Revisiting the 10 Biggest In-Season Dolphins Trades ... And How They Panned Out

The Miami Dolphins might not make any deals involving big-name players this year, but. we have done so in the past

Miami Dolphins linebacker Bradley Chubb (2) leaves the field following a game against the New Orleans Saints at Hard Rock Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

While the Miami Dolphins might or might not be involved in any deals featuring big-name players before the NFL trade deadline Tuesday, they have made their share of in-season trades through the years.

There was one of those just last year when the Dolphins traded former first-round pick Jaelan Phillips to the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for a 2026 third-round pick.

Here then is our list of the 10 most significant in-season Dolphins trades and, perhaps more significantly, how those worked out for Miami.

THE 10 BIGGEST DOLPHINS IN-SEASON TRADES

10. 2005 — Dolphins acquire QB Cleo Lemon from the San Diego Chargers for QB AJ. Feeley and a 6th-round pick

This move signified the end of Feeley's ill-fated tenure in Miami, and the fact they had to throw in a sixth-round pick to get journeyman Cleo Lemon was pretty significant. Because Lemon threw the game-winning TD pass in Miami's only win in 2007, let's call that one a win.

9. 1999 — Dolphins trade RB John Avery to the Denver Broncos for WR Marcus Nash

This was a pretty unique trade, with the players selected 29th and 30th overall in the 1999 being dumped by their team after just one year. Nash never played a down for Miami, while Avery's time in Denver was barely more noticeable. We can call that one a wash.

8. 2017 — Dolphins send RB Jay Ajayi to the Philadelphia Eagles for a 2018 4th-round pick

This trade didn't play well with a lot of Dolphins fans after what Ajayi accomplished in the 2016 playoff season (three 200-yard rushing performances), but the reality is that Ajayi already was starting to have knee issues that ultimately would cut short his NFL career. He was out of the NFL after playing only seven games in 2018 and 2019 combined. Getting a fourth-round pick for him wasn't bad work, though it turned into Kalen Ballage, who didn't do anything in the NFL outside of a 75-yard run as a rookie.

7. 1996 — Dolphins acquire TE Troy Drayton from the St. Louis Rams for T Billy Milner

We've got our first big win for the Dolphins here. Milner was Miami's first-round pick in 1995, but he battled injuries as a rookie and underperformed before being shipped out. Drayton, meanwhile, became a solid starting tight end for a few years.

6. 2025 — Dolphins trade OLB Jaelan Phillips to the Philadelphia Eagles for a 3rd-round pick

We examined this trade in detail several days ago, but we'll just repeat this was a win for the Dolphins based on the value for a good, not great, pass rusher with a long injury history who was going to command a big free agent contract.

5. 2007 — Dolphins send WR Chris Chambers to the San Diego Chargers for a 2008 2nd-round pick

This was a pretty interesting move in the midst of the Dolphins' nightmarish 2007 season because Chambers was by far the team's best wide receiver, but getting a second-round pick for him was good. Of course, it would have helped had the Dolphins used that second-round pick on somebody who would have more impact than career backup Chad Henne. But the trade itself wasn't bad.

4. 1991 — Dolphins sent WR Randal Hill to the Phoenix Cardinals for a 1992 1st-round pick

This was one of the most interesting Dolphins trades, Don Shula giving up on his rookie first-round pick after just one game. Hill reportedly had issues learning the playbook and it didn't help that he held out in training camp (yes, that used to be a thing). Getting what became the seventh overall pick in the next draft became a great trade and the Dolphins got a really good player in Troy Vincent, though the best days of his career came with Philadelphia.

3. 2022 — Dolphins acquire OLB Bradley Chubb and a 5th-round pick from the Denver Broncos for a 1st-round, 4th-round pick and RB Chase Edmonds

Remember just four years ago when the Dolphins were in go-for-it mode? That's what led to this trade for Chubb, who came at a big price, both with the draft compensation and the subsequent extension the Dolphins gave him. While Chubb was very good in 2023 before his brutal knee injury, it's difficult to say he justified the price he cost.

2. 2019 — Dolphins trade DB Minkah Fitzpatrick plus a 4th-round pick in 2020 and a 7th-round pick in 2021 to the Pittsburgh Steelers for 1st- and 5th-round picks in 2020 and a 6th-round pick in 2021

This was another pretty wild trade, the Dolphins moving on from their 2018 draft pick after just two games of his second season, and the circumstances (reported friction with head coach Brian Flores, wanting no part of a rebuilding situation) only added to it. The return was pretty good, though the reality is that Fitzpatrick became an All-Pro safety in Pittsburgh while the first-round pick in return was used on Austin Jackson. In retrospect, the Dolphins obviously would have been better off keeping him.

1. 1985 — Dolphins acquire LB Hugh Green from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for 1986 1st- and 2nd-round picks

Green was a two-time Pro Bowl selection who had been a rock star at the University of Pittsburgh when the Dolphins got him to boost their defense, but while he did wind up six-plus seasons in Miami, he never became that same dominating force, in part because of nagging injuries. It actually says everything about how this trade panned out that the Dolphins missed the playoffs five straight years after Green's arrival despite the Dan Marino-led high-flying offense. Interestingly, the second-round pick the Dolphins sent in the Green trade had been acquired from Minnesota in exchange for the rights to star USFL wide receiver Anthony Carter, who would go on to have three 1,000-yard receiving seasons for the Vikings. So, yeah, this one didn't pan out.