lead a playoff run. With that, general manager Chris Grier used the final 49ers first-round pick (currently projected by Tankathon to be No. 20 overall) to land Chubb in an attempt to shore up Miami’s defense.
MORE: Tyreek Hill trade grades: Dolphins land huge upgrade at WR, Chiefs get big return (at a cost)
Dolphins receive:
- LB Bradley Chubb
- 2025 fifth-round
Broncos receive:
- RB Chase Edmonds
- 2023 first-rounder
- 2024 fourth-rounder
Shortly after trading for Chubb, Miami traded its own 2023 fifth-rounder to San Francisco for running back Jeff Wilson Jr., offsetting the loss of Edmonds and reuniting coach Mike McDaniel with his former running back.
With that, the Dolphins have finally exhausted the capital earned from trading Tunsil to Houston, resulting in Hill, Waddle, Holland and Chubb.
A pretty good haul, all told.
