The NFL draft is a little over two weeks from now, and teams are finishing up their draft boards and making calls to look to trade up. The Miami Dolphins won’t be part of the first night of the draft because they don’t have a first-round pick due to the Bradley Chubb deal and being stripped of their other pick due to owner Stephen Ross’ tampering saga. The Dolphins will have to wait until the second night with pick number 51. The Dolphins have a total of 4 picks in this draft. The Dolphins could look to trade up, but they really shouldn’t be mortgaging their future by trading their other picks or next year’s picks. 

The Dolphins are in win-now mode and have the talent to potentially make a run. I get it; general manager Chris Grier has been aggressive in trading for star players Tyreek Hill, Jalen Ramsey, and Bradley Chubb. Grier had to give up some premium picks to get them, but he also had to pay those players or take on their big salaries. The Dolphins are tight against the cap right now, and at this current moment, they are projected to be more than $10 million over the cap next year. I know Grier has had the flexibility to get around those obstacles, but the Dolphins shouldn’t continue to mortgage the future. This team hasn’t won a playoff game in 2 decades, let alone been to a Super Bowl in that time.  

The Los Angeles Rams, for the past few years, have been in win-now mode, trading away 1st round picks for the players the last five years or so and paying their players. I know the Rams won the Super Bowl over a year ago, but last year, they had a bad season and still don’t have a first-round pick this year. They also have bloated contracts that they are trying to get out of. They traded Ramsey to the Dolphins for basically a discount price, a third-round pick, and a backup tight end because teams knew they were up against the cap and were desperate to unload him with no first-round pick. The Dolphins don’t want to get into that situation.  

I know the Rams won the Super Bowl, but do you want to risk the future of your football team? The Dolphins have to show results this year and next, or this win-now approach will have nothing to show. The Dolphins have to balance this win-now mode without compromising their future. The Dolphins also have other players due for extensions, such as Christian Wilkins and Zach Sieler. There will be other players coming up for extension as well, and the Dolphins won’t be able to pay all of them, so they will need some of these picks to potentially groom or replace some of their potential losses. I know that’s down the road and a story for another day, but it’s something to consider. It would be irresponsible for Grier not to look at this side. 

I’m excited about this team this year and the potential they have. However, I don’t want to see the Dolphins mortgaging their future by continuing trading picks and not getting the return investment. It’s a problem Dave Wannstedt had in the early 2000s, and it started a decline in the franchise. I’m not saying that it is going to happen, but it’s something the Dolphins can’t repeat.Â