No Dolphins Trade for Taylor

The Indianapolis Colts will keep the 2021 NFL rushing leader on PUP

After exploring adding high-profile veterans at the running back position throughout 2023, the Miami Dolphins head into the regular season with the group they have maintained all along they like very much.

The Dolphins' pursuit of 2021 NFL rushing leader Jonathan Taylor ended quietly Tuesday, though perhaps temporarily, when the Indianapolis Colts decided to hang on to the running back. The Colts also moved Taylor from the Active/PUP list to Reserve/PUP, putting him out of action for at least four games.

Taylor has yet to practice this summer because of a back issue, which (cough, cough) may or may not be related to his displeasure with his contract situation.

The Colts never got the offer they wanted from the two teams bidding on Taylor, though they did at some point back off their asking price of a first-round pick, according to a source.

It's not a stretch to suggest here that the Colts were looking for a major return for Taylor, while the Dolphins and the other bidder were investigating whether they could get a star player on the cheap.

Indianapolis initially had set a deadline of Tuesday to get a deal done because of roster cutdown day, but the actual NFL trading deadline is Tuesday, Oct. 31 at 4 p.m. ET. 

Could the Dolphins revisit the idea of trading for Taylor? It certainly wouldn't hurt them to check with the Colts once Taylor's PUP stint ends, but the parameters no doubt would be the same — unless the Dolphins found themselves struggling with their running game and badly in need of a boost.

But Taylor, like Josh Jacobs before him and Dalvin Cook before that, always was more of a luxury than a necessity for a Dolphins offense that's got enough capable running backs that the team kept five on its initial 53-man roster and cut its rushing leader from 2020 and 2021 (Myles Gaskin).

THE DOLPHINS' RUNNING BACK ROOM

Raheem Mostert and Jeff Wilson Jr. collectively accounted for 1,751 rushing yards and scored 11 touchdowns last year. Miami also added De’Von Achane, a speedster from Texas A&M the Dolphins used a third-round pick to select in the 2023 NFL draft.

Head coach Mike McDaniel is hoping for more production from the running game in 2023, but he said the major issues last season were a lack of commitment to running the ball and injuries on the offensive line.

That said, sure, Taylor could have made a difference because he is an elite running back.

But the Dolphins weren't going to make this trade at any cost. They were looking to pull the same kind of deal they did when they acquired All-Pro cornerback Jalen Ramsey for a third-round pick and young tight end Hunter Long.

It always made sense for the Dolphins to explore the possibility — even with the financial cost involved with giving Taylor a new contract — because this is a team capable of making a deep run immediately if things fall right.

But it never made sense to force the issue.

The Dolphins still have a talented roster with or without Jonathan Taylor. Maybe something materializes in a month or so or before Oct. 31, maybe nothing materializes.

In the end, it cost the Dolphins nothing to try to make a trade at the right price.

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