Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Dolphins’ deals: a history
Many trades made over past decade haven’t panned out
Take a look at the team’s trade record — both good & bad.
Mike Tannenbaum, the Miami Dolphins vice president of football operations, has quite the wheeling-and-dealing reputation, which could come in handy during the NFL scouting combine.
Since taking over as Miami’s top executive in 2016, Tannenbaum has executed more trades than any other executive in the NFL.
But not all of his trades have been beneficial for the franchise. And the same can be said about most of the non-draft day trades his predecessors made this past decade.
Here’s a look at Miami’s most recent trades (excluding those made during the draft), examining what prompted them and the outcome in chronological order: Acquired defensive end Robert Quinn from the Rams for a mid-round pick
Quinn has produced 62.5 sacks and forced 20 fumbles in his first eight seasons, but his productivity has slowed (17.5 sacks) the past three seasons because of injuries, and being part of a deep Rams defensive line rotation. The Dolphins inherit the final two years and $24.5 million on the 27 year old’s contract. He’ll likely serve as an every-down right side defensive end because of his ability to set the edge. At this time, it’s hard to gauge the compensation because we’re unclear if the Dolphins sent the Rams a third-, or fourthround pick for the two-time Pro Bowler. However, if he can regain his Pro Bowl form it will likely be irrelevant. Traded RB Jay Ajayi to Eagles for 2018 third-round
pick
Ajayi, a Pro Bowl selection in 2016, struggled (3.4 yards per attempt) and became a malcontent in the first seven games he played for the Dolphins in 2017 before Miami traded him to Philadelphia, opening the door for Kenyan Drake to become the starter. Drake ran for 644 yards and scored three touchdowns last season, and led the NFL in rushing in the final five weeks of the 2017 season. Ajayi averaged 5.8 yards on his 70 attempts in Philadelphia, and helped the Eagles win the Super Bowl. Acquired LB Stephon Anthony for 2018 fifth-round pick
Miami traded for Anthony, a disappointing 2015 first-round pick for the Saints, in the first month of the season because they weren’t certain Lawrence Timmons, who had left the team before the season-opener and was suspended, was coming back, and whether or not he’d be focused enough to play at a high level. Anthony contributed 15 tackles last season as a reserve and could push for a starting spot during this spring’s organized team activities, possibly as Timmons’ replacement. Traded LT Branden Albert to Jaguars for a 2018 seventhround pick
The Dolphins moved Albert to Jacksonville instead of waiving him to purge his $8.4 million salary, which opened the door for Laremy Tunsil to play left tackle. Albert retired because of a contract dispute with the Jaguars, and that decision returned the seventh-round pick to the Jaguars. Tunsil was very inconsistent as a 15-game starter in 2017, but possesses room for continued growth. It’s unclear if Albert plans to stay retired. Acquired TE Julius Thomas from Jaguars for a 2017 seventh-round pick
Thomas struggled in the 14 games he played last season, catching 41 passes for 388 yards and scoring three touchdowns. He wasn’t nearly as effective a red-zone threat as head coach Adam Gase thought he would be, and was a liability as a run- and pass-blocker. It’s highly likely that Thomas will be waived, or have his contract restructured because $6.6 million is too much for an aging (30 in June) and limited tight end. Acquired DE Williams Hayes and a 2017 seventh-round pick for a 2017 sixth-round pick
Don’t let his meager stats (19 tackles and one sack) deceive you, Hayes was effective as a runstuffing specialist on the Dolphins’ defensive line last season. He consistently set a the edge, clearing the way for linebackers to make plays before getting placed on injured reserve with a back injury in November. The Dolphins removed one year from his contact when they traded for him, making Hayes an unrestricted free agent this offseason, which in hindsight might have been a mistake. Acquired LB Kiko Alonso, CB Byron Maxwell from Eagles by moving down five picks in firstround of 2016 draft
The Eagles continued to move up the draft board after this deal, high enough to select quarterback Carson Wentz second overall in 2016. Miami selected offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil with the 13th overall pick. Alonso had two solid, but not spectacular seasons as a starter in Miami, producing 230 tackles, one sack, one interception and three forced fumbles. Maxwell was a decent starter in 2016, but his struggles early in 2017 led to his release during the season. He rejoined the Seahawks, the team he started his career with, and was solid (38 tackles, one interception and one forced fumble) as a starter for six of seven games. Traded cornerback Will Davis to Ravens for 2016 seventhround pick
