Examining the Dolphins GM Trade Approach and the Miami-Heavy Trade List

To trade or not to trade. That is a question that new Miami Dolphins GM Jon-Eric Sullivan might find himself facing more than once this offseason as teams call to inquire about the availability of one or more of the team's front-line players.

The Dolphins, coming off a 7-10 season and with a bad cap situation, a new GM and new coach, clearly are in rebuilding mode, and that means some teams might view them as being willing or maybe even eager to unload players who otherwise would be unmovable.

It was no surprise then that when ESPN ran a list of the top 15 trade candidates this offseason, based on what they would bring to their new team, it included four members of the Dolphins.

To illustrate how unusual that is, only one other team had more than one player on that list: the Philadelphia Eagles, with wide receiver A.J. Brown and backup quarterback Tanner McKee.

The four Dolphins players were exactly who you'd expect: QB Tua Tagovailoa, RB De'Von Achane, WR Jaylen Waddle and S Minkah Fitzpatrick.

Now, ESPN wasn't predicting that all those players would be traded because all 15 on the list were given a percentage of being moved, and Fitzpatrick was the only one estimated at more than 10 percent, at 65 percent.

Tagovailoa was given a 5 percent chance of being traded, while Achane and Waddle were slotted at 10 percent.

The Tagovailoa percentage was so low that it's just been very difficult to envision any team taking on his contract. With Achane and Waddle, this simply is a case of thinking the Dolphins won't want to give away good players just because they're rebuilding.

Fitzpatrick is a different story based on his age, contract and the idea he probably wouldn't have much of an appetite to go through a rebuilding situation — even though his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, was adamant that neither he nor his client requested a trade.

It's pretty obvious that the Dolphins would love to consummate a trade involving Tagovailoa after he was benched as their starter late last season, but it may again prove difficult to find a trade partner.

SULLIVAN'S STANCE ON TRADE TALKS

That brings us to Achane and Waddle, who stand as the two most dynamic playmakers on the roster and two of the best overall players.

Waddle is two years removed from signing a contract extension, and his cap number is scheduled to take a big jump in 2027, while Achane is coming off a team MVP season and likely will be seeking a contract extension as he heads into his fourth NFL season.

Financial reasons clearly would be the only justification for trading either player.

That is, of course, unless somebody makes Sullivan an offer he can't refuse.

That's how he described his approach with Achane and Waddle this offseason.

There is no desire to trade either, but it doesn't mean Sullivan won't listen to what other teams have to say.

And, who knows, maybe things play out as they did in 2019 when the Houston Texans kept calling then-GM Chris Grier about a trade for Laremy Tunsil, and Grier kept turning them down until the Texans upped their offer to the point where Grier decided it was too good a deal to pass up — and it was.

"You never say never, but those are marvelous football players," Sullivan told NFL Network's Tom Pelissero about Achane and Waddle. "They're difference makers. They're good guys in the locker room. Those are guys that I envision being here for the long-term future. Again, you never say never, but I do want those guys to be part of the football team with the Miami Dolphins. I think they're guys that you can build around and they help you win."