5 Players the Dolphins Should Resist Moving at Trade Deadline

It's pretty sad that the Miami Dolphins are heading into only their seventh game of the 2025 season, and the focus isn't so much on the opposing Cleveland Browns but rather the players the team might be willing to move before the NFL trade deadline along with the job security of its head coach and general manager.

Such is the state of affairs for a team off to a 1-5 start after a disappointing 2024 season that saw the Dolphins miss the playoffs during Mike McDaniel's tenure.

And because that's the way things go, there already have been all sorts of speculation, rumors, reports throwing out names of Dolphins players who could be on the move, whether it be Jaelan Phillips, Bradley Chubb, Jaylen Wright, Jaylen Waddle, De'Von Achane, you name it.

But the reality is the Dolphins aren't going to trade all of the players mentioned in trade speculation because that kind of firesale simply doesn't happen in the NFL.

And, quite frankly, there are some players the Dolphins absolutely shouldn't move regardless of what's in the plans for the direction of the franchise moving forward.

THE TOP FIVE PLAYERS WHO THE DOLPHINS SHOULD NOT TRADE

Jaylen Waddle, wide receiver

We'll start with Waddle because his name has been thrown around in connection with the New York Giants, who are seeking help at wide receiver with star Malik Nabers on IR.

We devoted an entire column on Waddle and why moving him makes little to zero sense for the Dolphins, so we can just summarize here by saying the team would be foolish to move a talented player who's young and with a team-friendly contract (low cap number in 2026, easy to restructure or move on from after that).

As with every player on this list, the caveat is if the Dolphins are presented with an offer too good to pass up, as happened six years with tackle Laremy Tunsil.

But we suspect teams are going to try to get Waddle on the cheap in conversations with GM Chris Grier, and he should resist the temptation.

Patrick Paul, left tackle

The Dolphins offensive line has been a target of criticism for a long time around Dophins-land, and it remains so in 2025.

There is one bright spot on that offensive line is that the left tackle position appears to be set for years to come with Paul thanks to his emergence in his second season after arriving as a second-round pick in 2024 and spending his rookie season learning behind veteran Terron Armstead.

The fact that Paul is on his rookie year only adds to his value at this time — and one could make the argument he should be at the top of this list we're presenting.

Kenneth Grant, defensive tackle

The Dolphins' first-round pick in the 2025 NFL draft hasn't quite made the immediate impact that would have been so helpful, but it probably was unrealistic all along given the draft analysis that suggested this was a prospect with a high ceiling but some refinement needed before he could reach it.

There have been brief glimpses here and there of his potential, and the Dolphins need to be patient — and that applies to second-round pick Jonah Savaiinaea as well — to see it come to fruition.

Not that it's the major factor, but the fact Grant is under team control for the next four years only adds to the idea the Dolphins should refuse all calls regarding him — again, unless a ridiculous offer is made.

Chop Robinson, edge rusher

It has been a very disappointing start to the 2025 season for Robinson, who came in with high expectations after a very strong second half showing in his rookie year.

Robinson's playing time has been very limited — usually in the 20s in terms of defensive snaps — in part because of the presence of Chubb and Phillips ahead of him in their return from major injuries and in part because his run defense is still less than ideal.

But the Dolphins need to continue developing Robinson and work with him, and he probably would benefit from getting more snaps because, let's face it, it's not like the run defense can get much worse even with whatever deficiencies he might have.

De'Von Achane, running back

Let's be honest, the only reason Achane is not at the top of this list is his contract.

At 24 years and running toward team MVP honors, Achane would be an absolute do-no-touch player if not for his contract situation.

Achane is in the middle of his third season and will be eligible for an extension in the offseason, and considering he's scheduled to make only $1.5 million in 2026 in the final year of his rookie contract, we're going to go ahead and assume his agent will be contacting Chris Grier or Brandon Shore or whoever he needs to contact to get a new deal.

And this is where we crack open — ever so slightly — the door on the possibility the Dolphins would consider trading him instead of dealing with negotiations and figures to be a nice asking price given everything Achane has meant to the offense the past two seasons. The fact that Achane plays running back, a position that's easy to fill and also doesn't usually carries a lot of longevity, also is a factor.

In the end, though, we'd say the Dolphins would be foolish to move on from their best player when he's only 24 years old because he should be a core piece for at least the next few seasons.

More Miami Dolphins Coverage