Davis fell out of favor with the Dolphins during training camp in 2015, and Miami sent the former third-round pick to Baltimore instead of waiving him. The Dolphins used the 2016 draft pick they got for Davis in a package of picks that ultimately turned into receiver Jakeem Grant, the Dolphins’ 2016 sixth-round pick, who is mainly used as a return specialist. Davis continued to be plagued by injuries in Baltimore, playing five games for the Ravens in two seasons. He’s now with the San Francisco. Acquired WR Kenny Stills from Saints for LB Dannell Ellerbe and 2015 third-round pick
This trade was basically two franchises swapping excess baggage. The Saints needed to move Stills, who was going to lose playing time to younger receivers, and Miami wanted to avoid paying Ellerbe his lofty salary. New Orleans took the veteran linebacker and sent Miami Stills for an early draft pick. Stills has been a solid starter for the Dolphins and will begin his second year of a four-year, $32 million contract he signed with Miami last offseason. Ellerbe was waived by the Saints last season but wound up a starter on the Eagles’ Super Bowl winning team. Traded WR Mike Wallace and seventh-round pick to Minnesota for 2015 fifth-round pick
The Dolphins needed to move Wallace, who had fallen out of favor with the organization in 2014 because of a strained relationship with Ryan Tannehill and head coach Joe Philbin, to create cap space for the future. Hours after Miami traded for Kenny Stills, Wallace’s replacement, Minnesota traded for Wallace and his lofty salary. Wallace had one quiet season with the Vikings before resurrecting his career with the Ravens. He’s now an unrestricted free agent. Traded OT Jonathan Martin to 49ers for 2015 seventh-round pick
Martin, a disappointing 2012 second-round pick, struggled throughout his career in Miami before quitting in the middle of the 2013 season in controversial fashion. His claims about harassment led to the bullying scandal that sideswiped that season, and got fellow offensive lineman Richie Incognito suspended for half the year. To ease Martin’s road back to the NFL, Miami traded him to the 49ers, who were coached by his college coach Jim Harbaugh. Martin struggled as a starter for the 49ers in 2014 before being waived and eventually retiring from football.
Acquired OT Bryant McKinnie from Ravens for 2015 seventhround pick
The Dolphins acquired McKinnie in a desperate move aimed at patching up an offensive line that was depleted by the bullying scandal in 2013. McKinnie was adequate as a 10-game starter in Miami, but never played another down after that season. Traded center Ryan Cook to Cowboys for 2013 sixth-round pick
Cook wasn’t going to make it on to the Dolphins’ 53-man roster so Miami moved him to the Cowboys, where he started 11 of the 13 games he played in 2012. Cook never played another season in the NFL after that. Miami ultimately packaged that sixth-round pick to move up so they could select cornerback Will Davis in the third round of the 2013 draft. Traded CB Vontae Davis to Colts for 2013 second-round pick
Joe Philbin couldn’t reach Davis, who was having a rough training camp, so Miami traded him for a pretty decent draft pick after concluding they weren’t going to sign him to a lucrative deal in 2014. Davis turned into a two-time Pro Bowl selection with the Colts, and Miami used the draft pick to select cornerback Jamar Taylor in the second round. Taylor had a brief, and unimpressive career with the Dolphins but has been a solid pro with the Browns, who Miami traded him to in 2016 to move up 23 spots in the seventh-round of that draft. Traded WR Brandon Marshall to Bears for third-round picks in 2012 and 2013
Joe Philbin knew he couldn’t coach Marshall, so Miami’s head coach instructed then general manager Jeff Ireland to trade him away. Ireland sent Marshall to Chicago for a reunion with Jay Cutler, his quarterback in Denver. The Dolphins turned those draft picks into tight ends Michael Egnew (a bust) and Dion Sims (a decent starter for Bears), and cornerback Will Davis, who was traded three seasons later. The very next offseason Miami signed Mike Wallace to what was then the largest deal for a receiver in NFL history to replace Marshall. Acquired RB Reggie Bush from Saints for safety Jonathon Amaya and a swap of sixthround picks
The Saints needed to unload Bush because of his bloated contract and Miami took him off New Orleans’ hands, renegotiated his contract, and then turned him into a two-year starter. Bush rushed for 2,072 yards and scored 15 touchdowns in his two seasons with the Dolphins before signing with Detroit as a free agent. The Dolphins let him go to develop Lamar Miller as the starter. Acquired CB Benny Sapp from Vikings for WR Greg Camarillo
The Dolphins had a surplus of receivers in 2010 after acquiring Brandon Marshall, so the franchise swapped Camarillo for Sapp, a nickel cornerback who started seven of the 17 games he played for the Dolphins in 2010 and 2011. Sapp was infamously released after missing a tackle on a 99-yard Wes Welker reception in the 2011 season-opening loss to the Patriots. Camarillo spent two seasons in Minnesota before ending his career with the Saints in 2012.
