Why Miami Should Resist Deadline Deals

On November 4, the Miami Dolphins faced calls to consider trades before the NFL deadline, but the case for patience rests on retaining players who could help the team contend in the coming years. At 1-6, Miami is out of the playoff picture this season, yet the team’s rebuilding effort is framed as a longer project focused on evaluation and development.

Zach Sieler and Jordyn Brooks are identified as important potential leaders and the team’s top defensive lineman and linebacker. The central question is whether a draft pick—possibly as high as a third-rounder for either player—would be more valuable than having them on the roster in 2027.

The same calculation applies to Josh Uche and Austin Jackson, whose return would depend in part on whether a new deal works financially. The argument is that Miami should not give up useful players merely to add late-round selections. A fifth-round pick is presented as the minimum worthwhile return, unless the team has decided a player will not be back next season.

Miami’s recent draft experience offers reasons for caution: its two picks after the fifth round this year, DJ Campbell and Max Llewellyn, are not on the 53-man roster, while sixth-rounder Ollie Gordon II is a counterexample to the idea that late picks have little value. The Dolphins are encouraged to stay on course rather than force deals, with the possibility of contending in 2027 still a goal rather than a certainty.