Would the Dolphins Ever Try to Go After Garrett?

The Miami Dolphins are no strangers to going after big-name veterans
Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett (95) warms up before the game against Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium.
Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett (95) warms up before the game against Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium. / Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images
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Over the past three years, the Miami Dolphins have traded for Tyreek Hill, Jalen Ramsey and Bradley Chubb, so does anybody really think we should dismiss the idea of them going after Myles Garrett?

There are an awful lot of ifs involved here, starting with whether the Cleveland Browns actually would grant Garrett's wish to be traded, which he expressed Monday morning and explained by saying his goal always has been to compete in and win the Super Bowl.

Of course, Garrett could play hardball with the Browns if they resist, but the bottom line is that Garrett is under contract for two more seasons, so Cleveland doesn't have to trade him if it doesn't want to. and those situations usually don't work out

But if the Browns put out the word they're willing to move him or grant him permission to seek out a trade partner, there will be a lot of teams interested because we're talking here about one of the most dominant defensive players in the NFL.

And the Dolphins at the absolute very least should consider the idea.

THE PROS AND CONS OF GOING AFTER GARRETT (IF HE BECOMES AVAILABLE)

The biggest reason the Dolphins would go after Garrett is he's a game-changer, plain and simple.

The Dolphins also like having marquee players, evidenced by the trades for Hill, Ramsey and Chubb, all starts who were looking to get traded in the search for a new contract.

There are issues to overcome here as well, starting with Garrett's contract.

But if teams want a player badly enough, there's always a way. Any team trading for Garrett likely would sign him to a contract extension, and there's certainly a way to structure so the cap hit is more significant in later years.

Again, it's not like the Dolphins were shy about giving Hill, Ramsey and Chubb new contracts, even if there's eventually a price to pay.

Do the Dolphins really need Garrett with 2024 first-round pick Chop Robinson, Jaelan Phillips and Bradley Chubb on the roster? Well, let's just say here that Garrett simply is the kind of game-changer than non of those three players represents, and there are injury concerns with Phillips and Chubb.

So, yeah, the Dolphins could use Garrett, just like any team in the NFL could use Garrett.

The Dolphins employed a 3-4 base last season, though it easily can morph into a 4-2-5 and, besides, just about every team these days is multiple.

And let's remember that Anthony Weaver used both 3-4 and 4-3 alignments when he was defensive coordinator with the Houston Texans in 2020.

THE BOTTOM LINE

The Dolphins were not included in NFL.com writer Eric Edholm's list of nine best team fits for Garrett if indeed he's traded, and that makes sense because of all the factors that suggest it doesn't make sense.

But the Dolphins just can't be dismissed as a possibility simply because their recent past tells us this is the kind of move they like to make.

The trades for Tyreek Hill, Jalen Ramsey and Bradley Chubb tell us as much.

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Alain Poupart
ALAIN POUPART

Alain Poupart is the publisher/editor of Miami Dolphins On SI and co-host of the All Dolphins Podcast. Alain has covered the Miami Dolphins on a full-time basis since 1989 for various publications and media outlets, including Dolphin Digest, The Associated Press and the Dolphins team website. In addition to being a credentialed member of the Miami Dolphins press corps, Alain has covered three Super Bowls (for NFL.com, Football News and the Montreal Gazette), the annual NFL draft, the Senior Bowl, and the NFL Scouting Combine. During his almost 40 years in journalism, which began at the now-defunct Miami News, Alain has covered practically every sport at one time or another, from tennis to golf, baseball, basketball and everything in between. The career also included time as a copy editor, including work on several books, such as "Still Perfect," an inside look at the Miami Dolphins' 1972 perfect season. A native of Montreal, Canada, whose first language is French, Alain grew up a huge hockey fan but soon developed a love for all sports, including NFL football. He has lived in South Florida since the 1980s.