More deals at deadline?
PITTSBURGH — The Miami Dolphins already made one move before Tuesday’s NFL trade deadline. Could another come before the cutoff time of 4 p.m. Tuesday?
“You never know. We’re not shopping anybody,” Dolphins general manager Chris Grier said Monday night before the team’s game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
“We’re getting calls like every team, and there’s teams calling us, too, trying to unload players as well. We’re listening, but we’re not actively shopping anyone.”
The Dolphins may not be significant buyers at the trade deadline as Miami is already in the midst of its rebuilding process under Grier and coach Brian Flores, stockpiling future draft picks.
The Dolphins were a seller Monday morning, trading fourth-year running back Kenyan Drake, their third-round pick in 2016, sending him to the Arizona Cardinals.
Grier said the Dolphins were not actively shopping Drake until other teams reached out to Miami for Drake’s services.
Grier did not want to elaborate further on any contract negotiations Miami may have had with Drake, who was in the final year of his rookie contract and seeking a contract extension.
All Miami could get for Drake was a conditional sixth-round pick in the 2020 NFL draft, which could turn into a fifthround pick based on Drake’s performance on the field in Arizona for the rest of the season.
“It was the best value we could get so we made the trade,” Grier said of Drake.
Other players on the Dolphins roster, like standout cornerback Xavien Howard, who may be Miami’s most-valuable asset, and veterans who could make an impact on a playoff team like safeties Reshad Jones and Bobby McCain, receivers DeVante Parker and Albert Wilson, center Daniel Kilgore or quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick may be safe.
Grier said the Dolphins have not fielded any trade calls for Jones, a former Pro Bowler who has spent his 10-year career with the Dolphins, since February.
“We’ve not fielded one call on him,” Grier said of Jones.