Traded OG Justin Smiley to Jaguars for 2011 seventh-round pick
The Dolphins realized the big contract they gave Smiley as a free agent in 2008 was a mistake in the first year of the deal because the left guard struggled to stay healthy during his South Florida tenure, and shipped him to Jacksonville for a 2011 seventhround pick that was eventually sent to Washington as part of a draft-day trade that produced tailback Daniel Thomas, a 2011 second-round pick. Traded WR Ted Ginn Jr. to 49ers for a 2010 fifth-round pick
Two days after trading for Brandon Marshall, the Dolphins unloaded Ginn, the team’s 2007 first-round pick, to the 49ers for a late-round draft pick that eventually turned into cornerback Nolan Carroll, who started 26 games in his four seasons with the Dolphins. While Ginn was a disappointment in his three seasons in Miami he’ll begin his 12th season in the NFL this fall, and spent last year as a starter in New Orleans. Acquired WR Brandon Marshall from Broncos for secondround pick in 2010 and 2011
In one of Bill Parcells’ last major moves as the decision maker for the franchise, Parcells orchestrated a sign-and-trade deal that landed Marshall, who produced two 1,000-yard receiving seasons in his brief tenure with the Dolphins. Acquired QB Tyler Thigpen from Chiefs for 2010 fifthround pick
After Chad Pennington suffered a season-ending shoulder injury, the Dolphins needed a backup for Chad Henne and sent the Chiefs a late-round draft pick to acquire Thigpen, who served as a backup in Miami for two seasons before signing with Buffalo as a free agent in 2011. Acquired 2010 sixth-round pick from Chiefs for OL Andy Alleman and Ike Ndukwe
Alleman and Ndukwe were on the backend of Miami’s depth chart, so Bill Parcells traded them for a late-round draft pick instead of putting them through waivers. Despite numerous injuries that season, the Dolphins did just fine without them considering Miami’s offensive line paved the way for a rushing attack that gained 2,231 rushing yards and scored 22 rushing touchdowns. Traded center Samson Satele and 2009 fourth-round pick to Raiders for fourth- and sixthround pick in 2009
Satele, the Dolphins’ secondround draft pick in 2007, didn’t fit what then head coach Tony Sparano wanted in an offensive lineman, so the Dolphins traded him to the Raiders after signing center Jake Grove to a five-year, $29 million deal, which turned out to be one of the worst signings of that regime’s era. Grove only spent one season with the Dolphins cause he was waived at the start of the 2010 season, which means he earned $14 million for one year’s worth of work in Miami. The Dolphins used the draft picks acquired for Satele on receiver Brian Hartline, a five-year starter in Miami, and offensive tackle Andrew Gardner, a backup in the NFL for a couple seasons.
Acquired DL Tony McDaniel from Jaguars for 2009 seventh-round pick
McDaniel, a 12-year veteran who spent last season with the 49ers and Saints, spent four seasons in Miami as a rotational player on a good defensive line. After leaving the Dolphins, McDaniel signed with the Seahawks, where he started 39 games in three seasons.
Traded QB Josh McCown to Panthers for 2009 seventhround pick
After signing Chad Pennington weeks before the regular season began, the Dolphins had a surplus of quarterbacks on the roster and moved McCown to the Panthers for a draft pick they eventually traded to Kansas City for a 2010 seventh-round pick they used to select linebacker Chris McCoy. McCoy only spent a couple of weeks on Miami’s practice squad in 2010 before getting waived. McCown, who has bounced around the league, started for the Jets last season. Traded CB Travis Daniels to Browns for 2009 seventhround pick
Daniels lost his starting spot to cornerback Andre Goodman during training camp and Bill Parcells traded him to the Browns for a seventh-round pick that turned into linebacker J.D. Folsom, who spent two years on Miami’s practice squad before moving on. Traded DE Jason Taylor to Redskins for 2009 second-round pick and a 2010 seventh-round pick
Bill Parcells and Taylor clashed when Parcells joined the organization as the vice president of football operations and instead of both parties figuring out how to make the relationship work, Taylor was shipped to the Redskins for the second-round draft pick that was used to select quarterback Pat White, and a package of picks in 2010 that turned into Pro Bowl safety Reshad Jones, who has started 96 games the past eight seasons. Taylor rejoined the Dolphins in 2009, but was once again banished by Parcells in 2010. He re-signed with Miami in 2011 for his final season, and was elected to the Football Hall of Fame last year. Traded RB Lorenzo Booker to Eagles for 2008 fourth-round pick
With Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams on the roster, Bill Parcells sent Booker, who was used as a gadget player during his rookie season in 2007, to Philadelphia for a draft pick that Miami traded to Chicago to move up five spots to select offensive lineman Shawn Murphy. Murphy was such a disappointment he didn’t play in a single game during his two seasons with the Dolphins before being waived in 2010. Acquired TE Anthony Fasano, LB Akin Ayodele and DT Jason Ferguson from Cowboys for 2008 fourth-round swap of two 2008 sixth-round picks
Because Bill Parcells had just come off a four-year run as coach of the Cowboys, his first order of business was to acquire a few of his former players. Tony Sparano, a rookie head coach, who was also was coming from Dallas, turned all three former Cowboys into Day 1 starters. Ferguson started 22 games in Miami before eventually retiring. Fasano spent four years in Miami as a starter before eventually moving on, then coming back last season to start seven games. And Ayodele started 28 games in two seasons before signing with the Bills as a free agent in 2010.