Miami Dolphins Should Be Active at the NFL Trade Deadline
The 2026 Dolphins season is already flying by.
A long season was expected, with Miami having over $180 million in dead cap money, which made it the youngest roster in the NFL at 25.6 years old.
And while the Dolphins have shown a strong competitive spirit under first-year head coach Jeff Hafley, they sit at 0-3 and have not led at any point in those three contests.
The schedule doesn’t lighten up anytime soon either, with matchups against Minnesota, Cincinnati, New England, and Detroit in four of their next five games.
With the Dolphins looking at a slim chance of making the postseason in 2026 and likely looking to 2027 and beyond, General Manager Jon-Eric Sullivan and Hafley should view the trade deadline as a way to offload some veterans while potentially taking fliers on veteran talent that may be available.
While most of the Dolphins roster is young, two veterans could serve as movable assets.
Those two players are Austin Jackson and Zach Sieler.
The pair have been with the team since the Brian Flores era, and while the pair are solid veteran players and potentially even more valuable for their veteran leadership in position groups filled with tons of youth, the Dolphins should try to ship them to contenders while they still hold value.
Jackson is on an expiring deal and could be dealt for a pick swap to an offensive line-needy team like the Green Bay Packers, while Sieler, who has a longer-term contract, could be see himself traded to a contending team who could give him a better chance of postseason success since Miami will probably not be ready to win while Sieler is still in his prime.
Miami needs as much draft capital as it can get moving forward, so moving either of these two veterans at the deadline could give them late-round ammo ahead of next year’s draft.
MIAMI DOLPHINS TRADE DEADLINE ACQUISITIONS?
On the flip side, the Dolphins should leave no stone unturned in acquiring talent, which is why they should inquire about Cardinals wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr.
Harrison Jr., the son of Colts great Marvin Harrison, was the fourth overall pick in 2024, and that came with huge expectations.
But with inconsistent quarterback play from Kyler Murray and now a change at QB, Harrison Jr. has not found his footing.
It has progressed rapidly this season to the point where Harrison Jr. has only four receptions through three games, and his name has popped up on the trade block as a change-of-scenery candidate.
Remember, Harrison Jr. is only two years removed from being the fourth overall pick, and at just 24 years old, he still has plenty of time to live up to the hype.
At 6’3, 220 pounds, he would be the type of receiver to lead Miami’s group, which would be worth a flyer.
It is the kind of move that teams in the Dolphins’ situation routinely make, as he is still on his rookie contract.
If he becomes successful in Miami, the Dolphins would get a star receiver for cheap, both with the rookie contract and acquiring him might only take a late-round draft swap as his stock is so low.
And if he doesn’t work out, Arizona would be on the hook for most of the money, and it would only cost the Dolphins a low draft pick.
The risk would be worth it for the potential reward: giving the Dolphins the receiver they have needed for a while.
